Anyone introduce a pacifier well past the newborn stage?

[jenjenfirenjen]

Neither one of my boys took to pacifiers early on...we never got past the stage where I had to constantly hold it in for them. But now I'm considering trying to use one to help my 7 mo old soothe himself back to sleep. It probably won't even work but if it does, I would hate to start a habit I couldn't break. I've been glad my toddler never sucked his thumb or used a pacifier. Any thoughts?

[o_mom]

I have two stories, and take them as just that - antecdotes. I know two people who introduced the pacifier to older babies in order to wean. One at 12-13 months, one at 2 years. In both cases the kids became serious pacifier addicts and were using them well past 3 years old. Both parents said they would never do it again and had to have some intervetion to get them to quit.

[megs4413]

we tried with DD at about 18 mos, but to no avail. she will suck on it for fun every once in awhile but wont' use it to soothe. i would think at 7mos, though it wouldn't be as extreme as trying to introduce it at 1yo+. THat's just a hunch, though.

my advice (as we have been battling with sleep issues from day 1) is don't start anything you dont' want to keep for good. if you're OK with letting your little one give up the pacifier when he's ready, then do it....i'm not against that.....but if you would be unhappy to have a 4yr old with a "binky", then you might want to skip it just in case.

i for one would be happy to have a sleeping child with a pacifier as opposed to my non sleeping child without one...

good luck!

[AngelaS]

Meredith started taking a binky at 7 months. We spent a sleepless week with her after she had a horrible reaction to penicillin and the binky was the only thing besides my nipples that would allow her to sleep.

She's now two and it needs to go bye bye, but she still really loves it.

[mamicka]

Both my boys took the paci right away & fell in love... & then gave it up themselves when they started teething (4-6 mos). DS2 found one again at about 10 months & fell in love again. I thought it would be terrible to get rid of this thing, but it was such a piece of cake. He sucked on this thing night & day & was a whiney mess without it. But at about 18 months, we were completely rid of it without so much as a tear.

So it's possible.

Allison

[mommyoftwo]

I desperately wanted Linnea to take a pacifier when she was little but she really had no interest. We tried different kinds multiple kinds and finally gave up. Then at thirteen months she found one in a toy box and was suddenly hooked. I wasn't sure whether I should let her have it, but it really has helped her sooth herself at night and when she is upset. I'm a little worried about how difficult it may be for her to give it up but she mostly uses it while sleeping so I'm hoping we won't have major issues.

[scoop22]

we started at around 5 mo giving ds a pacifier. just at bed time. at around 10 mo. he didn't want it anymore. he would toss it out of the crib and i think it might still be there. he likes to find it now. but we had no problem. he did it on his own.

i was worried about this at first. with him maybe being a paci lover but i guess i lukced out. it could have went the other way and we could be fighting about it now.
http://b2.lilypie.com/XbITm4.png

[Corie]

My son is addicted! He is 26 months old and it is going to be a struggle to
get him off the pacifier.

I would say not to introduce it to him. You may be starting a really difficult
habit to break.

My biggest fear is seeing my son accepting his high school diploma with his
pacifier in his mouth!!

[KrisM]

DD's had one from the start and now it just ends up on the floor by her crib and doesn't help soothe much. She stands up in the crib and screams and it falls out. So, I'm not sure it'll help a ton.

But, I think it's worth trying, if you're willing to have it around for a while. You might not break the habit for a year or two, but maybe it's worth it? I think if I could get her back to being a good sleeper, I would do about anything!

[Lovingliv]

I can't believe he is 7 months already....where did the time go?

Liv refused pacis as a newborn.. We could not get her to take it for the life of us. Guess what? She found one in her old diaper bag and now she uses it for fun....while laughing.

She wouldn't use it for any length of time, but I think it is funny!

[DrSally]

Wow, good to know. DS actively spit his out at 5 months, but I've been tempted to reintroduce a few times when he wants to continue comfort sucking (like going on an hour or more) and I really need to do something else. Not that I would have actually done it, but now for sure I will never entertain the thought. I can see how they could get seriously attached to it if it is in replacement for nursing that they're not ready to give up yet.