Hey ladies, if you've been following me, this is about my 5 month old who has Severe Acid Reflux who doesn't sleep well. So lastnight rather than trying to give her a bottle 5 times during the night, after her 3 am. Bottle she woke up at 330 fussing. Well I knew she already ate, so she couldn't be hungry. I tried to give her a binky, but she knew it wasn't a bottle and wouldn't take it. She fussed and fussed til I caved and gave her another bottle. Any tricks on how to get her to take a binky? She's never really used one, and ofcourse I saw on the Today show that babies who use binkys have a lower risk of SIDS. But iam not sure how to get her to take one. Please help!!
C.
5 months is pretty old to try to teach her to use a binky!
Honestly, I would applaud her not using one! Weaning from the pacifier can be very challenging!
Be thankful that your child doesn't want a binky... it's just so sad to see a 2, 3 YO with that thing hanging out of their mouths and them trying to talk thru it, big red sore mouth (if you live in a cold climate). Gross.
I'm assuming that you've tried lifting the front of the mattress up a bit? I don't remember at what age it's OK to give a little water to a baby ... if it's as young as 5 months maybe you can have a bottle w/ a little water in it and see if that calms her??
It might be the wrong size or type. She could be particular about the texture, or shape. Is it similar to the nipple you are using on her bottles? Some kids just hate them period. Good luck!
Our son refused the binky as well. Some tips include dunking it in milk or formula to make it appealing. We wished that he would have taken to it, btecuase it would hae been a really useful tool in our soothing arsenal. On the other hand, we consider ourselves lucky that we didn't have a kid with a paci habit that we'd have to later break him of.
Good luck to you.
While I don't have any tricks of the trade, I would look at the fact that she is not interested in the binky as a good thing. My daughter used one for about a month and then done.....switched to the thumb for a few months, then done with that too! Be grateful if this habit is broken already. I think seeing toddlers with their binky leashed to them is sad....just my opinion, don't stone me in the street for that one!
Is she getting enough with the bottle? Maybe an increase in the quantity is what is needed?
Best of luck
None of my kids would take a pacifier past the first few weeks of life. I was always jealous of parents who could get their kids to do it, but it really isn't that big of a deal. My eldest had acid reflux too, but he hated the paci more than my other 2 kids.
Some babies just will never use a binky.. I know this because our daughter in no way would take one. Her first caregiver thought it would help, but I kept telling her there was no way to get her to use it. I even took over the 15 (yes, really) binkies we had been given at baby showers and our daughter would spit it out across the crib or room. Pretty funny actually.
At 5 months old, can your child lift her head and turn it on her own? If so, she is past SIDS.. She can even sleep on her tummy, which is another great way for her to sleep through the night and have less acid reflux.. Also you can lift one side of the crib so that it is at a light angle.. this also helps some babies..
You just have to keep trying but not all kids will take them. Neither of my 2 kids ever would! I wanted them to so they could relax but they never were interested...except in chewing on them when they were older and teething.
My middle one didnt want a binky. sometimes she would suck her thumb but not a binky. does she have a blankie? sometimes cuddling with them, or being swaddled helps. my youngest loved being swaddled.
My daughter seemed to like it a little, but it would pop out fast like she couldn't hold it. In my overtired frustration, I held it in with my hand for a while. It seemed to help, like it was training wheels. It soothed her enough to go to sleep, so all better. For a while. The trouble is, then they get to the stage where it falls out while they are sleeping, wake up and freak out, they can't find it, so you have to go into their crib to get it for them. Several times a night. Then they get to the stage when they are so used to it it's like they need it all the time (cough*myNephew*cough) and they'll be cranky without it, even while playing. Then you have the fun task of talking a kid out of wanting it, you're 3 time for it to go, good luck with that. My daughter did give it up (I think we used the Binky Fairy) but she switched to her thumb, and now she's 7 and still sucks. I can see the orthodontia dollar signs in my future.
It can be a very bad habit that is very very hard to break. So you may not want to force the issue, and find some other way to get her back to sleep. Rubbing her belly, loud sound soother, singing to her, etc....
Are you sure she wasn't just hungry? She might be going through a growth spurt and really wanted her bottle. You could try giving her more at each feeding. You could also try increasing her caleries during the day in the hopes that she'll need less at night. I remember people suggesting that to me, though I honestly don't know if it worked. I think I just had to wait it out. Eventually their bodies mature and they don't need to eat at night at all. We found it best not to argue with baby. If baby is hungry, feed baby. End of story. (In the middle of the night, baby sometimes got replaced with the word monster ... the monster needs to be fed.)
Hang in there!
Some kids don't take them ever. My first one took to them immediately and wouldn't give them up completely until she was over 3 yo. My second wouldn't take them at all, and we tried several different kinds.
