[Saya]

Hi all!

Anabel is 20 months and is becoming a real pacifier addict. She uses it to sleep, but then she also uses it when she's upset or angry during the day to help her self-sooth. After she has a tantrum, when she starts to calm down often she'll ask for her "ba-ba" (her word for her pacifier). Sometimes she also just decides she wants it for the hell of it. Once she has it (or when she knows it's around and has her mind set on it) she will scream like crazy if you try to take if from her - you have to wait till she decides to put it down herself, which can take anything from 10 minutes to an hour!

She also has a blankie as a comfort item, which we are fine with, but unfortunately she now associates the blankie with the pacifier, and when she has the blankie she immediately wants "ba-ba" as well. She has always been a very "mouthy" child with a strong sucking instinct.

(Interestingly, she DOESN'T use the pacifier at day care at all, even for naps. So we know she can live without it.)

We are ready to make the plunge, but we are extremely nervous. She is a very strong-willed, active child who has entered a screamy and tantrumy phases, especially around clothing changes. I am anticipating potentially several weeks of hell for all involved - though I hope I'm overreacting. But we both feel like it should be done soon. She is in speech therapy, and we've been told it's not good for her mouth muscles. Plus she still uses those infant pacis that are really not good for your teeth (that's what she was using when she came home at 8 months, and we didn't want to change what she was used to as we went through the attachment process).

So, now that I've babbled - can people share their experiences? Did you go cold turkey, and how did that work? Did you put a little hole in the paci? Did you give them to the paci-fairy? How old was your child and how long did it take? Did they immediately start sucking their thumb (one of my other worries)? What advice can you give a nervous mom?

Thanks!!