Are you wondering whether you should start using the pacifier? Or does your little one’s pacifier usually falls off in his mouth while asleep? This makes you start thinking about how to keep pacifier in newborn mouth. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
A pacifier can be an important part of every new parent’s arsenal. It helps soothe your baby, and a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and published in a 2005 issue of “Pediatrics” found that pacifiers may reduce the danger of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in infants.
Although, all babies will not take to a pacifier easily. If your baby tends to spit it out, don’t worry we have this simple trick to get your baby take a pacifier.
What is a Pacifier?
A pacifier is an essential baby item made of rubber or silicone nipple-like given to babies to suckle as a way of engaging them and also preventing them from being fussy.
This baby item helps wean your baby from breastfeeding to using a feeding bottle, as it looks like a detached feeding bottle tip.
Usually, newborns don’t only want to suckle because they feel the need to suckle. At times they just want to be engaged, this is where the use of the pacifier comes in handy.
It is usually normal to see newborns sleep with a pacifier in their mouth just like they do when suckling on their nipples.
Therefore, if your baby has been fed, you should give them a pacifier to suckle upon to prevent them from being fussy.
Why Is The Pacifier Falling Out?
Pacifiers can be a tricky thing, babies will either love them, or hate them. If your baby resists taking the pacifier, you should try offering it when she relaxes towards the end of a feed.
But if that fails, you must consider why the pacifier is falling out. Questions that need to be answered include:
- Is your baby hungry and needs milk?
- Is your baby’s sucking weak? This is sometimes the case for many reasons, including prematurity, inexperience, and low muscle tone.
- Does the pacifier match your baby’s oral motor skills? If a pacifier is too short or long, too wide or narrow, or too stiff or soft, This will lead to fatigue, poor suction, gagging, or difficulty breathing.
- Is the problem related to poor hand and motor skills? Your baby may suck vigorously on the pacifier with good firm pressure, but the pacifier falls out when they rest. The only problem here is the inability to coordinate movements to return the device to the mouth. This will resolve with age and motor development.
Note: Matching a pacifier or nipple of a bottle to a baby should consider many factors and may require many trials. You may want to explore a variety of devices to see if one is a better match for your baby.
Read Also: Pacifiers Turning Yellow? Here is Why
When To Give Your Baby A Pacifier?
You can give your baby a pacifier at around 3-4 weeks (or 1 month); the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends introducing pacifiers once your baby gets the hang of breastfeeding and once you have settled into a nursing pattern.
How To Keep Pacifier In Newborn Mouth?
While there are many different pacifiers on the market (some attached to stuffed animals, some “specifically” made for breastfeeding, etc.), reverse psychology is one of the best tricks to keep the pacifier in your baby’s mouth.
Each period your baby tries to take the pacifier in their mouth, you pull it away a little bit until they suck harder. This trick coaches your baby to keep the pacifier in his mouth.
I remember asking my friend Ava if her daughter, Olivia, liked pacifiers. She laughed, and after a while, with a tone of resignation, she replied, “She’s rejected every single one!” with all seven different pacifiers scattered across the tabletop, looking like a collection of lunar rocks.
After narrating my own baby pacifier rejection story to her, I suggested that she try a different approach to help her baby get the benefits of pacifiers. Rather than pushing the pacifier every time she popped it out, she should pull on it a little every time she gave it a little suck.
So toward the end of a nursing session, when Olivia relaxed, and her sucking slowed, Ava tried this trick; removing her breast and immediately sliding in the pacifier (like a classic “bait-and-switch”).
When it has snuggled up in her mouth, she will wait for her to suck on it…then she would pull it back a smidge, like testing if a fish is on the line. She responded by sucking harder.
For the next 15 minutes, Ava played this little game of “reverse psychology” with Olivia to teach her how to keep the pacifier in her mouth.
She repeated this exercise a few times a day, and within 4 days, interestingly Olivia took the pacifier quickly.
Read Also: 10 Best Baby Pacifiers 2021
Practical Rules To Explore When Using The Pacifier
Do’s
- Allow your baby to suck during her wake time or when she’s happy as it satisfies the non-nutritive sucking need young infants to have.
- Use the pacifier to help night wean your baby or toddler. If she is used to nursing to sleep, try substituting the pacifier (mainly if it’s one she can put back in) as this will help wean her from nursing. This probably works best if your partner gives her the pacifier, not you.
- Get a pacifier that your baby can put in and keep, and also baby can find it in their crib without your help. These pacifiers are pretty easy to see in the dark for your baby or toddler.
- Allow your baby to have the pacifier if you need to prolong the time until their next feeding. This will give her temporary relief, thereby helping you take care of other things.
- Do not hesitate to take the pacifier away when your baby starts to throw it out of the crib so that you’ll come back in to get it for them. This is a sign that they are now getting tricky. I remember when my daughter started this, we took it away. After only one day, she was sleeping without disruption again. Therefore, if your baby is old enough to play this game, they are old enough to go to sleep independently.
Read Also: How To Sanitize Pacifiers (5 Easy Steps)
Don’t
- Don’t confuse your baby by prolonging the pacifier wean. Yes! You know your baby better than anyone else, but I’ve found with my baby that once you start the wean, then finish it. You can poke a hole, make it bigger, etc., or another trick of the trade, but do not take it away then give it back, then take it away, etc. Make a plan and stick to it.
- Learning her cries helps you accurately meet her needs which means she’ll probably cry less anyway. So sure, you can use it to comfort your baby, but try to determine the reason for her cry first. Don’t use it, so you don’t have to hear your baby cry.
- Do not allow your baby to use it indefinitely as a sleep prop. Using the pacifier can be a good sleep association and help your baby get to sleep, but don’t make a habit of going back into the room to put the pacifier back in if she can’t put it in herself again, then I’d start how you can hold out.
Alternatively, here is a video showing you 8 pacifier do’s and don’ts
Things to Consider When Buying a Pacifier for a baby
When shopping for the best pacifier for your baby, you should consider the following:
Material
When shopping for the best pacifier for your baby, you should go for the ones made of silicone or rubber, as against latex. This is because newborns are allergic to latex.
Size
This is equally important; you need to choose the right pacifier size that suits your baby. A too big pacifier can harm your child, whereas pacifiers that are too small may cause a choking hazard as they may fit into the baby’s mouth and get swallowed easily.
Color
We all love items with beautiful colors. Babies are not exempted too. It might interest you to know that babies are more likely to accept the pacifier they are attracted to. So, you must buy a pacifier that has an attractive and cute color to arouse the baby’s curiosity.
Cost
Pacifiers are generally inexpensive, so avoid getting ripped off when buying the best pacifier for your baby.
Read Also: Does Wubbanub Help Keep Pacifier in Mouth
Pacifier FAQ’s
Is it ok to give the pacifier back to the baby in the middle of the night?
If your baby seems to wake now and then and isn’t hungry, you can give the pacifier back. If the baby is waking up too often in the night, you may want to wean the pacifier. It’s good to teach your child how to put the pacifier back in once the child clocks 6 months of age.
Can a baby sleep with a pacifier all through the night?
It’s pretty challenging to keep a pacifier in the baby’s mouth throughout the night. The reason is that when a baby fully relaxes into a deep sleep, the muscles of their mouth open, thereby allowing the pacifier to fall out.
Does the pacifier cause gas?
According to health professionals and several studies, it does not cause gas. Intense sucking by your baby can take in air that may bring about some air bubbles, but it’s not noticeable and will not be the leading cause of gas in babies.
Do pacifiers help reduce the risk of SIDS?
According to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), pacifiers can help reduce the risk of sudden infant deaths (SIDS). This is because when a baby is sucking on them (or a breast), they remain active and in a lighter state of sleep which helps their body system be awake and alert.
What age is good to take away a pacifier?
There’s no particular age to take away a pacifier from your baby. Any age is a good age to take the pacifier away once your baby becomes too dependent on it, can’t put it in their mouth, or if it’s affecting their night’s sleep.
However, when your baby clocks around 1 year of age, it’s best advised to take the pacifier away, so it doesn’t turn into an emotional crutch that also creates some dental issues.
Is the pacifier terrible for a newborn?
If you are breastfeeding, midwives typically suggest you wait until around 6 weeks to introduce the pacifier to avoid nipple confusion. However, it’s okay if you notice your baby doesn’t have any trouble latching on.
How do you break the pacifier habit?
You can use any of these pacifier weaning tricks. You can also break the pacifier habit by going cold turkey, putting a hole in the top, giving it out to a loved one, or anything else that could help. But the key is to choose a strategy that suits you best and stick with it.
How do I get my baby to suck on the pacifier?
One effective way to get your baby sick on the pacifier is to put it in the baby’s mouth and then gently tug it out. This will prompt your baby to suck on it instinctually. Make sure you do this a few times every time you put it in until your baby gets a strong suck.
Related Posts
- Pacifier Alternatives (For Babies and Toddlers)
- How To Get Baby To Sleep Without Pacifier
- How Many Pacifiers Do I Need (Complete Guide For New Parents)
Conclusion
Having a pacifier can be an important part of the parenting arsenal. You must introduce the pacifier to your baby directly after feeding; that is when she is at her most calm, happy, and content.
If your baby constantly spits out the pacifier, it is possible the shape could be the problem, try a variety of sizes, shapes and nipples on a pacifier, or it could be possible she doesn’t need one.
Although a pacifier can reduce the risk of SIDS, know that they are not necessary for all babies. Follow your baby’s cues. Sometimes she’ll take the pacifier gladly, and other days she might refuse it. Do not hold it in her mouth or force her to take it.
If you know any other tips on how to keep pacifier in newborn mouth, kindly share your ideas with us in the comment section.
