Pacifier Use vs. Thumb Sucking

There are several very hotly debated parenting issues out there, one of them being the thumb-sucking vs. pacifier use debate. I personally chose to go the thumb-sucking route and, therefore, this post will come across as biased toward thumb-sucking. That being said, if you have decided to go the pacifier route, I don't think that you made the wrong decision and by posting on this topic I am by no means trying to suggest that.

The Research

Both the World Health Organization and the United Nation's Children's Fund are but two organizations that strongly discourage the use of pacifiers because it is perceived that their use leads to early weaning in breastfed babies. There are numerous studies that support this perception which suggest that pacifier use is associated with fewer and shorter feeds and a shorter duration of breastfeeding, but that the same correlations are not found for thumb-sucking.

More recently, research has begun to suggest that rather than pacifier use being the cause of early weaning, it is a marker for breastfeeding problems or a reduced motivation to breastfeed. Generally speaking, mothers who introduce pacifiers tended to be those that breastfeed less often and experienced breastfeeding problems rather than pacifier use being the cause.

Although research now suggests that pacifier use does not cause early weaning, there are a number of other factors to consider when making the decision of which to use.

Which is easier to give up?

There are those that believe getting rid of the pacifier is easier because you are in control and can simply throw the pacifier away whereas the same can not be done with a thumb which is in the baby's control.

There are others (like myself) that believe giving up the thumb will naturally occur as long as a baby's sucking needs are appropriately met during early infancy.

Being a new mom, I have no experience with either situation. It will be interesting to see if and when my daughter naturally gives up her thumb.

The Pros and Cons (Okay, so there are only cons for the pacifier...LOL!)

Pacifiers

Pacifiers can be beneficial for getting through the period of time when babies experience an intense need to suck. Around the 2 month mark, my daughter had a week where she seemed to want to suck around the clock. I tried to nurse her as often as she wanted, but I started to feel like a human pacifier. It was pretty intense and my husband and I debated giving her a pacifier at this time. It was tough to get though the week without it, but when the week was over, the intense need to suck seemed to disappear.

Pacifiers can also be a sanity saver with very colicky babies when you need a break from the crying or when flying to help baby's ears to pop.

But...

Pacifiers used at bedtime to put baby to sleep can interfere with baby learning to fall asleep on his/her own. In addition, sleep could be interrupted if the pacifier falls out in the night and baby can't fall back asleep without it (unless you are planning on getting up to put it back in).

It has been found that infants that use a pacifier long-term (into toddler hood) are more likely to have ear infections and develop misaligned teeth than those that are not given one.

I also personally dislike the way a pacifier looks in a baby's mouth. When we do give my daughter a pacifier when we fly, she doesn't even look like my baby.

The Thumb

The thumb is always there when baby needs it and can easily be taken out when baby wants to communicate. Enough said, I honestly can't think of any disadvantages.

I don't think using a pacifier occasionally is a bad thing. If you do go the pacifier route, make sure you use it in moderation, only when baby really seems to need it and don't offer it past the 6 month mark to prevent dependence. Please don't become one of those parents that puts in the pacifier at the slightest hint of fussiness rather than consoling and trying to figure out what is actually wrong with baby and don't use it to put baby to sleep instead of cuddling. Your baby needs you, not a substitute.