To paci or not to paci

Paci, binky, bo-bo, boppy, boop. That little piece of cry-cancelling silicone has more nicknames than Puff Daddy – excuse me, “Diddy”.

To paci or not to paci, that is the question. A question that haunts many new mommies as they consider all the options for calming a crying child.

Some parents go straight for the bink on day one, while others exhaust every other method – breastfeeding, rocking, walking, singing, swinging, midnight driving – before they resort to the evil pacifier.

But why the bad wrap? Yes, there are definitely a handful of legit cons to putting a cork in it. But what about all the paci pros? Since we over at Two Blue Peas are such huge fans of the WubbaNub pacifier, we thought we’d list a few for you to chew on.

• A baby cries an average of three hours a day! That’s stressful for you and your little one. Pacis are a proven way to soothe. The sucking action is a normal infant reflex and undoubtedly helps calm a baby – approximately 75% of America’s babies to be exact. Many babies have the urge to suck when they are tired, bored, or need some comforting, not just when they are hungry.


• Pacis are a good distraction. Sometimes you can’t make the bottle or prepare to breastfeed fast enough for your demanding darling. And if they get worked up enough over the wait, it can be harder to get them to even take the bottle at all.


• Pacis may help your baby go to sleep. Sucking is a self-comforting behavior whether it be a pacifier, bottle, or fingers. Which brings us to the next point...


• Unlike fingers (namely Mr. Thumbkin), Pacis are disposable. It’s easier to break your child of a paci habit than a thumbsucking habit. You are in control over the paci and can pitch it when you’re ready.


• Pacis may reduce the risk of SIDS. Although researchers haven’t nailed the cause-and-effect relationship of the two, a number of recent studies show a substantially lower incidence of SIDS in babies who use pacifiers compared to those that don’t.

> Shop WubbaNub pacifiers at twobluepeas.com (buy 3 of the same kind, save $3!)