The baby does not suck on the pacifier. Why a baby doesn’t want a pacifier, and how to accustom a child to a pacifier

The birth of a child is happy event in each family. This is the beginning of a new life, in which great responsibility for the health of the baby rests on the shoulders of young parents. They must understand his needs and provide everything he needs for comfort. Quite a lot of questions arise about caring for him: whether to support breastfeeding, whether to accustom the child to a pacifier, whether to bottle feed and other equally important questions.

Parents' opinions on teaching their babies to use pacifiers vary. Some young mothers who are opposed to pacifiers still change their minds if the child cannot calm down quite long time. However, deciding to give your baby a pacifier isn't everything. Some parents are faced with the problem of how to accustom their child to a pacifier if they offer it to him, but he turns out to take it.

Perhaps many (if not all) know that in the first year of life, when the child is excited, sucking can calm him down. But he can put both a pacifier and his own pen into his mouth. If this is so, then it is even more difficult to rid him of such a habit, because you cannot hide a finger or fist like a pacifier. There are times when young parents think: how to accustom a child to a pacifier in order to distract him from the finger?

Of course, you can calm a child’s whims by offering him the breast, but this is not always realistic. IN in public places the pacifier is simply irreplaceable. Many people are faced with the problem of dressing their babies; they do not really like this process, since it is associated with negative emotions, and a pacifier can also help here. When kids play on the playground, they will definitely try to taste the picked up pebble. A dummy assistant will come in very handy here too.

Trying to answer the question of how to accustom a child to a pacifier, you should first understand why he refuses to take it? There are various possible reasons. For example, it may not be the appropriate size: since pacifiers vary in shape and volume, they need to be selected depending on the age of the baby. Recommendations for use should be read on the label. There are also various shapes. IN Lately orthodontic ones are popular, which promote the production

And, perhaps, the last thing that can cause failure is the material from which the pacifier is made. There are two options - latex, common and known to our parents, or a new product - silicone. Everyone has their own preferences.

But what to do if, it would seem, they have tried everything: shapes, sizes, and materials, but the little one remains categorically against it. when he flatly refuses? In this case, the experience of our parents will be very helpful. You need to dip the pacifier in breast milk, the taste and smell, familiar to the child from the first moments of his life, will play a role. You can also try this option: during feeding, when the baby begins to fall asleep, replace the breast with a pacifier.

Having dealt with this dilemma, mothers sometimes face another - how to teach a child to use a bottle. In this case, it is also worth paying attention to the quality of the material from which the container and nipple are made. The smell and taste of plastic can have a very negative impact on your baby's desire to use it. Along with plastic bottles There are glass ones, which in some cases are much better suited.

Some parents are faced with the question of how to accustom their newborn baby to a pacifier. To answer it, you need to figure out whether this is necessary and what methods will help solve the problem.

The baby has a lot innate reflexes, which help him grow and develop in the first months. These include sucking, grasping, searching and motor reflexes.

In order to satisfy the sucking reflex, a newborn baby needs to suck on a pacifier or mother's breast. He can't hang onto his chest all day long, so you can offer him a pacifier during breaks.

This is the most important benefit of pacifier training. But there are others:

• sound, calm, long sleep;
• children quickly get used to their separate crib;
• sucking movements help improve the functioning of the digestive organs;
• short separation from mother is easier to experience;
• a pacifier helps cope with the child’s whims, worries and fears;
• the daily routine is being adjusted, including feeding;
• often children who are not accustomed to a pacifier begin to look for substitute objects: a fist, a finger, the edge of a blanket, toys, which does not always meet hygienic requirements;
• During teething, the pacifier acts as a sedative.

Gastroenterologists say that sucking improves bowel function. Gas passes faster and colic occurs less frequently.

Stages of training

From what age should a child be introduced to a pacifier? Most experts are inclined to believe that it is better to teach from the first days of life. From the 4th day, when milk production improves, you can give the newborn a pacifier.

Other experts believe that it is better to start from the second month of life, when the final formation of the lactation process occurs.

A few tips to help you get your baby used to a pacifier faster.

1. It should be offered after feeding, especially if the baby wants to sleep. At first, he may stubbornly spit out the pacifier, so you should hold it lightly with your hands. If you strongly insist on sucking, the child may not accept such a pacifier at all.
2. A bottle of water followed immediately by a pacifier may help. The child reflexively continues to suck the pacifier after the nipple on the bottle.
3. It should be given when the baby is lying in the usual position for feeding.
4. When a baby cries, but his crying is not associated with hunger, this is also the time to introduce a pacifier.
5. If the baby does not take the pacifier, you can dip it in breast milk or formula, it all depends on what kind of feeding he is on.

The training method should be used with caution using honey and jam, as they can cause allergic reactions.

After the child is fast asleep, the pacifier should be removed from his mouth. If he gets used to sleeping with a pacifier, he will wake up and become anxious as soon as the pacifier falls out of his mouth.

Observations of specialists showed that children artificial feeding need a pacifier more and get used to it faster this accessory. Children on breastfeeding can stay at the breast for a long time (up to 40 minutes), so in to a greater extent satisfy the sucking reflex. It will be more difficult to train them.

If a child stubbornly refuses to take a pacifier, it may be because of the pacifier itself. There are several types of pacifiers you can try, which differ in shape, size and material.

The size is selected according to the age of the child (from birth to 3 months, from 3 to 6 months, from six months of age and up to 1.5 years). The nipple itself can be made of latex, rubber or silicone.

A baby's preferences may change every month. Therefore, if he does not take a pacifier from birth, perhaps during the period when there is not enough milk (from 6 months), he will begin to suck on it.

Two shapes of pacifiers are produced: round and semicircular. It is better to give preference to an orthodontic (beveled) pacifier. It contributes to the formation correct bite and jaw development. If your child does not take the pacifier, you can try changing it to a different shaped pacifier.

In addition to the nipples there are rings. They are convenient for walking, as they are attached to a mount. But during sleep it will disturb the child.

Selection Cautions

After you have succeeded in accustoming your baby to a pacifier, you should adhere to some more rules:

• when going outside, the pacifier must be hung on a special holder that is attached to clothing;
• Every month you need to buy a new product;

• before the baby puts the pacifier in his mouth, you need to check it: there should be no cracks, tears, the material should not stick together;
• you should not dip the pacifier in sweet food, this contributes to the development of caries in the future and subsequently complicates the process of weaning from the pacifier;
• You should only give a pacifier when the child really needs it.

Before giving a pacifier, you need to be completely sure that the baby is not hungry. We must try to keep it sterile.

You can take a second pacifier outside in case the first one falls. There is no need to lick it before giving the pacifier to your baby.

1. The newly purchased pacifier should be doused with boiling water.
2. After each use it should be washed with warm water.
3. Boil the pacifier once a day for three minutes.
4. The pacifier must have a storage container.
5. If the child is sick, the pacifier should be boiled more often than once a day. After recovery, it needs to be replaced with a new one.

There are supporters that a pacifier interferes with the normal development of the psyche and speech of a newborn. The more often he takes it, the more problems arises. Psychologists and speech therapists warn about possible negative consequences:

1. Declining cognitive activity. When the baby takes the pacifier, his attention becomes focused on the sucking process. Other information is poorly absorbed and remembered.
2. Late speech acquisition. The longer a child sucks on a pacifier, the slower speech will develop.
3. The difficulty of weaning from the accessory when the time comes.
4. Sucking develops into bad habits. If a child sucks on a pacifier longer than on the breast, you may later observe that he bites his nails, ends of pencils or pens.

Parents should note that the pacifier should not replace skin-to-skin contact and communication. If the child is capricious, perhaps the mother needs to spend more time with him: hug, kiss, caress.

Dummy- friend or dummy- enemy? Why do you need a pacifier and is it needed at all? How to choose and where to buy the right pacifier? How accustom to a pacifier and how to wean him off it? The whole truth about the pacifier in one place.

Pacifier - for a newborn baby

The sucking reflex is one of the main vital reflexes with which a child comes into this world. Breast sucking, by its original purpose, is intended not only to provide good nutrition baby, but also to satisfy his sucking reflex. But nothing in nature is ideal, and if a child does not have time to complete the required amount sucking movements During feeding, he needs to suck on something else. And here fists or fingers come into play; some manage to suck on a lip or stick to a diaper.

Benefits of a pacifier

If the mother has a lot of milk, which is generally good, then the baby manages to get enough quickly, but the sucking reflex remains unsatisfied. The same thing happens when bottle feeding.

It is in such cases that a pacifier comes to the rescue. Having “finished” his sucking minimum, the baby immediately calms down and falls asleep. If you give your baby a pacifier after feeding, then you are doing everything right. Having sucked to his heart's content, your baby will fall asleep and spit out the pacifier as unnecessary.

But don't rely on a pacifier to calm your baby down when he cries. A pacifier is not a cure, and sucking on it will not eliminate the cause of your child's anxiety. You need to understand why the baby is worried and eliminate the factors that disturb his calm. This could be colic, teething, childhood infections. in this case, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Damage from pacifiers

Excessive pacifier abuse can cause harm to the child. If a child is teething, he does not let the pacifier out of his mouth, then a malocclusion may form.

It has also been noticed that children who suck a pacifier for a long time have speech defects.

Wetting a pacifier with honey or sweet water can lead to addiction in the baby, which is harmful not only to the psyche, but also to health - the occurrence of caries.

A pacifier in the first weeks is categorically not recommended, as it reduces the baby’s need to suck and he will suck less mother's milk, which is just beginning to arrive and which is still difficult to suck out, since the chest is tight.

How to choose a pacifier for your child and how to get used to it

If in the old days all (or almost all) pacifiers were the same, now buying the right pacifier should be based on knowledge.

Pacifiers vary in the material from which they are made, in shape, and in size.

While the child has no teeth, best choice will become a silicone pacifier. It is easily disinfected and does not cause allergies.

During teething, silicone injures the gums, so you should prefer a latex pacifier, but only from a reliable manufacturer. The latex pacifier must be changed every two weeks, as moisture causes the rubber to become porous and susceptible to contamination. Latex can cause allergies.

The pacifier should be as safe as possible for the child - have no roughness, and be removable. small parts that can be swallowed. In addition, the plate at the base must have holes or special form to make it easier for your baby to breathe with a pacifier in his mouth.

Pediatric dentists recommend purchasing orthopedic pacifiers, in which the nipples are shaped like a baby’s gums. Such pacifiers are also called anatomical, orthodontic or dental. On the side of the tongue they are flat, and on the side of the upper palate they have anatomical shape.

Pacifiers come in 2 sizes: for babies up to 6 months and for babies after 6 months. There is also a gradation of 3 sizes: from 0 to 4 months, from 4 to a year and from a year to one and a half years.

You will have to buy several pacifiers before your baby likes one. Infants most often prefer a cherry-shaped pacifier, while artificial babies prefer a drop-shaped pacifier.

When and how to wean a child off a pacifier

When a pacifier ceases to fulfill its main function - to satisfy the sucking reflex, it begins to become a bad habit. If a child eats with a spoon regular food, drinks from a cup and sucks on a pacifier - this is not normal, and you need to contact a specialist.

After 6 months, gradually by the year the sucking reflex fades away, many new and interesting entertainment, the pacifier is no longer needed. By choosing the calmest moment in your baby's life, you can easily help him forget about the pacifier.

Give the child a new one interesting toy, a pacifier substitute - a teether, you can suck on it and scratch your gums.

Experts' opinion

Most pediatricians do not recommend using a pacifier if your baby is breastfed. After all, the essence sucking reflex comes down to self-preservation, that is, the absorption of food. If the baby has not nursed, you just need to hold him at the breast a little longer, and he will peacefully fall asleep, having worked hard. But there are exceptions - children with a pronounced sucking reflex, and in such cases you simply cannot do without a pacifier.

• What to do if the child does not take the pacifier? Rejoice!
• What to do if a child sucks his thumb? Choose the lesser of two evils - teach him to use a pacifier. There are more downsides to thumb sucking than to sucking a pacifier.
• Where to buy a pacifier? Only in the pharmacy! Because it is in this case that you are guaranteed quality, or at least- at least some responsibility.

Since the birth of a child, mothers are interested in whether it is possible to give their baby a pacifier and when to do it. Unfortunately, there is no clear opinion on this matter. Some argue that the pacifier can be harmful, others prove the opposite.

Although the pacifier has many benefits, allowing the mother to find time for her business. However, it is up to the mother to make the decision. Let's figure out how and when to accustom your baby to a pacifier, and whether it's worth doing it at all.

Is it necessary to accustom a child to a pacifier?

For several years now, there has been a long debate about pacifiers. Some argue that pacifiers are harmful, while others try to debunk the myths associated with pacifiers. Let's figure out what the positive and negative sides in using a pacifier.

Benefits of sucking a pacifier

• Thanks to the pacifier, the baby realizes the sucking reflex, which sometimes lasts up to two or three years. In addition, active jaw movements during sucking promote proper and harmonious development lower jaw.

• A child who is accustomed to the pacifier calms down faster and falls asleep easier, allowing the mother to sleep and relax.
• In children accustomed to a pacifier, there is often no bad habit suck your finger. This is one of effective ways, .
• Thanks to the pacifier, teething babies can cope with this process more easily because they can bite the pacifier.
• A pacifier helps on the street, especially when there are so many interesting and unknown things around. The child simply will not be able to put everything in his mouth.
• The baby concentrates on sucking the pacifier. This is beneficial for your ability to concentrate in the future.
• Some speech therapists claim that the pacifier helps train the orbicularis oris muscle, which means there is a chance that the child will speak earlier than others. Although some doctors do not agree with this opinion, it is up to you to decide.
• The pacifier stimulates the intestines, thereby facilitating the passage of gas.
• Some mothers are afraid that, having accustomed themselves to the pacifier, the baby will not want to take the breast. Do not worry! Mother's warmth and care are valued much more highly by the child, so the baby will not exchange the breast for a pacifier.

Disadvantages of sucking a pacifier

• Some children get used to sucking a pacifier easily and simply, but weaning them off this habit in the future is much more difficult.
• There is an opinion that children focus on the pacifier, not paying attention to the world around them.
• The baby may suck on the pacifier for much longer than is required to satisfy the sucking reflex. This contributes to the development of a reflex, which in the future may develop into the habit of sucking pens and pencils, biting them and nails, and smoking cigarettes. However, it should be added here that sucking pens and pencils stimulates the areas in the brain responsible for concentration. This is useful when solving problems or absorbing information. In addition, there are many ways.

How to accustom a baby to a pacifier

Mothers are wondering if it is possible and how to properly accustom a newborn baby to a pacifier. You can accustom your baby to the pacifier approximately 3-4 weeks after birth, or wait until the milk teeth begin to emerge. It's up to you to decide.

• As a rule, it is not difficult to accustom a baby to a pacifier. To do this, cover the pacifier with breast milk or formula for feeding if the baby is on artificial nutrition. Pick up your baby as if you were going to breastfeed him, and gently give him a pacifier instead of a pacifier. Wait until the baby falls asleep and put him in the crib.
• If your baby spits out the pacifier, hold it with your hand until the baby gets used to it. However, you should not abuse this. If the child refuses, do not force it.
• Try giving your child water not from a spoon, but from a bottle. This way, the baby will get used to the pacifier faster.
• Teething is a great time to give a pacifier to your baby. That is, approximately by six months of life. The eruption of baby teeth is accompanied by itching and soreness in the gums. The child will bite the pacifier, thereby distracting from discomfort. Although you can offer it to your child, they will ease the discomfort.
• By the way, you should not dip the pacifier in jam or honey. This only provokes a sweet tooth habit.

What to do if your child does not take the pacifier

There are many reasons why a baby won't take a pacifier. Doctors do not have a consensus on this issue. Despite this, there are several assumptions.

• If before six months the child does not want and refuses to suck a pacifier, perhaps it is no longer worth even trying to accustom the child to a pacifier. As a rule, these are very active children. However, some mothers accustom their children to a pacifier at the age of one and a half years. So it's up to you to decide.
• If your baby refuses to take the pacifier, it is probably not the right size or shape for him. Buy several pacifiers and let your baby try each one to see which one is right for you.

How often should a baby's pacifier be changed?

Modern pharmacies offer nipples of different sizes and shapes. There is a regular pacifier that resembles a bottle nipple. Also available for sale are special orthodontic nipples with anatomical structure.

Nipples are made of silicone and latex. Let's figure out what the difference is and which pacifier is best to give to a child.

Latex nipples

• The pacifier is soft and elastic. Transparent or slightly brownish (changes color due to sun rays). Has a smell.
• Can't stand it high temperatures, may “stick together” or increase in size due to prolonged use.
• Some children may have allergies, however, this is a very rare occurrence.
• This pacifier is suitable for newborns, premature and still weak children.
• It should be changed monthly.

Silicone nipple

• The pacifier is elastic, colorless and odorless. Hard compared to latex.
• Withstands boiling.
• Hypoallergenic.
• Due to the rigidity of the pacifier, deformation of baby teeth is possible. This pacifier should only be used before teething.
• The pacifier needs to be changed once every six weeks.

In addition, the pharmacy offers pacifiers for different ages. From 0 to 3 months, from 3 to 6 and from 12 to 18 months.

From the video you will learn the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky regarding the use of a pacifier. The pediatrician believes that the nipple is much better suited for the implementation of the sucking reflex than mother's breast. In addition, the doctor examines the question of the materials from which the pacifier is made.

Whether or not to accustom a baby to a pacifier is a choice only for the mother, because there is no consensus on this issue. A pacifier will help maintain a long and comfortable sleep for both the baby and the mother, allowing you to leave some time for yourself. If you have extra hours, you don't have to use a pacifier.

A pacifier is perfect when your baby has... The child will be able to chew the silicone or latex base, thereby distracting himself from unpleasant sensations.

Tell us in the comments, did your kids like pacifiers? When did you give your child a pacifier? What material did you buy the pacifier from?

In their attitude towards the pacifier, all parents are divided into two groups: some categorically do not accept the fact that their child requires a pacifier, while others, on the contrary, have a completely positive attitude towards this. I believe that there is nothing wrong with a baby's need for a pacifier. Why not allow your baby to suck on a pacifier if he is much more comfortable with it. It will be much worse if a child whose parents did not give him a pacifier starts sucking his own fist. It is much more difficult to wean him off this, because this is not a pacifier that can be taken away, cut, or thrown away. In addition, speech therapists believe that sucking a pacifier promotes the development of speech muscles. But everything is good in its time, and if a pacifier for a baby is not bad, then a three-year-old child sucking a pacifier is an abnormal phenomenon, and of course it will not bring him any benefit.

It’s good if the child immediately loves the pacifier. But what if you consider a pacifier to be extremely necessary, but your baby flatly refuses it. What to do, and how to still accustom a child to a pacifier?

Undoubtedly, sucking is soothing, and if it is not a pacifier, then your baby will begin to suck on the strings of a cap, the corner of a collar, or his own fist. Sucking is a reflex that cannot and does not need to be suppressed; with age, it will fade away on its own. Satisfying this need is very important for little man. Besides all this, for many mothers, the pacifier is the only chance to distract the child from the breast for an hour and go about their business.

If your baby doesn't take the pacifier, try buying a different type or brand of pacifier. It often happens that parents try a dozen options, and some of them are far from cheap, and as a result, the baby opts for the simplest and cheapest - a Soviet-type pacifier. She's a little larger size, has the shape of a drop, and is very reminiscent of my mother’s favorite breast.

You can hold the pacifier with your hand until your baby gets used to it and learns to handle it. Try giving your baby a pacifier in the position in which he usually suckles.

Often, having tried everything known methods, mothers use a trick and dip the pacifier in jam. In most cases, this remedy works flawlessly. Just don’t get too carried away and use this method on an ongoing basis. In addition, it is better to replace jam with honey, since the sugar contained in honey will be more beneficial for your baby. But be careful, as honey is a strong allergen. You can also drip breast milk onto the nipple. But its taste does not last long at all, and there is a high probability that after half a minute, your baby will spit it out.

In the end, you will succeed, and in six months you will already forget how difficult it was for you. And in another year, there will be one thought in my head: “My baby has already grown up. How can we wean him off the pacifier? But this is quite normal - everything has its time!