Baby Keeps Spitting Out Pacifier – 5 Tips on What to Do

Pacifiers, while handy can be slippery and fickle. Your toddler cries nonstop, even waking up at night, but spits out their binky the moment it lands in their mouth. So how do you find solutions when baby keeps spitting out pacifier and what are the 5 tips on what to do?

If your child is purposefully spitting out their dummy, use reverse psychology. That involves putting the binky in their mouth and then tugging at it slightly so they’re forced to suck harder. When pacifiers keep falling out inadvertently, it means something’s not right. There are instances where you can attach ribbons or stuffed animals so that binkies are easier to handle and won’t fall out.

Your baby that keeps spitting out pacifier can be fed up with it, and you should take that as a signal that’s it’s time to quit. If it’s happening against their will, a few commercial and homemade solutions exist, including paci training. Instead of losing your mind, keep reading for tips on what to do.

What Can I Do When Baby Keeps Spitting Out Their Pacifier?

A pacifier is part of your arsenal, a buyer of time that allows you some much-needed me-time. These necessities are the go-to for soothing, calming, and putting your baby to sleep, especially in the first few months after birth. Estimates hold that nearly 85% of all babies use pacifiers. While many stop soon after being weaned, others find it a challenging habit to kick.

In 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics conducted a study that uncovered pacifiers have a hand at reducing sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. Despite this, dummies have a recommended weaning time, which is at around two or two and a half years. That’s because your child’s binky can become habitual, affecting their appetite and resulting in damage to your baby’s teeth.

You should also find a paci that’s in your child’s size as over or under-sized binkies feel uncomfortable in their mouth. A dummy with an orthodontic nipple or textured traction will help your child to effortlessly suck it without spitting.

However, you may have no idea why your little one hates their binky. You’re also still in need of the accessory’s calming effect to stop them from crying. If your baby keeps spitting their pacifier, five tips on what to do include;

1.     Try another One

The same way that sippy cups and feeding bottles are available in different types applies to pacifiers as well. Binkies come with various nipple shapes, including smallmouth, largemouth, flat and narrow. Your tot could be spitting out their paci because of how odd it feels in their oral cavity, so find one that’s perfect for them.

Avoid buying in bulk, as value packs or two paci sets may not work better than the last. Tastes also change, and your baby can end up disliking the binky design they started with. As infants get used to breast or bottle nipples, a dummy that resembles them could be their preference.

2.     Check for Teeth

When your baby is cutting teeth, soothing the sore gums or an emerging milk tooth requires various things. A cold pacifier will do the trick sometimes, but at other times the sucking movements will offer adverse results. Spitting out a binky will with no doubt indicate whether they prefer it there or not.

Observe your child and check for tender gums or over-drooling as a sign of incoming dental aspects. You can go with teething rings, a mouth soother, or a cold wet rag for them to chew on instead. Besides pediatric pain killers, various pacifiers can also help, so be armed with handy options for this difficult time.

3.     Is It Nipple Confusion?

Your baby will not take to a pacifier if you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding without bottle supplementation. That’s called nipple confusion, where your child is accustomed to how your breast and nipple feel. When you put a binky in their mouth, its foreign feel will cause them to spit out.

If your breastfed tot refuses a paci, there are other alternatives to soothing that you can use. When your child is agitated, incorporate massages with lavender-scented baby lotion or invest in a calming noise machine. You can also cuddle and rock your baby until they calm down or sleep without using a pacifier.

4.     Thumb Sucking Preference

Babies, especially those not introduced to a pacifier early on can prefer to suck something else. That includes their hands, fingers, thumbs, or toys. If you can help your baby utilize their preferred object, there’s nothing wrong with sucking parts of their own body.

Before forcing a binky on your child, see whether the alternatives will calm and soothe them as effectively.

5.     It’s Talking Time

Your baby spits out their pacifier because they’re starting to talk and need their vocal cords uninhibited. When your child discovers their voice as part of their developmental milestones, it’s time to screech and coo at their highest volume. They don’t want to be silenced or encumbered with dummies, as it’s a way of seeking attention.

Tots that find out how much noise they can make will spit out their binky each time they have a piece of their mind to offer. Despite your best efforts, let them have their say and maybe use this as a prompt to start weaning pacifiers.

What Not to Do When Baby Keeps Spitting Out Pacifier

As a parent, you can get caught out in desperation, trying any solution to keep your baby content, calm, and soothed. Stubborn binkies that don’t stay in the mouth are such instances that will find you trying unconventional solutions. Some things you should never attempt as a means of keeping a binky in your child’s mouth include;

• Adjusting their receiving blanket or swaddle to hold the pacifier
• Using tape or other objects to tie the dummy onto the mouth
• Tucking a stuffed toy into your tot’s clothing to support the attached binky

These and other methods of eliminating the spitting of pacifiers can result in breathing difficulties or choking hazards. Instead try to discourage the habit of throwing out binkies, using reverse psychology, or any of the mentioned tips above.

Conclusion

Despite their calming effectiveness pacifiers don’t equate to an instant soothe. There can be underlying reasons why your baby is spotting out their binky and it makes sense to find that out first. A moody or hungry child won’t appreciate the dummy’s non-nutritive offering, while you must initially deal with any wet or soiled diapers.

Lightly massage your child to help trapped gas escape as a way of burping them. If teeth are starting to pop out, take note as a pacifier can be causing further pain or discomfort. A cold will also make your baby spit out their binky since it does nothing to ease their suffering.