In general, pacifiers have never been very useful in our house. My two older girls never took the bite, so to speak, unless I was holding the binky in their mouths for them. Well, this sort of defeats the purpose of the pacifier. So, I accepted the fact that my children were not going to be able to self-sooth, and I, in turn, would not have to deal with struggling to get a four year old to give up the binky.
By the time I got to number three and was running out of hands, I started wishing I could create children that accepted the binky. We got a
Soothie Newborn Pacifier in the hospital when my son was born earlier this year, and for the most part, we have been happy with it. While my son is not very interested in it for typical pacifier purposes, we have found some other uses for it.
The Design--different from most
The First Years Soothie Newborn Pacifier is different from the typical pacifier design of a plastic ring attached to a thin silicone nipple. For one thing, the
Soothie is a single-piece design, made out of green silicone that is about a centimeter thick all around. The main part is about two inches in diameter, with two little round holes at one end and a half-inch handle at the other. I think the purpose of the little holes is to wind some kind of strap through it, but we don't have any thin enough to do so.
The nipple looks slightly phallic, is perfectly symmetric and sticks out about an inch. There are two neat things about the nipple design. One is that it is hollow on the other side, so you can put your finger inside of the nipple while it is in your baby's mouth. One reason why so many binkies get rejected by my son is that the silicone is so thin it just flattens out in his mouth, unlike a bottle or breast, two things he is used to having there. To get him started with the pacifier when he is in a bad mood, it has been helpful being able to put my finger through the nipple and make it harder.
The other cool feature about the hollow design of the nipple is that you can look through the hole and see baby's tongue and gums while he/she sucks on the
Soothie. While not an essential part of having a pacifier, this is a fun feature for caregivers who believe (know) that everything about their little one is the cutest thing in the world (maybe not
everything--I could do without some of the smelly diapers).
Uses
Honestly, the
Soothie Pacifier has mostly been used in "binky" function by my two year old, who wanted to be a baby when she got her brother. My son took it a few times, but it never really caught on. What he really likes it for is as a chew toy, to help his teeth come out. The silicone's flexibility and sturdiness give him something that feels hard and can bend in his mouth the way he wants it to.
Cleaning
Recommended cleaning for the
Soothie Pacifieris with soap and lukewarm water. I know that many people prefer to take the sterilization a step further and boil it on the stove. That works too; it won't melt unless you forget about it. My recommendation for extra steaming is to use the
Medela Quick Clean Micro Steam Bags.
Final Word
If you have a baby who will take a pacifier,
The First Years Soothie Newborn Pacifier is a good choice that will also come in handy when baby teethes.
For help convincing your toddler it's time to give up the binky, read Pacifiers Are Not Forever.
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