your thoughts on foofoos, binkys, pacifiers, etc...??

Tamara - posted on 04/19/2010

My son first had one at 3 months when we took a long trip I was reluctant to give it but I thought it might help in the car, I was travelling alone and it did help sooth him. I have no problem with people using them but I'm happy my son doesn't like his anymore he'll be 7 months this week.

Carrie - posted on 04/19/2010

I have four kids my eldest is 8 and used a binky until I broke her from the bottle and it at the same time my next baby is two and he was broke from it about a year and a half but was extremely attatched to it but I figure he sleeps thro the night and I dont want to hear him talk thro it so enough is enough. I now have a set of boy/girl twins and niether one will touch a binky and they are fussy more often than my other two. At times I wish they would accept a binky so that I can get more sleep cause I would rather break them of it between ages one and two than have sleepless nights!

Abbi - posted on 04/19/2010

When I was pregnant, (and even before) I read that using a pacifier significantly reduces the risk of SIDS. As well as breastfeeding, not smoking aroung the baby, and not wearing smoky clothes. This was enough for me to be convinced that I obviously wouldn't smoke, but I would also breastfeed (along with countless other good reasons to do so) and use a paci if he would take it.

My son LOVES his paci, and I wouldn't dream of taking it away from him right now. He self weaned from breastfeeding about a month after starting solids, so now he's bottle fed along with eating solids.

I don't know when we will wean him from the paci, but I know definitly not before a year. I don't know about other moms, but I'm so terrified of SIDS, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it's prevented.

Kathy - posted on 04/18/2010

my daughter has a sucky, thats what we call it... she only really uses it at nap time and sometimes if she's cuddling or playing in the playpen. I won't let her have it too late because I don't want it to harm her teeth, BUT she also sucks her thumb, I feel that when the time comes a sucky will be easier to take away and get her off of than her thumb because well... her thumb is attached, the sucky isn't!

Renee - posted on 04/18/2010

My daughter has had her Binky since she was around 2 weeks old. She was a comfort sucker and would be on the breast for hours and hours! We eventually learned it was more for comfort and havent looked back since. We are trying to get her off it now though, by only giving it to her when she is crying or at bedtime.

Angela - posted on 04/18/2010

I use pacifiers with my daughter because I value my sanity! I've heard parents say the same thing, but when it comes down to it if my daughter is crying hysterically and the second you pop that thing in her mouth she calms down and goes to sleep - there's no way in hell i'm not giving it to her! I know all babies are different and some don't like them at all, unfortunately mine is passionate about having hers so I intend to let her keep it until she's too old according to the pediatrician - not snarky mother's who don't know my baby! Sorry i know i'm ranting... :)

Akilyn - posted on 04/18/2010

We use a pacifier and I don't see a problem doing it. We don't use it all the time, but when he goes to sleep and sometimes if he is in a grumpy mood it helps to sooth him. From day 1 Nicholas was a sucker, even still in the hosptital they gave us some pacifiers cuz he was only happy sucking on something.

Marie - posted on 04/18/2010

I totally agree with you my daughter is almost 7 months and she loves her "sucky" I would rather have her chewing and sucking on that then her thumb. I can take it away when "WE" are ready not when someone else thinks i should....I believe that no one but you knows better fro you baby... Let him enjoy his foo foo ...lol thats cute :)

Sharla - posted on 04/18/2010

I am pro-pacifier and my reason is this - my son is teething (I have yet to see the tooth yet) and he has started chewing on his thumb. I do not want my son to be a thumb sucker so my thought is, I would much rather throw a pacifier away than attempt to remove his thumb (not really) if he starts to suck on it. Plus pacifiers are much better for oral and tooth development than a thumb. I only try to use the pacifier when he is chewing on his thumb and also at night. I think its a personal choice - and as you know, everyone has an opinion!

Betty - posted on 04/18/2010

I'm fine either way, when my daughter was born, I gave her one, but she just spits it out. I then tried couple of times after but same thing, she just suck on it twice or something and spits it out. I think because she doesn't like the fact it has no flavour. She likes to suck her thumbs/fingers/hands alot. For teething, she'd rather just suck on her clothes or blankets or toys. Everything pretty much end up in her mouth these days.



It's quite funny really, she'll sometimes suck her own fingers and hands and then try to put her finger or hand in my mouth as if to say, it's nice mummy, you try it.

Jessica - posted on 04/17/2010

i am not against pacifiers as long as there are boundaries with it. i am against using pacifiers to pacify babies. which is why i hate the term "pacifier", it implies that it's supposed to be used to shut the baby up or something, which is so disrespectful to babies. i love hearing my lulu talk and when she gets upset, i pick her up and take care of her - not stick a pacifier in her mouth. the only reason she even gets one is b/c she absolutely refuses to comfort nurse due to my severe letdown.

i don't like when i see a 3 or 4 yr old with a pacifier but then again it isn't any of my business. all i know is i'm trying very hard to not get lulu attached to it!! b/c i know it'll be hell trying to get her off of it later on.

Alicia - posted on 04/17/2010

I started to give my son his bink when he was about 2 weeks old...when he was born he had his days and nights mixed up and alllll he wanted to do was suck...I was under the impression that all of his sucking meant he was hungry...but it didn't! Giving my son a bink is the reason why he switched his days and nights to normal...so I was not up aLLLLLLL night with him, exhausted! I do not regret it at all!



I get it allllll the time too! "Oh, he has a pacifier? Bad mom!" but he came out of the womb wanting to suck his thumb! I say "I would rather him suck a bink, than suck his thumb! I can take a bink away, I can't chop off my son's thumb!"



He took to his bink right away but he does not seem very attached to it...if it is there he will take it, but if it is not, he does not notice. He still uses it to fall asleep at night though, which I don't mind. Sometimes, he will wake up in the middle of the night and it is because he cannot find his bink! lol! So i will walk in his room, pop it back in his mouth, and he will knock back out!



My husband and I have decided that we are now only going to give him his bink during sleeping times...it soothes him during sleep but it is not necessary during the day. I am starting to think that it has stifled his ability and willingness to talk...when he does not have it, he is so chit-chatting...but when he has it, he is so silent! When he is playing with his toys he does not go for his thumb...he is now starting to stay away from sucking his thumb because he has never had to do it...



I just worry about the thumb sucking thing because both me and my sister-in-law sucked out thumbs and we have terrible overbites! I got braces to fix it...she still has hers! My overbite was EXPENSIVE TO FIX! I talked to a dental assistant and she said that dentists prefer binks over thumb sucking...both are bad...but if you have too, binks do less damage!

Stacy - posted on 04/17/2010

like most things in life i think it is okay in moderation. I gave my daughter a pacifier because I did not want her to suck her thumb, I figured it was easier to break when the time came. I started weaning her around a year to only at night and then by 15 months she was completely off it. My goal was to have her off before her brother was born, which was Sept. 25. I agree that it can become a habit and that is harder to break the older they get. My son never did like the pacifier so we don't have to worry about him

Sarah - posted on 04/17/2010

When i first had my boy he was such a hungry little thing he just wanted to be feed all day long i would just have to sit there all day and breast feed him it was so time consuming so i thought he just wanted something to suck on so i bought him some pacifiers and he hated them lol he just refused to take to them he was just a very hungry little boy i keep trying every now and then but he still does not like them he gives it a couple of sucks and realizes nothing is coming out lol.

Alicia - posted on 04/16/2010

Personally, I don't think they are great and wanted to refuse to allow them with my daughter (born 9/20/09) I did give in because I could just tell she wanted to suck and we have to find one that was small enough for her. She gagged on a lot of them. All in all, she is almost 7months and hardly uses it. She uses it to teethe more than anything. She bites it and pulls it out of her mouth, it makes a popping noise and squeaks against her gums and she has a blast, lol. She probably only gets it a few times a week as it is a last resort in my house.

I guess I would have to say I don't mind it as much if the child isn't trying to talk with it in their mouth, it just annoys me that they don't take it out to talk, I feel like that is no better than learning to eat with your mouth open or talk with food in your mouth.

To each their own :) A happy baby is what matters!

Sarah - posted on 04/16/2010

I like it, but its a really contraversial topic. So many people dont like it at all. I used it with my two children. I am trying not to use it as much as I let my first one use it. right now, she was almost two and having it a bedtime still. He is 7 months, and i use it at bedtime only now, and its working great. when we are out we dont even need it, but i bring it everywhere just in case! lol. In my mind I see it as a habit, and I dont want it to be a habit to carry it around everywhere.