By: Jessica Bramall
The image above is the last photo I ever took of Boston with his binky. If you came here for professional advice... let me first start this blog off, and probably all my other blogs, by saying: I'm NOT an expert! At anything. I am a C+ average wife, mom and whatever else you can identify me as. I do try my best, but I am constantly falling short. And that's okay, I've accepted this. Really. BUT. I will say, my 20 seconds of research paired with my shot-in-the-dark attempt to get Boston off his pacifier was actually successful, so I'm here to share my story with you all. The Goal: Ditch the Pacifier Before It Became a "Thing" I decided that I wanted to wean Boston off his binky before he turned one. This isn't because of any medical theory about teeth or jawlines or any of that – it was simply because I knew that if I didn't, he'd be taking that thing to 7th grade sleepovers. This decision was mostly for me, because I had a huge fear that I would struggle getting him to stop as he got older. Another extremely random reason is because I was reading sleep tips from one of the many trendy sleep gurus, and she mentioned something about leaving multiple pacifiers in the crib so they have a better chance of finding one on their own and soothing themselves back to sleep (instead of needing you to come save the day). Considering the pacifier that Boston preferred was $15+ for two (BIBS), I said hell no, I'm not doing that. We are going to be done with them completely. The Research: Well, There Really Wasn't Any, Lol I did little to no research on this topic outside of a quick Google search, which only consisted of me reading the article descriptions on the first page of the search results. I read a random statement that said it's easiest to wean a baby off a pacifier at 6 to 7 months old. Apparently, some say that at this age it's unlikely for babies to find their thumb or other object as a substitute, and that you can wean them off in week or so. The Strategy: Cold Freakin' Turkey My strategy was simple. I decided I'd just ditch the pacifier cold turkey and see how it went. No weaning. No pacifier just for sleep. Gone. I took it away mid-way through a random weekday, and he never saw it again. Mean, mean mommy... I know. The Results: It Worked! I will say he cried a few minutes longer before falling asleep for naps and bedtime the first few days. It made me a little nervous that I had made the wrong choice – but I didn't turn back. And I'm glad I didn't. Beyond those first few sleeps, we had zero issues. My parents even made comments about how well he seemed to be doing without it (they watch him 2-3 days a week). We also noticed that he started babbling and making more sounds than before. It was a total success. I think the hardest thing for me when we went though this process was that I was sad that I would never see him with his pacifier anymore. I loved watching him take it out of his mouth with his little fingers to examine it, drop it, and pick it up again. It's just another one of those challenging milestones that you're happy you got through, but at the same time you're sad it's come and gone. So, if you're thinking about ditching the pacifier around the same time I did, just go for it! As my Google search for "corny but equally inspirational failure quotes" says, "Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try." If it doesn't work out, don't stress it. There's no race to see who can ditch the pacifier the earliest. And if your kid is still using his pacifier for 7th grade sleepovers, send him to my house! I hope to raise Boston well enough so he doesn't judge others by their inability to ditch their childhood sleep aids. All pacifiers, loveys, and white noise machines are welcome! As always, do what works for you, mama! We're not just here to give advice, we're here to learn from you, too! Feel free to share your favorite baby products and tips with us. xo, Jess Comments are closed.
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