4 effective ways to wean your baby from the pacifier: tips and advice for parents

To facilitate the care of a newborn, many mothers purchase various "helpers": diapers, bottles, cosmetics. Another children's accessory is a familiar pacifier. However, very soon the question arises: how to wean the baby from the nipple?

After all, if at first children really need this item for physiological reasons, then as they grow up, the habit of sucking a nipple already has a psychological background and makes it difficult for the little man to socialize.

Having weighed all the pros and cons, mom begins to wean her off the dummy. However, the child does not like such interference, so he hides the pacifier in the stroller, takes it from his peers on the street, cries and in every possible way demonstrates his displeasure.

And yet, what is it - the correct weaning from a dummy? How to avoid common mistakes, what rules should be followed, when to start work - at 12 months or at 3 years old? The most popular nipple control methods are presented below.

Reasons for addiction

The sucking reflex is one of the most important for a newborn, moreover, it is a natural necessity. That is why, when a child is born, doctors must check this stereotypical reaction.

If the sucking reflex is at the optimal level, the baby will “get” milk well and develop optimally. Otherwise, experts draw a conclusion about physiological or neurological disorders.

A baby who is exclusively breastfed and breastfed on demand can suck on the mother's nipple almost around the clock. Thus, he not only gorges, but also satisfies his sucking reflex. In this case, no dummy is needed.

However, in practice, such a frequent need to breastfeed a baby is very exhausting for a woman who is already tired after giving birth. She begins to overwork, get irritated, which ultimately can negatively affect the baby. As a way out: a dummy to satisfy the desire to suck the nipple.

It's another matter if the baby is artificial. Feeding from a bottle requires less effort than sucking on your mother's breast to get milk. The child is quickly saturated, and the sucking reflex remains unsatisfied.

In such a situation, a silicone accessory becomes a good helper for a mother, and for a baby - a simulator, a sedative and a means to satisfy important basic needs.

A dummy is not always needed, so you should not introduce a child to it if:

a woman is ready to give a newborn a breast whenever he needs to satisfy a sucking reflex;
the baby spits out the silicone device;
the child easily calms down and stops crying as soon as his attention is distracted by something interesting (for example, a toy).

Thus, the baby's addiction to the nipple is due to both physiological (sucking reflex) and psychological (calming) reasons. Moreover, the first factor smoothly flows over time into the second, only increasing affection.

Arguments for and against dummy

The silicone accessory has both advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is worth considering all the opinions of specialists: pediatricians, orthodonists, speech therapists and psychologists.

Nipple benefits

Despite the skeptical attitude of some mothers, experts highlight a number of clear positive aspects from the use of an infant pacifier.

The main advantage of the pacifier is the ability to quickly calm the baby down. When he is capricious, unwell, excited, the dummy quickly relaxes and brings the long-awaited comfort to all household members. It also helps the baby fall asleep faster.
The nipple will distract the baby when performing various unpleasant procedures, for example, during routine vaccinations.
A dummy can help if it is necessary to restrict the child's use of milk or artificial mixture (for example, when the baby is overweight), while not reducing the sucking reflex.
The silicone device makes it easier for the child to carry the flight on the plane and reduces the discomfort caused by pressure drops. Sucking on the pacifier also reduces ear congestion during flight.
Dissatisfaction with the sucking reflex makes the baby pull fingers, a diaper or a blanket into his mouth. In this case, sucking on the nipple is the best way out of all of the above.
It is believed that the nipple can significantly reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. The design features (ring and vents) allow air to enter the lungs, even if the baby gets entangled in the blanket.

The above does not mean that immediately after the maternity hospital, a newborn must be taught to use a dummy. The baby must suck on the mother's nipple or bottle, and a silicone device is often unnecessary.

Dummy Disadvantages

Some parents may shrug their shoulders in bewilderment and ask a completely justified question: if everything is so good, then why do you even need to wean your child from sucking a pacifier?

In fact, all the advantages are easily leveled by the negative influence of the nipple on the development of babies if it is used for too long. So, experts identify several significant negative aspects of the use of silicone pacifiers.

Among them:

the formation of an incorrect bite;
delayed speech development and incorrect pronunciation of hissing sounds by the baby;
delayed cognitive development;
insufficient involvement of the child in interaction with peers;
psychological infantility;
infectious lesions of the oral cavity (stomatitis, candidiasis), arising from insufficient processing of the pacifier.

TV doctor Komarovsky is convinced that the nipple does not cause much harm to the child. The desire to wean oneself from a pacifier is dictated from the outside: grandmothers, neighbors, just strangers, looking at the mother and the grown-up child with a pacifier with bewilderment and mockery.

The prerequisites for the above-described undesirable consequences, according to the popular pediatrician, lie in poor heredity, poor state of nature, individual physiological and psychological characteristics of the child.

Still, most experts recommend getting rid of pacifier sucking so as not to disrupt baby development. After all, this silicone object is no longer needed by a grown-up child, and before that an important action turns into an annoying bad habit.

When is it time to wean a child from a pacifier?

There is a certain pattern: it is more difficult for an adult child to part with a favorite dummy. And since the baby himself does not want to give up the "silicone friend", then it is the parents who must make a fundamental decision and choose a painless way of giving up the nipple.

At what age should you start weaning from the nipple? Many experts are convinced that the easiest way to overcome a habit is before a child is 12 months old. This is explained by the fact that it is easier to switch the attention of a one-year-old baby to other objects than children at 2 or 3 years old.

The most optimal age for weaning from the nipple is between 6 and 8 months. At this time, the sucking reflex already fades away, but complementary feeding begins.

Children's life begins to change, as the child experiences previously unfamiliar taste sensations, learns new feeding rules. Parents switch the baby's attention from the nipple to bright dishes: drinking cups, cups, spoons.

Weaning off a boring nipple at 2 or 3 years old is somewhat complicated for the following reasons:

the habit of sucking the silicone nipple takes root;
the notorious three-year-old crisis begins, when the child tries to do the opposite.

On the other hand, a 3-year-old baby is already able to understand some maternal reasons, therefore, with a skillful approach, you can negotiate with him, playing on the motive of independence, adulthood and a desire to help young children.

Is it possible to meet a 6 or 7 year old child in Russia sucking a pacifier? Most likely no. It is in your power to cope with this addiction, choosing the most painless and most suitable way, even before the baby goes to kindergarten.

In Italy, you can find a 5-year-old butuza sitting quietly in a stroller and sucking a nipple. And Italian parents are not worried about the opinions of others or the probable wrong bite. These are the traditions of this society!

4 ways to wean off the nipple

Currently, there are four effective methods that help wean a baby from a nipple. The choice of the most appropriate method will depend on the age of the child, his individual characteristics and the degree of habit formation.

Smooth failure

This method is more suitable for children under one and a half years old.

For withdrawal to be painless and stress-free, you can spend several weeks on it. In this case, you must adhere to the following useful recommendations.

Move the nipple out of sight during the day, leaving it only overnight. And so that the child does not miss his "silicone buddy", fill the children's day with various games, watching cartoons, etc.
Do not take your pacifier outside with you. If the baby cries during a walk, try to distract his attention with the help of flying birds, running cats, passing cars. Of course, you can't scold a kid.
At first, the baby sleeps with a dummy, however, gradually this habit must be abandoned. When falling asleep, read fairy tales, sing lullabies. Then offer to take out the pacifier and place it on the pillow.
If the child is against, offer an exchange: a dummy for a favorite bear. Did the baby fall asleep with a pacifier? While he sleeps, remove the silicone accessory. Gradually, the baby will get used to falling asleep without a pacifier.

You should not forcefully remove the nipple from the child's mouth if he categorically does not want to part with it. Such an action will not cause understanding on his part; on the contrary, only hysteria awaits the parents.

Abrupt refusal

Such a harsh method is more suitable for children of two or three years old who already understand the arguments and arguments of their parents.

In order not to harm the child in this difficult period, you need to adopt one of the following options.

Get an envelope, write an arbitrary address on it, for example, "Fox in the fairy forest". Then put the dummy in an envelope, seal it and give it to your dad so that he can “take” an important item to the post office.
Modification of the method - "present" a dummy to a little cousin or a neighbor's newborn baby. Naturally, this situation should be discussed in advance with the baby's mother.
If the baby categorically does not want to give his pacifier to anyone, you can simply get rid of it by throwing it together in the trash or river.

To wean a child from a dummy at 2 years old, after all these rituals, you need to arrange a kind of celebration that marks growing up. If the child remembers the object, it should be repeated that he has already grown up and does not need a dummy.

Harsh weaning is not welcomed by all professionals, but it does help in some situations. Especially if parents do not know how to quickly wean a child from a dummy at 2 or 3 years old.

Cancellation 7 days in advance

When you need to quickly and at the same time painlessly wean your child from the nipple, the method that mothers are actively sharing on numerous women's forums is suitable.

This method is used in relation to children who are breastfed, since the mother will need to give the baby a breast.

The technique itself includes the following steps:

for 5 days, it is necessary to halve the time for sucking the pacifier (the child sucks not for half an hour, but 15 minutes);
in the remaining 2 days, a dummy is offered only at night and during naps;
the duration of falling asleep with a pacifier is reduced by 2 times, giving a breast after a silicone accessory;
if the child persistently demands a pacifier, you should adhere to this scheme: you need to suck the nipple for a few minutes - then suck the nipple.

A dummy is given only in especially difficult situations when the child cannot be reassured by other means - through distraction or breastfeeding.

Stoppi

If the previous methods did not help and the parents do not know how to wean the child from the nipple and pacifier, “Stop” comes to the rescue - a vestibular silicone orthodontic plate.

This device, made of hypoallergenic silicone, according to the manufacturers, not only relieves nipple addiction, but also allows you to correct an existing malocclusion.

The silicone pad contributes to:

prevention of open bite;
prevention of abnormal development of the lower jaw;
getting rid of mouth breathing.

In order for the positive effect to be noticeable, it is necessary to put on this plate for the child for several weeks, making sure that he does not push pacifiers or a finger into his mouth.

Wrong actions and ways

Along with the questions of what time to start getting rid of a bad habit and how to wean a child from a dummy correctly, you need to remember about unwanted actions that can only delay the process and harm the child's psyche. What should you abstain from?

do not wean the child from the nipple when he is sick, not in the best mood, adapts to the kindergarten. During such periods, the baby already feels unwell, and the imposition of several stresses will only aggravate the problem;
do not force your baby to give a pacifier. If your child is the owner (and this is almost always the case), then forcing him to give his item to another child is highly undesirable. If your toddler is greedy, find another weaning method;
do not smear the nipple with bitter substances. Mustard, hot peppers, lemon and aloe juices not only give a lot of unpleasant emotions, but can also lead to allergies. In addition, forgetting about the bitter taste, the baby may demand to return the pacifier;
do not scold the kid. You cannot say that he is a roar, crybaby, etc. 2 - 3-year-old child is already a bright personality, so there is no need to lower children's self-esteem with such impartial words and name-calling;
do not damage the pacifier. Some mothers cut off the tip of the nipple to make it uncomfortable for the baby to suck. But a cut pacifier can lead to suffocation if the baby bites off a piece of silicone and chokes;
do not offer gifts. The grown-up child will quickly realize that for refusing a dummy, you can get something valuable, and will begin to demand toys and sweets. You can encourage the child later, when he will definitely give up the nipple;
do not wean when teething. This process is painful. And the nipple reduces the severity of pain. Along the way, you can and should give your child a special cooling teether.

If you have already decided to relieve the child of the habit, stand your ground and do not return the pacifier after the first tears. If the baby's condition has worsened, you can buy a new pacifier without bringing the situation to a nervous breakdown.

Useful Tips

An annoying dummy and how to wean a child from it - this worries many parents. Viewing mothers' forums allows you to choose the most useful tips that will help you quickly cope with a bad habit.

When the introduction of complementary foods begins, you can give the child a nibbler instead of a nipple. This device is a mesh or silicone container with holes in which grated fruits or vegetables are placed. The baby will suck the nibbler, gradually forgetting about the dummy.
For an older child, get a wind musical instrument: a harmonica, pipe or whistle. The only negative is that not many parents are able to withstand such a kind of musical accompaniment.
Try to load your child as much as possible: physically and emotionally. Walk outside for longer, play actively at home, then bathe your baby in the bathroom with lavender oil (if you are not allergic) and put him to bed. Tired, the baby will not remember the nipple.
Teach children to drink from a mug, spoon feed. This will help you gradually wean not only the nipple, but also the bottle of formula. After all, the habit of these two devices develops in parallel.
Another tip - weaning off the nipple in play. In the process of weaning, play more, give various balls, teethers, teethers. No need to remind or give a dummy, even if the baby cries. Return is possible if he persistently asks for her.
How to wean a baby from sleeping with a pacifier? Create a new calming ritual for the child before falling asleep, in which there will be no room for a pacifier. It can be a new song, reading a book, swinging on handles, bathing with beautiful toys.

In the process of weaning from a dummy, take into account not the opinions of neighbors or grandmothers at the entrance, but the individual characteristics of your child. Only in this case will you be able to choose the most harmless way to get rid of such a boring silicone device.