Pacifiers are not usually a must for babies, but you probably got a dozen of them even before your baby was born. The dilemma of pacifiers is quite confusing especially if you are a new mom.
Here’s a glance at the five most important things you need to know about pacifiers!
1- They prevent the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:
SIDS is a real nightmare for new parents, so you would probably want to do everything to prevent it and keep your baby safe. A pacifier may help you do that. It had been associated with SIDS prevention.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends providing a pacifier to your baby when napping or sleeping to reduce the risk of SIDS.
2- They’re are Soothing:
If your baby is fussy and crying, pacifiers will help you soothe him/her and then you can get a short break. When it’s hard to soothe your baby and nothing seems to work, offering a pacifier can be the solution since pacifiers usually calm babies down.
3- They Satisfy Your Baby’s Cravings and Sucking Reflex
Have you ever faced the situation where your baby has just finished nursing and you are sure he/she is full but they’re still sucking their tiny fingers. Keep calm mama, you are doing great and you are giving your baby the necessary food he/she needs. The thing is that your baby is probably craving the sucking motion. If this is the case, offering him/her a soother may satisfy his/ her urge to suck.
4- They Encourage Babies to Self-soothe
A pacifier can help your baby learn how to control his/her feelings. It relaxes them and makes them feel more secure and less lonely. This means that your baby will work on developing new skills all by himself/ herself, skills that will help you stay sane. Don’t forget that a calmer baby means a calmer mom.
5- They Could Be Confused With Breastfeeding
The risk of “nipple interference” is one of the reasons that makes a mom avoid pacifiers. It is recommended by the AAP not to hand a nursing baby a soother before the age of one month. But, recent studies have shown that it is not wrong to give a breastfed baby a pacifier if he/she is gaining weight steadily. You just shouldn’t offer a pacifier instead of the breast nipple.
