Comfort for the Baby and Entertainment for the Adults

I was so clueless when my baby was born. The nurse asked me if I had any pacifier with me, and I didn't. We rushed to the nearest store and grabbed a package of these Gerber Naturalflex Pacifiers, only because they were the first we saw on the shelf and I liked the colors. Gladly, they turned out to be a great choice for us.

It Works for My Daughter
My baby took the pacifier immediately and she has been using them ever since. For a short period of time, I tried to give her a different kind of pacifier that claimed to be better for the baby's tooth development. However, she would not take it. Since the Gerber Naturalflex pacifiers have been working just fine, I decided not to mess with other pacifiers.

The Cost
I didn't pay attention to the prices of other pacifiers at the time we got these, but it seems the price for the Gerber Naturalflex Pacifiers is on the higher end. We purchased them from Baby Depot, and paid $4.99 for the 2-pack.

Color Choices
When I purchased them, there were two choices for these two-packs. One was pink and green, which was pictured on Epinions.com, and the other was blue and purple. I liked all four colors, but we purchased the pink and green package because we have a girl. Personally, I think these pacifiers are very visually appealing.

Soft Silicone Nipple and Base
The silicone nipple is very soft, and the base is flexible with three small holes for venting. At first glance, it looks funny because the nipple looks like a pole rather than a balloon. The size of the nipple is also smaller. However, this is where these Gerber Naturalflex Pacifiers differ from others. The specially shaped nipple supposedly mimics a mother's nipple, and provides the soothing effect the baby gets during breastfeeding.

"One Piece" Construction
The pacifier is one-piece and there is a built-in hook on the back of it. I like this way better than "a ring with a hinge" in the back. When I pick up this pacifier, I can point the nipples precisely at where I want it to be (i.e., in her mouth). This is not only a convenience factor for me, but it is also easy for my daughter. She can pick up her pacifier and put it back in her mouth without adult's help. The other pacifier I tried had a ring on the back, and it was difficult to control the direction where the nipple was pointing at, because the hinge would change the aim of the nipple.

Cleaning
The Gerber Naturalflex Pacifiers are dishwasher safe, but I insist that "baby stuff" needs to be hand-washed. The shape of the pacifier is very smooth, so it is very easy to hand-wash. My pinky finger is even small enough that I can use it to wash the inside of the nipple from the back. My husband has to use the nipple brush that comes with our bottle brush. Either way, this pacifier is very easy to clean. After we hand-wash them, we put them in the steamer with the bottles to sterilize.

The Fun Began
One unexpected benefit was the entertainment value of these pacifiers. Since the nipple and base are both made of silicone, the pacifier is see-through. When my baby was a new born, her mouth was just big enough to fit the pacifier in. So, when we looked at her face with the pacifier in her mouth, she looked like koi fish, especially when she was sucking on it. It probably sounds horrible for a mother to say but it was just too funny. We took a lot of pictures of her "fish mouth" for the baby book. My mom was so amused that she actually bought more packages and distributed them to her friends who also had newborn grandkids at that time.

And the Fun Continues
Now that my daughter is older, the pacifier no longer occupies her whole mouth when she sucks on it. However, we are still having fun with it. One game we like to play is for me to hold the pacifier's built-in hook between my lips, and my daughter would crawl towards me and bite on the nipple to pull the pacifier out of my mouth. Another funny game is that she would stick both pacifiers in her mouth at the same time. We never thought the pacifiers can be toys too.

The Only Drawback
These pacifiers are mostly transparent and/or translucent, and the base colors (pink and green in particular) are very easily blended into the environment (in the crib, on the bed, between the blankets, you name it). Sometimes it is difficult for me to find them, even if they are right in front of my eyes. That's the only drawback I can think of.

Conclusion
We are very happy with these Gerber Naturalflex Pacifiers, especially since we didn't really do any product research before we bought them. Most importantly, my daughter loves them. I would definitely recommend this product.