Wean the baby from the nipple (dummy): tips and tricks

For many mothers, a nipple (baby's dummy) in the first months of life of a newborn baby becomes a real salvation. The kid is easier to fall asleep with her, worry less and be naughty. But the children are so firmly attached to their "girlfriend" that sometimes they continue to use the pacifier at two and three years old. Naturally, this is not a very useful habit at this age, and parents try to gradually take and wean the child from a dummy in all possible ways. But all methods are suitable for the fragile psyche of the child and in order to choose the most optimal option and the right time for weaning the nipple, you must take into account the nature of the baby and follow the advice of pediatricians.

The benefits and harms of the dummy

Read in detail:Is it necessary to accustom a child to a dummy? How to teach if a baby spits a dummy https://kid.htgetrid.com/en/razvitie-rebenka-do-goda/nuzhno-li-priuchat-rebenka-k-pustyishke.html

Sucking reflex It is considered one of the most important for a newborn child; it is not without reason that pediatricians necessarily check its presence when a baby is born. If the sucking reflex is developed at the proper level, it means that the baby will eat and develop well. Unfortunately, babies are not able to control it, and can calmly suck the blanket that has turned up under the arm or the edge of the pillow, even worse if the child pulls his finger into his mouth. The biggest nuisance from this is infection in the mouth.

In some babies, the sucking reflex is fully satisfied when it sucks the breast. Others begin to worry without a nipple when falling asleep or at the first sign of hunger.

Many believe that a dummy can spoil the bite and the correct pronunciation of sounds, in fact, this theory is not supported by anything. The psychological aspect is more worrying - the baby, accustomed to the nipple, is less interested in the world and can grow up closed. It is not worth completely abandoning the dummy, but in order to further wean the baby from the nipple without any problems, you need to consider several basic recommendations:

• If the baby feels fine without a dummy in the first weeks of life, does not pull diapers or fingers in his mouth, is not capricious, and easily falls asleep, then you should not impose it. Many children grow up without a rubber assistant;
• In the daytime, you need to talk more with the baby, show him the world around him - this will allow him to adapt faster and better to an unfamiliar and unusual world and will not leave time to suck a dummy;
• From about 6-7 months, the baby needs to be taught to drink from a cup. The faster he learns to swallow well, the sooner the bottles will disappear from the house, and therefore the usual dummy (How to wean from a bottle);
• Closer to 7-8 months, it is necessary to remove the nipple, so that your child does not see it. You can give a pacifier only before falling asleep in the afternoon or evening hours;
• A baby closer to a year already loves to listen to fairy tales and it is better to replace the process of falling asleep with a pacifier with two or three read fairy tales. Usually a child falls asleep well to the sounds of his mother’s voice;
• Your child must have a lesson in the daytime - games with pyramids, cubes, that is, everything that allows him to learn the world with interest, without being distracted by sucking.

Pros and cons

It is impossible

First of all, in the process of weaning, you need to understand what can do even more harm than the nipple itself. Therefore, you cannot:

• Smear the pacifier with various bitter substances, such as mustard or garlic. Not all adults can tolerate this spice, but imagine what it will be like for a child. In addition, it is not safe - in recent years allergic diseases have been growing and spices can cause swelling and spasm of the throat;
• Many advise you to wean the baby from the nipple, cutting it like a chamomile. This is also unsafe - the baby already has several sharp teeth in his mouth and he can bite off part of the latex and it is easy to imagine that he will fall into the throat and, at best, move into the stomach. And at worst, a sticky gum can attach to the throat, causing spasm and suffocation;
• You can’t raise your voice at a child, let alone screaming at a time when he asks for his “sedative”. The kid will not understand why mom is angry with him and will be even more capricious (Important related article: what to do if you yell at a child);
• There is no need to deprive the baby of a dummy at a time when he is sick or his teeth are being cut. Every mother probably understands why - your baby will feel worse and the healing process will drag on.

When it's time to pick up the pacifier

Many psychologists recommend starting to wean a baby from a nipple starting from three months to a year. Do not delay the decision, the main thing is to choose a favorable moment and make every effort. And for this you will have to follow these recommendations:

• Spend more time with the child;
• In the daytime, you need to constantly walk with him, show everything new and play with toys;
• After falling asleep, the nipple needs to be removed from the mouth and put it next to the crib;
• Never offer a baby a pacifier yourself, and in the afternoon remove it from his eyes.

The experience of the Brovchenko family

What time do you need to wean the baby from the nipple. How best and painless to do it. Three ways to wean from a dummy.

There are two methods of weaning a baby from a dummy, each of them is suitable for a certain age.

Smooth failure

Smoothly abandoning your beloved nipples means getting rid of the habit in a few weeks. This method is more suitable for babies up to a year and a little older. Gradual abandonment implies following these tips:

• Do not take a pacifier for a walk;
• In the daytime, remove the pacifier away;
• Teach your baby to drink as much as possible from a cup (how to teach drinking from a cup);
• Come up with new exciting games and entertainments for him;
• For sleeping, you can put your favorite toy in the bed, so the baby will understand that he is not alone and will spend less time on his longtime girlfriend;
• When falling asleep, wait until the baby falls asleep, no need to leave it at this time.

Weekly Learning Scheme

1. For the first 5 days, giving a dummy is half as much in time as usual.
2. The next few days, give the pacifier only at night (and during daytime sleep).
3. The time to fall asleep with a pacifier is halved, giving breast after a nipple.
4. Give the pacifier for a few minutes - then the chest.

Sharp rejection

This method is suitable for babies from one and a half years and older, that is, for those who already understand their mother and can understand what she explains to him.

A sharp rejection of the nipples - this means once and for all!

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But the crumbs for this must be prepared. And for this, many effective methods are suitable, depending on the nature of the child’s character, each mother will be able to choose a convenient and optimal option.

• You need to give someone a pacifier. Ideally, a newborn baby - a neighbor or relative. Your son or daughter already understands that they are older, and the little baby needs a nipple. I must say that the nipples are necessarily transmitted from senior to younger, and for an even greater effect, you can organize the moment of the solemn transfer from hand to hand (of course, as a joke);
• Pacifier cansend a little rabbit in the forest or fish in the sea“. Your baby needs to be told that the animals are afraid in the forest and only a dummy can protect them;
• For some children, a method of throwing it into the sea, the window of a car, train, or simply into the trash is suitable;
• After getting rid of the nipples, the crumbs must be given a good gift, focusing on the fact that only large and independent children play such toys.

Getting rid of the nipples, you need to endure the baby's whims for several days. Perhaps he will wake up at night, cry and demand a dummy.

Most children themselves, at about the age of three, throw out their “sedative” and forget about it forever.

On the topic (interesting publications):

• 7 reasons not to give your baby a pacifier
• Weaning the baby from the chest - basic tips and advice;
• If you take the pacifier from the baby, then there is a chance that the baby will switch to sucking fingers to prevent this from happening, read this article;
• The time comes when it’s time to wean the child from the hands -https://kid.htgetrid.com/en/razvitie-rebenka-do-goda/otuchaem-rebenka-ot-ruk.html

P.S.How to wean the baby from the bottle link at the beginning of the article 🙂

Opinion of the pediatrician doctor (video)

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Parents experience