how to avoid pacifier addiction for sleep?

so when my daughter was a baby, we gave her a paci, and by 4 months old, she was sleeping through the night - EXCEPT THE 8 TIMES I WOULD NEED TO GET UP AND GIVE HER HER PACI AGAIN! this time, i don't want to make the same mistake. the boys like their pacis, but aren't addicted yet. what is the proper usage for the pacifier? how do i avoid making the same mistake i did with my dd?

 

The first 3 and a half months of the boys' life they were addicted to the pacifier but COULD NOT keep it in to save their little butts. It almost drove me insane. Slowly I tried to teach them to suck their thumbs. Before you burn me, yes I know you can get rid of the paci but not the thumb and that they can develop an overbite and it could ruin their lives forever But I'm gonna cross that bridge when I get to it. They're sleeping throught the night and much happier babies now that they can somewhat self-soothe with the thumb. What we did/still do to wean them from depending on it at bedtime is to put it in while they're falling asleep. Then we wait for the first sign of it falling out of their grip and we snatch it out ever-so-carefully but very quick. We then plug the opened mouth (that in those two seconds has started to frantically search for something to suck on) with their little thumb. It really has helped a ton. And they look so cute! I didn't want to give them the paci in the first place, but I was so out of it when they were in the NICU that I forgot to tell them. By the time they came home, they were already hooked. HTH!

 

At about 4 months, our boys lost a bit of interest in their paci's and I was not very good about always putting it in. When they hit 4 months, we just stopped giving it to them. Happiest baby on the block guy (can't remember his name) recommended getting rid of it at 4 months, so since they weren't as interested, we got rid of them. They probably would have become more interested if we had offered it more. I hated helping them hold it in, though.

 

Lucas was the only one interested in a pacifer (Jonas was a thumb sucker now a finger sucker). At about 5 months old we started cutting back on the pacifier and used it only for tired, nap time. Then about 6 months, he just started getting disinterested. We only rarely give it now and just to settle him. Once he's almost asleep we can take it away and he's fine. We did also start using a woobie blanket at about 5 months and I think that helped. So I guess I just replaced the paci with another comfort item but I don't have a problem with the woobie blanket.

 

Just don't go there! Let them discover fingers/thumbs instead. DD is a thumb-sucking fiend, and puts herself to sleep beautifully that way.

 

After getting up 8 times in one night to put it back in, the next night I never gave it back!!

 

we started putting their thumbs in their mouths when they would get fussy. I figured I could break the thumb sucking habit later, but at least they always had it with them.

Mine are both thumb suckers now, but they only do in when we put them in their beds, or they are falling asleep. So far, cross my fingers, they don't suck their thumbs all day long.

 

Beau was never that interested... He has since found his thumb and is the worlds best self soother... Savannah likes her paci every now and then and to be honest i dont think it will be hard to break. She finds her thumb or fingers here and there too if needed. She likes her paci to fall asleep some nights but she never wakes up just for the paci... I say just dont over push them and follow lead or take away if you are terribly nervous... Good luck and congrats on your new twins.