https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:56:12 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-655343 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:52:10 +0000 Mrs. Stroller 655343@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use it and still do. I'm a fan of doing what works. When we unswaddled him at 5.5m he reached over and stuck it back in himself when it fell out. Before that I played paci fairy a few times a night, but it literally took 30 seconds and I barely woke up while I did it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-655331 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:50:17 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 655331@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@edelweiss: Honestly, I can't remember... I want to say it only took about 3 weeks (maybe less) before she started to keep it in on her own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-654721 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:10:36 +0000 MamaMoose 654721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@edelweiss: When my LO gets into a really deep sleep I actually pluck the paci out. When I take it out she doesn't wake up... but if she knocks it out herself she does. So putting her down with the paci already gone keeps her from losing it and waking up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-654705 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:06:50 +0000 edelweiss 654705@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BabyBoecksMom: thanks for your response! how old was your LO when she learned to keep the pacifier in or no longer was bothered when it fell out? thanks again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653272 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:33:40 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 653272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@edelweiss: it is tiring at that age to constantly go and put it back in, but it will pass and you LO will either learn to keep it in or will no longer need it. Like you, we had to go in until she was really asleep. Sometimes we would stay until she fell asleep and then gently take it out of her mouth. That way, the sensation of it falling out didn't wake her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653237 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:07:10 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 653237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jmarionsmith: ya i can see it being a problem with a 4 yo sucking their fingers. I think babies are ok. I guess I will have to see what to do when the time comes if I think he should no longer be sucking on his fingers. Right now i can't really stop him except by giving the paci....but then we are told to wean off the paci before they get too old so they don't get too attached! can't win, lol! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653232 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:03:03 +0000 jmarionsmith 653232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurpleUnicorn: by problem i just meant that it could be difficult to teach them to not suck their fingers/thumbs when they're older. i was nanny for a 4 year old who constantly sucked on her middle and ring fingers. i don't think it's healthy for their teeth at that age and it's definitely not sanitary. but like i said, that's just my opinion. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653212 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:54:45 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 653212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my babe is 4m and i give him the paci to fall asleep. but once he is asleep and it falls out, he stays asleep. it actually falls out because he falls asleep. sometimes in the middle of the night or early morning he half-wakes up and fusses, we have to give it a few times for him to go back to sleep. If he doesn't go back to sleep, then i know he is waking up and hungry.</p> <p>i am hoping to wean him off the pacifier at some point but now sure how yet. I don't think i need to do it for at least a few months and i know i won't be doing CIO ever, so i will be checking back to see what others say as well.</p> <p>@jmarionsmith: what problems does sucking on their fingers cause? I thought that was a self-soothing method? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653211 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:54:27 +0000 jmarionsmith 653211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@edelweiss: yup, that's what we did! i don't know how "right" it is but it worked for us. i guess we kind of use the pacifier as a "it's time to go to sleep cue." so at bedtime we give him his pacifier, read a book or two, and then rock him for just a minute until he is really really drowsy. we lay him in bed and now he falls asleep, but at first he cried. he was 5 months when we first started CIO. i hope that helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653198 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:47:21 +0000 hilsy85 653198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lo still uses a paci to help him fall asleep at 5 months...edoesnt wake up when it falls out tho, otherwise I would go crazy putting it back in all the time! Would it help if you held it infor him for a few minutes after putting him down to help him keep it in longer? I wouldn't worry yet about weaning him off it, I know a lot of babies who just gave it up on their own! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653192 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:43:04 +0000 edelweiss 653192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jmarionsmith: that's a good point about the self-soothing with the hands/fingers, i didn't think about that! so when you did CIO, you gave him the pacifier at first but let him CIO after it fell out? at what age did you do CIO? thank you so much! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653180 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:32:08 +0000 jmarionsmith 653180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>for us, CIO is what made LO able to fall asleep without needing the pacifier. we still always give it to him (hes 6.5 months now) at bedtime but if it falls out and he can't get it back in he will go to sleep on his own.</p> <p>also, i would not encourage your LO to use their fingers or hands to soothe themselves only because it could become a problem when they're older. you can always take pacifiers away, you can't take theirs hand away! (but that is just my opinion!) :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/needing-pacifier-to-fall-asleep#post-653122 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:06:32 +0000 edelweiss 653122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my 8 week old needs a pacifier to soothe himself to sleep. i was stubborn about not using a pacifier for the first few weeks after his fussing began, and nap/bedtime were hell. so my naive idyllic resolve went out the window. now, when the pacifier falls out, he lets us know by crying/fussing. we put it back in until he eventually gets tired enough that he doesn't care/notice that the paci falls out. it eventually works, but it's tiring going in there every few minutes until he falls asleep!</p> <p>did/does anyone else's LO need a pacifier to fall asleep? when did they stop needing it? did you have to do any CIO to get them to fall asleep without the pacifier (we're not considering all out CIO yet, just thinking for the future)?</p> <p>i've seen him suck on his hand a few times these past couple of days (when i know he's not hungry), but that doesn't soothe him--does he just need more time for the hand sucking to work?</p> <p>thanks in advance! </p>