Young parents are often worried about how to wean the baby from sleeping with a pacifier. It is better to approach this process deliberately so as not to injure the baby. Mom and Dad should understand why the baby is so attached to the dummy, and not put pressure on him, but help to part with it.
Baby with pacifier
Why wean a child to fall asleep with a pacifier
In society, it is customary to condemn the child who uses the pacifier and his parents. It is believed that a pacifier should only be purchased for babies. Therefore, young mothers are trying to quickly take it away from the child, especially if the baby goes to kindergarten or attends collective classes.
Komarovsky sees nothing wrong with long-term use of the nipple and believes that it cannot do much harm. Rather, the child's development and health will be affected by the growing environment, diet, and hereditary factors. However, there are different opinions about the pros and cons of soothers.
Arguments for"
Among the positive aspects of using the nipple, in particular, when falling asleep and at night, we can highlight:
- The kid quickly calms down, especially if he is small, and it is impossible to calm the tears with words. This is convenient if you want your child to sleep on the road and during the flight. In the latter case, it practically does not bind the ears if the baby sucks a pacifier. In an airplane, with constant pressure drops, this happens often;
- The dummy makes up for the sucking reflex. The child wants to taste everything: diapers, clothes. Better to let it be a nipple, as long as it is kept clean. Sterile processing is necessary to avoid, for example, the appearance of stomatitis, which significantly worsens the baby's condition, interferes with eating and drinking;
- The risk of sudden infant death is reduced. If the baby has already begun to roll over, is actively moving his hands, then he may get tangled in a blanket or sheet. The special holes on the pacifier will not obstruct the air and the baby's breathing will not be disturbed.
Note! With a pacifier, the baby falls asleep much faster. That is why young parents resort to her help if the baby refuses to go to bed at a certain time. This is a fairly easy way to calm your baby and train him to regimen.
Baby sleeps with a pacifier
Arguments "AGAINST"
There are arguments suggesting that prolonged use of the nipple during the day and when falling asleep is harmful to the baby:
- The bite is broken;
- There is a delay in speech, problems with the pronunciation of hissing sounds;
- The child is less interested in what is happening around him, this also applies to communication with other kids. His cognitive abilities develop more slowly, he becomes less emotional.
Therefore, despite the advantages of a silicone device, experts advise: abandon it as soon as possible so as not to provoke a delay in the development of the child.
When to start weaning
It is recommended to wean the child from falling asleep with a pacifier after he is 6 months old. At this age, the sucking reflex practically fades away. The nipple turns from a necessity into a habit. The baby will establish a strong association, he will associate the pacifier with rest and protection and will not want to refuse it. She will calm him down, help him immerse himself in the world of dreams. Therefore, at a later age, the child will perceive the refusal of the nipple painfully. You will have to resort to tricks, endure children's tears or wait for the baby to decide on its own that he no longer needs a dummy.
You always need to focus on your child, you should not rush things if the baby is attached to a dummy. If you pick it up abruptly, it can injure the baby. Therefore, we can say that the nipple was lost, or it was given to another child:
- if the baby reacts normally, without tears, the moment is right;
- when a hysteria begins, the little person suffers, his sleep deteriorates, it is worth postponing the excommunication.
The baby suffers without a nipple
It is good for the baby to give up the dummy until the age of three, namely before the onset of the crisis, when the child begins to feel his importance and does a lot in defiance of his parents. Again, at this age, it is already possible to agree with the child, explain to him that the need for sucking has long passed, resort to fairy tales, the main thing is not to intimidate the baby. It is important to convey to him that he is independent and adult, and an attribute from childhood is much more needed, for example, to another baby who can be given a dummy.
How to prepare for weaning
If the child has not given up on the nipple on his own, it is likely that tears are indispensable. Komarovsky believes that there is nothing wrong with the crumb mourning for a couple of days the separation from the dummy. This will not affect his psycho-emotional development. It's another matter if he cannot sleep at all, and his crying turns into hysteria.
The kid does not understand what is wrong with a dummy, and why they take it away from him. Moreover, it was his parents who offered it to him, and now they are trying to prove that it is only harm from her. Therefore, he reacts with crying and hysteria, because he is attached to her, she helps to fall asleep and makes the rest stronger and longer.
There is no need to offer the baby a pacifier if he does not remember about it. It is better to remove it from your eyes so that the baby does not see it. If he does not require a dummy and calmly goes to bed, then soon you can remove it forever. This is the perfect moment not to be missed. On the first day, when the baby has forgotten about the nipple, there is no need to hide it. Nothing can be done abruptly, even weaning from a dummy should be gradual. The main thing is to shorten the sucking time.
Note! If the child does not sleep well without a pacifier or cannot calm down and constantly cries, it is better to give it back for a while. In this case, when the baby was presented with a story, for example, about a missing nipple, it is better to buy a new one.
Usually babies need a pacifier when they are bored or unable to calm down, relax and fall asleep. Therefore, you need to distract the baby, give him more attention and affection. It is important to form the right rituals for going to bed. After all, babies quickly get used to repetitive actions, this also applies to daily sucking on a pacifier. It is necessary to switch the infant's attention to reading books, songs. They will replace his dummy and over time will be associated with falling asleep. Once the mom starts reading, the baby will feel safe and relaxed, allowing him to fall asleep quickly.
Reading before bed
Ways to wean a baby from a nipple
You can wean your baby off the nipple smoothly, gradually reducing the time of its use:
- Before going to bed, distract him with reading or quiet games, not letting him remember the dummy;
- If the baby insists, give it to him, but then offer to exchange it for a favorite toy or just put it next to it on the pillow. The baby should understand that nothing is taken from him, and it is good if he gives the nipple himself;
- If he nevertheless fell asleep with her, then after a while, carefully remove it. When the baby resists, do not do it forcibly, it is better to wait. It is important to be patient.
Well, when the baby is breastfed, then the nipple can be replaced by a breast, taking the pacifier after a while. So you can gradually reduce the time of its use.
Abrupt weaning is usually used for grown-up babies, aged 2-3 years. Fairy tales and stories are invented for them. For example, that a good fairy came and took the pacifier, leaving a gift. The kid should feel that this is magic, and not that his favorite thing was taken away from him.
Note! Some throw the pacifier into the river with the baby, after which they organize a party. From now on, this day becomes a new starting point, it is associated with the growing up of the baby, the growth of his independence.
It's good if you manage to agree to give the pacifier to your little brother or sister, or send a squirrel or fox to the forest. You can beat this situation by buying an envelope. Together with the child, you need to put a pacifier in it and take it to the post office. The baby must understand that this is a really important event, and his thing is needed by others, and he is an adult and is able to cope without it.
Wrong actions of parents
When weaning crumbs from a nipple, parents should be positive:
- you cannot shout at the baby, take away the dummy by force, especially if he is reaching for it or has already taken it;
- you should not hit the baby on the hands, laugh at his attachment to the nipple.
Often, young mothers and fathers try to ruin the pacifier so that the baby no longer experiences the same sensations when sucking. For example, they cut it. But at night the child is not under constant adult supervision, and the damaged object cannot be called safe. There is a chance that small parts will get into the baby's mouth, and he will choke. Therefore, you should not conduct such experiments so as not to harm the child.
You also need to be careful when spreading lemon juice or mustard on the nipple. Usually they use something bitter, unpleasant in taste so that the baby is disgusted and does not want to take the pacifier in his mouth again. Do not forget that these substances can lead to allergic reactions in the baby. After all, the smaller it is, the higher the risk of negative manifestations. It is especially not worth using such methods for up to six months, when the child is not familiar with any products, except for mother's milk or an adapted mixture.
Important! It is not recommended to take the pacifier from the baby during the growth of teeth, illness or other stressful situations, for example, when moving or adapting to kindergarten.
The baby is teething
It happens that babies "outgrow" and refuse to dummies themselves. Usually, parents have to wean the child from falling asleep with a pacifier, no matter how difficult it may be. To make everything go painlessly, it is better to do it gradually. Especially if the baby is already over a year old, and he is used to a dummy, as to a favorite toy, and is afraid to part with it.
