Member Articles

No matter what you name the little gift the hospital gives you when your baby is born, it begins right away.  How do I make sure that my little one does not become dependant on this paci/binkie/pluggy?

At first, you think you'll only use it during naps; then only until the age of 1; and finally you decided that you will definitely will throw it away by the time your child is 2. Does this sound like you?

The truth is that every mom goes through this at some point.  You are not alone.

I know when I started thinking of throwing away the pacifier, I wondered, "How is my little one going to soothe herself to sleep?"  Well, every time I wanted to throw it away I made another excuse.  Then one day I noticed she bit the top of the pacifier.  Did I mention we had three?  So at first I thought well, if she does it again, I'll throw it away. And she did.  So my decision was easy.  I tossed the remaining two in the trash, too -- I did not want her choking on the top of the pacifier. 

The first time she had to sleep she asked for her binkie (that is what we called it).  The following day she again asked for her binkie, and I explained she is a big girl now. Well, after only a few days, she now falls asleep on her own and doesn’t even ask for the binkie.

Only a mom knows her child -- each child is different, and each circumstance is different.  In my situation, "cold turkey" worked best. Do what works for you, but remember: children are amazing and will surprise you!