Jennifer's Joyous Journal

Your instincts are right on--there is no reason for a pacifier, and pacifiers can lead to several problems--not just dental issues. Not all babies have high oral fixations, so people shouldn't tell you that a baby will suck his/her thumb if there isn't a pacifier. It's possible that some parents actually PUT a child's thumb in his/her mouth to encourage him/her to stop crying or delay feeding. My children never used a pacifier, nor did they even once suck their thumb. I nursed on demand, didn't mind the occasional comfort nursing (it was temporary), and never had an issue with crying (except when we discovered that Nolan was sensitive to my eating dairy products). Both boys did have a touch desire for comfort--Logan liked to touch my hair and eyelashes, and Nolan liked to touch my belly (still does, in fact). Good girl, Jen--stick to your guns and your maternal instincts!

The word is "dudlík" and apologies accepted :-)

I think the pacifier is more for the father's sake when he's holding his poor, inconsolable daughter crying in his arms while her cold-hearted momma is away letting her nails done. I'd prefer a dudlík now rather than the emotional problems and therapy bills in fifteen years!

What is right for one is wrong for another. I am speaking of the parents. As I read the previous posts, I realize it is not so much what the baby wants, rather what the parent wants. All three of my babes enjoyed (as did I) the use of a pacifier. I also remember Elizabeth loving her pacifier (but P & C called it a plug) thoroughly. Matthew and Courtney evidently also enjoyed their pacifiers as well. I am talking about six infants who used pacifiers and gave them up before they were 1 year old and grew up to be intelligent, lovely, well-rounded adults. Where is the mystery? Personally, when I was 5 or 6 I remember making a pact with mother to stop sucking my thumb. I do remember sucking it in bed, when mother was not looking. For one of my brothers it was not quite that "easy". He quit at the age of 10, with the promise of a bicycle. Mom and Dad were constantly lining all of us thumb (or middle two fingers in Kathleen's case) suckers and applying the dreaded hot stuff. It was designed specifically to stop thumb suckers from wanting to suck their thumbs.

From a perfectly practical and selfish point of view, I would much prefer my baby to suck his/her thumb rather than use a pacifier. A baby can always find its thumb including when asleep, but if the pacifier falls out of its mouth then it's generally Mom or Dad who is awakened by the cries and who must retrieve said pacifier and reinsert it . . . only to do the same thing again 20 minutes later. Same goes for when awake too, if it falls somewhere that the baby can't get it. (At least that's my imagination & observation of how it would go, since we never actually used them.)

Rita, I think the "mystery" is that there is no longer a clear point of view from either the medical community or from fellow parents as to whether pacifiers are a good idea or not. It seems everyone can point to "evidence" supporting both sides.

It seems that we are going have to deposit the topic of pacifier vs no pacifier in the taboo bin along with religion and politics.

I think you should save the pacifier or "plug" until they get much older...like when they start asking for cars or to start dating.

Speaking of which..."Dad, when are we going to test drive that Hyundai SUV? I want that for..."