Is pacifier a word you’ve heard before? If yes, what do you suppose it is?
We come across several items every passing day, but we don’t know what they are called in most cases. Pacifiers are one of such things.
A pacifier is an item, either plastic or rubber, put in a baby’s mouth that helps comfort them as they suck. For example, pacifiers could be given to them when they cry.
It is essential to be familiar with the different types of pacifiers. This would help you choose which is best for your baby.
Types of pacifiers
1. Foldable pacifiers
This particular pacifier has a pocket that can accommodate its nipple when folded or collapsed. However, the most exciting part is its ability to fold on its own when touched or dropped on the floor.
Foldable pacifiers are more appropriate for first-born babies.
2. Soothie pacifier
The Soothie pacifiers are the most common type of pacifier. They are made from Bisphenol A (BPA)-free silicon and fit well in a dishwasher for cleaning.
Soothies come in different sizes and are specifically for younger babies. One exciting aspect of the soothie silicon is that they bounce a lot and make it difficult to locate when they drop on the floor.
3. Guardless pacifiers
Unlike the closed shields, these super pacifiers have a good part of their shields open. The guard is that component of the pacifier that restricts the babies from totally pulling the pacifier into their mouth.
Guardless pacifiers are very beneficial for giving room to a substantial amount of breath of air when being sucked.
It also is advantageous for minimizing the sensitivity of the surrounding area of the baby’s mouth.
4. Vented shield pacifiers
It is specifically favorable to babies that don’t have breathing problems while using pacifiers and have no sensitivity issues around their mouth.
This set of pacifiers can cover a large part of the baby’s face but creates holes for proper air inflow.
5. Teething pacifiers
The teething pacifier is designed specially for babies that have just begun developing teeth.
Although other pacifiers can help reduce the discomfort in teething babies’ gums, the teething pacifier is best for this purpose.
In addition, this pacifier is designed in a U-shape with lumps instead of the standard nipple shape.
6. Orthodontic pacifiers
This pacifier is designed so that the top has a circular shape and its bottom is even. Therefore, when the orthodontic pacifier is inserted into the baby’s mouth, the nipple becomes flat.
The leveling up of the nipples reduces the stress mounted on the jaw and teeth.
7. Lovey pacifiers
Just like the name connotes, it provides comfort to the baby, just like the mother’s breast would do. Lovey pacifiers give the baby a natural sucking feeling like they were sucking from the mother.
It’s fun to watch your baby needing less coordination to put back this pacifier into their mouths when it falls off.
Other pet names for pacifiers
- Assy
- Binky
- Chewy
- Duda
- Faker
- Goo-gee
- Putt-putt
- Soothie
- Woo-woo
- Ya-ya
- Sophie and lots more.
Just like how burdensome it might be when trying to wean the babies from the mother’s breast, so it is with the pacifiers.
When a baby is addicted to the pacifier, it’ll take a whole lot of effort and techniques to separate them from this device.
Thankfully, there’re techniques to apply when separating your baby from the pacifier.
Procedures of separating infants from pacifiers
Avoid threats
We are trying to take something away from these babies, so we need to be as friendly as possible. Making them believe you’re taking the pacifiers away from them for good is a very wrong approach. So it helps to be as gentle and sneaky as possible.
Reduce its use
Taking something special from a baby is like stealing a part of them away. So it’s not advisable to stop its use at once. Instead, minimizing how these infants use the pacifiers will help curb their use.
Replace the pacifiers with something attractive
When trying to wean your babies from this object, make sure to introduce something more attractive to catch their attention. This way, they won’t have difficulty letting go of their first love, or second, if we’re counting breast milk.
Dialogue
Having one-on-one communication with these infants before carrying out actions will help them prepare their minds on what is about to hit them. This approach is most effective if you have other attractive incentives to entice them with.
We’d like to intimate you with a few things if you have a baby that makes use of a pacifier.
Valuable tips on the use of pacifiers
- When planning on getting a pacifier for your baby, endeavor to get one that’s wider than the baby’s mouth and has a guard with holes for ventilation.
- If the baby is restless, first find out if they’re hungry or have wet diapers before trying to offer a pacifier.
- If you notice that the baby isn’t willing to use the pacifiers, it’s advisable to lure the infants into taking the pacifiers by adding sweeteners.
- It is unethical to pressure these babies into using the pacifiers. If they are asleep and it falls off their mouth without them noticing, then it’s not ideal to put it into their mouth.
Your baby might just need some cuddling and motherly attention and not the pacifiers. So whenever you try to calm them, pacifiers should be the last option.
Do you think pacifiers are all perfect? First, let’s find out some of the risk factors of the use of pacifiers.
3 Side effects of pacifiers
1. Reactions
Introducing your babies to pacifiers could result in allergies and ailments like throat infections. In addition, these reactions may lead to respiratory issues in the future.
2. Oral ailments
Excessive use of pacifiers could bring about mouth infections of the infants.
3. Disruption in breastfeeding plan
When the baby becomes addicted to the pacifiers, it could disrupt the breastfeeding schedule.
The takeaway
Pacifiers are good ways to keep babies from discomfort, but it is medically essential to seek the physician’s advice when trying to get one for them.
