The pacifier is your baby's most loyal companion in the first months and years of life. He is not only useful, no he is also a small accessory. That is why you will find a huge selection of pacifiers in different colors and designs in our Baby-Nova online store. Discover pacifiers of the brands Baby-Nova and Dentistar, which differ not only visually but also in material, size and shape.
Why do babies need a pacifier?
There are parents who choose a pacifier, as well as parents who choose not to. However, many do not even know why a baby needs such a pacifier in the first place.
Babies have a natural sucking reflex, which is partly already satisfied by the breast or bottle. However, it is not too uncommon for this pronounced reflex to want to be nursed even after feeding, so this is where a pacifier can come into play.
So on the one hand, a pacifier quenches your baby's sucking reflex and on the other hand, it has a positive effect on his well-being. By sucking, babies come to rest and can relax better and also fall asleep.
Latex or silicone pacifier?
Baby pacifiers are available in latex and silicone. As a new parent, you often ask yourself what is best for your child. We provide you with a brief overview of the most common materials and their advantages and disadvantages. But whether latex or silicone pacifiers, both have one thing in common, it is recommended to change them every 8 to 10 weeks.
Latex pacifier
The material latex is a natural product. Latex pacifiers are often recognized by the slightly yellowish color, because this is typical for the material.
An advantage of latex pacifiers is that the material is very durable and has a high elasticity. Therefore, pacifiers made of latex are particularly robust and bite-resistant.
However, latex pacifiers often have their own taste and slight odor. In addition, they are not quite as durable as comparatively pacifiers made of silicone. Frequent boiling can make latex pacifiers a bit brittle, so they need to be replaced more often. Nevertheless, latex pacifiers are the more environmentally friendly option.
Silicone pacifier
Silicone is an industrially manufactured material, it is more durable than latex but not quite as environmentally friendly. Silicone pacifiers can often be recognized by their transparent color.
As mentioned above, a significant advantage of silicone pacifiers is that they are much more durable, as frequent boiling does not harm them. However, should your baby chew on the silicone pacifier, the silicone may quickly become damaged. In addition, they are odorless and tasteless.
Cleaning pacifiers: How do you clean and sterilize a pacifier?
First of all, if you buy new pacifiers, you should clean them thoroughly before using them for the first time. There are several ways you can clean and sterilize a pacifier at the same time.
Cleaning pacifiers in the pot
One of the most classic variants is to sterilize the pacifier in a pot of boiling water. To do this, fill a pot with enough water to completely cover the pacifier. Then let the pacifier boil for about 5 minutes.
When you are done, the pacifier must cool for a few minutes before use. If there is any water residue in the soother, you can remove it by squeezing the soother.