Help with Weaning from Pacifier

We had to do the same thing. I think we just threw all of the nuks away! Then when she wanted one I would try to distract her by reading a book or playing with her. Bed time was the hardest time, but show her her fingers and try music and other distracters such as a sippy cup of water.

My son only ever had his pacifier in the crib or in the car. I started not offering it in the car anymore which went fine. For the crib pacifier I slowly cut the tip shorter and shorter until he didn't want it anymore. The first night was the worst. He didn't understand why it didn't "work" anymore (he was 18 months at the time). But by the 4th night he didn't even want it anymore. If you decide it's time to take it away you have to stick with it and not give in to the crying and tantrums. Good luck.

I haven't tried it yet but someone told me that they started snipping a little bit off of the end of the pacifier everyday so eventually there wasn't anything left on the end and they should lose interest.

My son had a nuk since he was born to and I started noticing he wasn't sleeping as well as his sisters did at that age and after we took the nuk away he started sleeping better and threw the night. We first took it away and only did it for night bed time, he was very upset and for about 3 days he would cry himself to sleep at nap time, but then he realized that he wasn't getting it and learned how to calm himself and fall asleep on his own. Next we took it away all the time and within 2 days he was over it. He sees them or other kids with them and he doesn't even want it. Just stay strong and don't give in and you will do fine.It is hard work and it makes you feel bad but in the long run it is so much better for them and you! Good Luck!

Hi I am currently going through the pacifier detox myself. I have already done it once with my seven year old. This weekend after my second son turns two we will be weaning off too.

When my seven year old was two, I just cut the end off the pacifier and gave it to him. At first he still tried to use it but I gradually cut off more and more until there was just about nothing left.

I have seen all kind of advise on this site saying don't do that, the pacifier will be compromised and could be a choking hazard. That was not my experience. I watched it. It stayed in tact he could not bite pieces off. Really it was a pretty stress free process. No power struggles over it. He did look puzzled when I gave it to him and even more so after the first time he used it. He even gave that on back and asked for a different one. I just said. This is all we have. It was just not very appealing to him anymore and soon quit asking for it.

I will see if it goes as smoothly with the second one. Each child is different. Wish me luck we are starting this weekend!

M. - 7 and 2 year old busy boys!!!

I read somewhere (maybe babycenter.com) that one way is to cut a small slit in it, they don't like the feel of it, but yet they still have it. You can cut another slit in after a week, if she still wants it after a few days or a week. Just keep doing it til she has had enough of it. But should work after the 1st or 2nd slit.

I helped care for my brother from birth to 2 years of age, because my mom was so surprised to have another child. My little brother, who is 20 year younger then I, was 2 years old when we took the 'plug' away from him. It took only two days, of crying and moaning, and then he forgot all about it. He thought it was fun at first, because he had about 4 'plugs' around the house, and we told him to throw them in the trash can, so we walked around with the trash can and let him toss all his 'plugs' in there. Then for the next two days, when he would cry for them, we would just remind him 'We threw them away, you are a big boy now"... This took place about 2 months ago and he doesnt even remember a thing.

We weaned my first daughter at a year and my second at 18 months. With each of them we slowly took it away during the day, then took it away at naps. Taking it away at night was tougher---it only took about two tough nights of getting them to sleep. I don't have any good advice just what we did but each child is different. Stick it out, it gets better!

Hello! I had the same issues with my daughter. It just happened that one of my friends was having a baby at the time that I was going to wean my daughter off her "nu nu". Before we went to visit the baby for the first time, we packed up all of her pacifiers into a baggie, and gave them to the new baby to "use". I told her that the new baby needed them now, and since she was a big girl, she would give them to the baby. It worked like a charm! We only had one late (but not THAT late) night. Good luck!!

Hi A.! I went through the same thing when my daughter was 17 months old. We decided that she'd had it long enough and took the advice of a relative. This trick worked wonders for us and I'm sure it will for you, too! Here's what to do: Snip the tip of the pacificer from top to bottom with a scissors so the nipple is divided into 2 halves (a left and right). When your daughter sucks on the pacifier she'll suck air through it and it won't have the same effect she's used to. We did this and my daughter immediately spit out the pacifier and never wanted it again. We spent about 3 nights with her waking up and crying periodically, but she resorted to her "blankie" for comfort instead. After those 3 days were over she slept normally and we never looked back. We did, however, keep a few in the house as backups just in case this plan didn't work. But this was a total success -- we thought she needed it apparently more than she actually did. It was the best thing we ever did, I wish we'd tried it sooner. If you try it, let me know how it works out! ____@____.com

L.

We weaned my son off of his pacifier 2 months ago and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. We took all of the pacifiers away at one time. The first nap and bedtime were lots of crying (and hour+) but then the next day he cried for about 15 min at nap and at bedtime and by the third day he went to bed without it just fine. He wasn't asked for it since! He sleeps better without it too. My only suggestion is that once you make the decision to take it away, stick with it no matter what! If you give in and give it back to her it will just be harder the next time you try. Good luck!! ;-)

Iw ould say before you take it away, limit it to bed only for a couple weeks, that way its not taken away from her fully, just limit it to use in the bed only. Then, when she is ok with that, take it away cold turkey or snip the end off it like hte other suggested. This way is more of a weaning process, limiting its use and then taking it away.