Pacifier – how to choose the best model for your baby?

A pacifier – this small inconspicuous thing has a big influence on our child’s life. Which soother is the best? What should we pay attention to when choosing it? Today we will try to answer these questions

It may seem that the choice of a pacifier is an easy subject. It turns out that there are many dilemmas. What shape should it have? What brand should it be? What material should it be made of? Many parents have these questions and doubts, and since nowadays there is a lot of everything in stores, the choice of pacifiers is quite big, too. Here are some of our suggestions, which are worth paying attention to.

Pacifier – a cure-all?

A healthy newborn baby is born with the ability to suck, which is supposed to ensure survival. Some parents cannot imagine soothing or putting a baby to sleep without a pacifier, while others will not need one at all. Don’t treat the pacifier as a cure-all and don’t run to your baby with it every time she squirms. It is meant to be an emergency aid. Before you give it to your child, make sure he doesn’t have any other needs. Is he hungry? Is he lying down comfortably? Does he have a clean diaper? If all of these things have been checked and the baby is still crying, then giving him a pacifier is not a bad thing

The best pacifier for your child

At the very beginning, you should make sure that the pacifier is made of safe materials and does not contain substances that could cause allergies. As for the size, we should be guided by the size of the baby’s mouth. On the packaging we can find suggestions from manufacturers. The soother cannot be too big and long (it may cause the vomiting reflex) or too small (it may misalign the jaw)

Parents will encounter three types of soothers based on their shape

• symmetrical – soothers look the same on both sides and can be inserted from either side, e.g. AVENT Ultra Air NIGHT 0-6m 2 pcs. SCF376/12 or Canpol, rubber round soother, Space, size A
• hevea Cloud S 0-6m Bibs or NEWBORN BABY 22/431 Canpol rubber 0-6m round soother;
• anatomic (orthodontic) – they are the most recommended, because they work best with the face. Their characteristic feature is flattening on one side; e.g. Physio Soft Silicone soothers or Dr Brown’s PreVent orthodontic teat POZ.1.

Which soother material should I choose?

The most common material for soothers is silicone. Latex and rubber are also available. The latter two may be a little more delicate. It is worth remembering, however, that rubber can become allergic and swell (deform), so it is then necessary to switch to a silicone teat

• Silicone pacifiers: Philips Avent, Soothie Shapes pacifier, Nuk Space soothers.
• Latex pacifiers: Canpol babies round latex pacifier, NUK latex soother.
• Rubber soothers: BIBS rubber soothers, Hevea anatomical natural rubber soother, NATURSUTTEN rubber round soother.

From the first days of life, the pacifier can be used by newborns, for them there are for example Chicco Physio Micro pacifier or Curaprox Baby Bio Functional pacifier.

Main photo: Zeesy Grossbaum/unsplash.com