Congratulations!!! You are blessed with a baby. It is one of the happiest moments anyone can fathom. A new soul welcomes prosperity and wellness to the family. The giggles and cries make the whole family night into a sleepless wonder. Everything seems to go fine until the time when the clock starts taking the toll of your patience.
Pacifiers are a temporary distraction for a baby, which soothes their mind by giving them a sensation of relief as they keep sucking the pacifier. It may help your baby to fall asleep. What more you can ask from a mother to have her baby satisfied and not crying.
If everything is going right, what can go wrong? Does the question arise that when is the best time to introduce a pacifier to your baby? We will discuss it. It will let us learn about some of its advantage and disadvantage of a pacifier.
It is well known to everyone that the best nutrition for a newborn baby is mother’s milk. It is enriched with essential vitamins and protein. The best time to offer a pacifier to your baby is when your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and if you have settled into a nursing routine. Shall we proceed with the pros and cons of it?
PROS:
Save your baby’s life: Yes, you are reading it right. After research, it was found that a pacifier can help to save your baby’s life. It has shown a decrease rate of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). The theory is that it helps to open the air space around a baby’s nose and mouth. It ensures that your baby is getting enough oxygen.
Bring Happiness: What else you can wish to see your baby smiling and sleeping quietly. The pacifier offers satisfaction to your baby. Well, it is quite understandable that few babies are happiest when they are sleeping.
Temporary distraction: If you are going for a medical test, sudden blood test, or starting any new medication and find breastfeeding risky, then a pacifier comes in handy. Giving your baby satisfaction and, at the same time, it will assign enough space to complete your endeavors.
Sleep on their own: It might sound fascinating to you, but a pacifier can help your baby learn how to sleep on their own. We all can agree that making a baby sleep is one of the difficult tasks, that a mother must go through. A pacifier gives your baby that satisfaction and mental peace. It will help them to fall asleep on their own.
Under Control: The pacifier is in your control. Unlike the thumb, the pacifier can be removed. As the baby will be habituated to the pacifier, he will not use his thumb to fill the gap. Instead of that, it will take a few days, and the baby will be off from the pacifier. Research says finger and thumb sucking are tougher habits that take more time to break.
CONS:
Bad Habit for a Parent: A pacifier can turn you into a procrastinator. Yes, you are reading it right. Your baby will not, but you may develop a habit of using a pacifier to calm down your baby. As we have read, it is a temporary distraction. You need to understand a baby’s health is best nurtured naturally. Mother’s milk, warmth, and tenderness is the most important thing for a baby. If you wish to continue with the pacifier, the baby might end up developing a habit of the pacifier.
Dental Problems: Using a pacifier for a long time could develop dental problems. The continuous use of pacifiers might cause your child to have misaligned teeth, and there were cases found of misaligned jaws. There are cases where the growth of the tooth is affected due to the continuous use of the pacifier. You will not need your child to look toothless!!
Do not Sugarcoat it: Some parents apply sweeteners on the pacifiers because there is a belief it helps your child to sleep sooner. It is a very illogical practice as if it continues the child might lose interest in breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is the most necessary aspect of a newborn child. You may not wish your child to look malnourished because of your intelligence.
Conclusion:
Pacifiers are boon for all the parents who are working. If you could not manage their daily routine, especially going through a primary change because of their newborn baby. I would suggest to wait for 3 to 4 weeks and use it smartly. It can be pretty much helpful for your baby, and at the same time, if mishandled it might cause you later troubles. You will end up having a baby with dental problems.
Stay Healthy! Again, congratulations on the baby!!
Hina Abbasi is Editor and a passionate sports and entertainment content writer at WinnersMaze.com. Hina’s expertise spans across a wide range of sports, and interest in many TV shows allowing her to deliver insightful analysis and compelling stories that resonate with readers.
