“Should I give my newborn baby a pacifier?”

There are reasons on both sides to why pacifiers are great and why they may not be so great.

When my first baby was born, the nurses asked me if I wanted to give my little sweetheart newborn a pacifier and that they would provide one if so. For me, it was kind of a game-time decision. I had my friends and family around me giving me advice and the one thing that stuck in my brain was this… When it comes time to be done sucking on either a pacifier or a thumb, you can take one away, but they have the their thumb to suck on for the rest of their lives!

(As a side note, I know adults that I have encountered in my time that still to this day, suck their thumbs!)

I don’t know about you, but that made my decision clear. I myself opted to go with; Yes, a pacifier is a great option!

Binkies/pacifiers can be a wonderful friend to a new mother.

Pacifiers can be very comforting for newborns and mothers alike. The trick would be though to introduce around week 3 to 4, if breastfeeding, and to take it away at just the right time as well. If I took it away too soon, my baby may revert and find his thumb anyway. If I wait too long, I may have allowed an attachment to it. I decided to take the pacifier away at two years old myself. .

A few germs are good for baby's immune system.

This may be somewhat controversial. Tell me what your opinion is in the comments! What if the pacifier falls on the ground? As a new mother, I took that bad boy to the stove top each and every time to boil the living heck out of that thing to make sure that my newborn didn’t have ANY germs in his mouth from whatever it was that binky fell on! (If you are a pro mom at this point reading this... I KNOW, RIGHT?!) Now, if they were sucking on their thumbs, there was really nothing beyond washing their hands multiple times a day and hope that they are as clean as possible to not get any germs in their mouth. You and I both know, babies touch EVERYTHING, so the possibility of him getting germs in his mouth from his hands was much worse than if it were from the pacifier that I had just scorched to high heavens. If you have had a child or two at this point, I’m sure you were shaking your head at my decision to boil the binky, but man, I was sure too paranoid to get too many germs near my baby! Who knows if that was right or if that was wrong, but I made the best choice for me.

If you don't introduce baby to a small bit of germs, over time, they will be sensitive to everything!

Another point I had found is, that, when babies suck their thumbs too long into their later years, this can cause a problem with their teeth when they are growing in and can cause gaps, incorrect pronunciation of words, misalignment of teeth, and even a large overbite. These things were enough for me to be pro binky. Now, keep in mind that some of these things can still happen with extended use of a pacifier, but knowing I had the choice to be able to take away the pacifier was perfect for me and my family. If you do decide to give your sweet little newborn a pacifier, keep in mind that you must read the labels on each one you purchase. Be sure that when you are buying your dummy/pacifier, that you choose the size and shape that is best for the age of your baby. You want to be certain to check the wear of the binky as time goes by as they can eventually get cracks or wear away from the base. You should frequently (at least once a day in my opinion) pull on the nipple end of the pacifier and check for tears. Also, a great thing to always do when giving your baby any product, is to check for any recalls on your products at the Consumer Product Safety Commission at https://www.cpsc.gov/

This article from the Mayo Clinic also suggests that pacifiers may also reduce the possibility of SIDS in babies who are napping/sleeping. This link has more information on pro's and con's of giving a pacifier https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/pacifiers/art-20048140

Now that you have a bit more information, please make the best decision for you and your family and just know there is no “right” or “wrong” choice. I’m sure that I haven’t touched on each and every point about using or not using a pacifier so please feel free to give your opinion in the comments section below!