Almost every parent swears that they will never resort to giving your baby a pacifier but then that’s when the crying starts. Then suddenly the idea of a pacifier doesn’t seem too bad! However once they start using a pacifier they don’t want to stop! Here are our top 9 tips to making the transition to being pacifier free as smooth (and stress free for your baby) as possible.
Timing
It is far easier to wean your little one off a pacifier at an earlier age, after about 12 months your baby becomes strong-willed and much more averse to any kind of changes. It is also a good idea to avoid weaning your baby when they are unwell or going through any other kinds of change (I.e moving house), or when they are feeling particularly upset.
Why do they use the pacifier?
When weaning your baby, it is important to consider the reasons why your baby is so attached to a pacifier. Do they use it simply to help them to fall asleep or does it comforting effect? Understanding the role the pacifier plays will help you to find a suitable replacement once you have taken it away.
Distraction is key
When you can sense your baby wants their pacifier, try distracting them with a song, story or a new toy. This will take their mind off the pacifier and will hopefully mean that they will stop depending on a pacifier for their comfort.
Keep them out of sight
Try hide the temptation of giving your baby a pacifier by removing them from the house. If it seems too daunting to throw them away, simply hide them away so you won’t be tempted to give in when your little one is crying. If they are out of sight, they are out of mind therefore you’re first thought won’t be to give your baby a pacifier.
Going cold turkey
This is probably the fastest way of getting results when you are weaning your baby, but be warned it’s not for the faint hearted! If you decide to do this, it is important to have lots of distractions for your baby as well as a lot of determination and patience from you.
As the name suggests, the idea is to refuse to give your baby their pacifier no matter how much they may scream or cry. It is important to stand your ground because if you give in, you are right back to square one. As suggested above, this method will generally work on younger babies but do make sure that the time is right of course.
The softer option
If you don’t fancy going all out and taking the “cold turkey” route, try reducing the amount of time your baby has with their pacifier every day. When your little one does cry and demand the pacifier, try holding off a little longer every time, until eventually they will realise that they don’t need the pacifier to comfort them.
Bedtime is best
One of the best times for helping your baby ditch the pacifier is at bedtime. Instead of giving your little one a pacifier before bed, try replacing this with a familiar bedtime story and giving them their favorite cuddly toy to hold whilst they sleep. Introducing a tightly planned bedtime routine, can help to alleviate the need for a pacifier as certain actions will be triggers for the baby, that it’s time for sleep. If your little one wakes in the middle of the night, reinforce the bedtime routine and gradually they will not need to have a pacifier to sleep.
The paci princess
Without doubt, using imaginary characters has a very useful effect on babies and toddlers. If you have tried everything else to wean them off their pacifier, consider telling them about the pacifier princess. Just like the tooth fairy, the pacifier princess will take away their old pacifiers during the night and replace them with an exciting new gift. This tactic is bound to encourage your little one to give up their pacifier once and for all!
Try not to stress
Our last tip is simply to say, try not to worry if your first attempt to wean your baby is unsuccessful.
Your baby is likely to give up their pacifier eventually and so try not to worry or stress that they are not doing so quick enough. There is no right or wrong way of approaching this!
