3

My 9 month old baby is pretty much addicted to his pacifier, and I kind of worry about if I should set some limits to pacifier use - like, he is starting to say a couple of recognizable words, but isn't the pacifier in the way?

My first daughter never gave a pacifier a try, it just wasn't her thing. I started giving a pacifier to this one for sleep after a couple of week. Now when he does not have it, he puts anything he can get his hands on in his mouth, so I end up handing it to him.

I thought of teething but it's not just when new teeth are showing up, he's been going for everything with his mouth for practically forever.

On the other hand when he has his pacifier he actually looks at his toys and bangs them and interacts with them instead on trying to find a way to suck on them.

Any advice? I'll admit I'm also confused because his sister was so different...

Nimloth
  • 937
  • 1
  • 8
  • 11
  • Hi! I think most of our other [pacifier] questions should give you good guidance on this, and I'm not sure if there's a specific question you're asking that isn't covered by some of these: – deworde Jun 25 '20 at 19:58
  • https://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/4984/is-it-bad-to-use-a-pacifier?rq=1 – deworde Jun 25 '20 at 19:59
  • https://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/88/when-should-a-child-stop-using-a-pacifier-and-how-can-i-help-with-this-transiti – deworde Jun 25 '20 at 19:59
  • @deworde I wouldn't use the first one, that's for a newborn - totally different situation. The second question seems more appropriate here as a duplicate. – Joe Jun 25 '20 at 20:54
  • @Joe The problem here is that it isn't clear what's being asked beyond "Is a pacifier bad?". Answers to the question I linked to link to multiple sources about pacifier use going up to at least 12 months. – deworde Jun 25 '20 at 21:14
  • @deworde The first question though is specific to a newborn - a 0-3 month old. This is not a newborn, this is a 9 month old, so the second question is definitely more appropriate. The first question's accepted answer talks about nipple confusion, for example - that's not a risk for a 9 month old ;) – Joe Jun 25 '20 at 21:15
  • @Joe Read that answer to the end. – deworde Jun 25 '20 at 21:16

1 Answers1

1

We were pacifier-free by nine months; I don't remember exactly when but it was a bit before that I think. The daycare we went to was very supportive and required pacifier-free children before they moved up to the one year old room, which was nice as it meant no other pacifiers to confuse things.

It's generally considered easier to remove the younger you do so; in fact, nine months is a bit late in that regard - they start getting attached to it, which can make it harder to remove. There is also some evidence that pacifiers may lead to ear infections in older children - from that link above:

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend limiting or stopping pacifier use around 6 months to avoid an increased risk of ear infections, especially if your child is prone to them.

As far as mouthing things goes, that's a normal baby thing and nothing to worry about. They might be teething, or they might just be feeling their environment with one of the tools they have available to them! If he is teething, you could try a partly frozen washcloth or a frozen teething ring that can help numb his gums; it's certainly possible at that age.

Joe
  • 62,653
  • 7
  • 139
  • 215
  • Same, we stopped closer to the 1 the 10-11 month mark and my daughter was "mouthy" for a long time as she didn't get her first tooth until she was 1. – Stephanie Jun 25 '20 at 16:07