The Pacifier

The pacifier, which in this household is known as Binky, had been a losing battle with Lily...until about a week ago. Initially we were told that we shouldn't introduce a pacifier to her for at least a month because it might cause her to develop "nipple confusion" and she might have difficulties breastfeeding because of it. Whatever. While we were still in the hospital, the nursery brought her back to us one morning with a pacifier in her mouth and we figured if they gave it to her, then we wouldn't be the ones to take it away.



Well, she did pretty good with it for about 2 weeks. After that, she decided she didn't like it anymore and would only chew on it or push it around with her tongue. It only stayed in her mouth if one of us held it in for her. Let me tell you how much fun that was--especially when I would take her to the grocery store and she would start fussing. My trips consisted of me pushing the cart with one hand while holding in her pacifier with the other and getting virtually no shopping done. That led to Saturday shopping trips where Adam could accompany us and push her around while I did the weekly shopping. My mom kept telling me to try a NUK pacifier, but I was told that the Soothie pacifier, like the one the hospital had given us, was more natural for babies to suck on and was supposedly more like a real nipple. My dad's smart remark to that, "I'd hate to run into that woman on a cold day."



Regardless, we decided to experiment with the various pacifiers I had received at baby showers. Alas, it was to no avail. They all produced the same result.


I was resigned to the fact that she just wouldn't take a pacifier. Even her doctor tried to get her to take it and told me that some babies are just very opinionated and know what they like and don't like, and, apparently, the pacifier was something she did not like. Well, when we went to Utah for a quick trip, my mom had bought a NUK for her to try. A miracle happened. She started to suck on it! I was elated--it was the highlight of my day! However, it came with a catch. As she was a novice at it, she kept dropping it, so you still had to hold it in her mouth. I had a "brilliant" idea one day. There were two little holes on the side of the pacifier, so I came up with the plan of threading some elastic through them and strapping it around her head like a mask. Well, the holes were a little high, so it kept pulling the pacifier up and out of her mouth--it made for a good picture at least.


Like I said, it's been about a little over a week since her pacifier was introduced to her and I'm proud to say she's doing much better with it. We don't really need to hold it in for her anymore, though she does drop it still, but she's getting better at it every day. I was actually able to go grocery shopping without Adam this week and she did great! And doesn't she look so cute with it? Now if we could just get her to like tummy time.