For future reference with your kids: don't give them pacifiers. Sure you're not supposed to give them pacifiers before they're 1 month old anyway because of the "nipple confusion" thing, but after that it totally messes up their mouth which I didn't find out about until last week.
Up until last week we used to give Baby Girl a pacifier at naptimes and bedtimes to help her go to sleep. But last week we took her to the dentist for the first time (Baby Girl did surprisingly great) and he saw that there is a gap near her left canine teeth where she sucks on the pacifier. Like, her upper canine teeth haven't grown in right there because the pacifier has kept them from coming in. I thought she just had a cute and naturally crooked smile, but no, the pacifier has actually affected the bone structure of her mouth.
I didn't notice it before because it's on the side of her mouth and I didn't know that's where she sucked on the pacifier. But now it makes sense why she has a hard time biting down on things with her front teeth: half of her front teeth can't bite down together. And now not only will she need braces when she gets older, but after I got back from the dentist I found all her pacifiers and threw them away, and now she has a very hard time falling asleep at night and it's so hard on all of us. It's like sleep training her all over again. I probably should have taken away the pacifiers slowly but I was so mad at myself for not seeing this problem sooner that I did it all at once.
I cried all the way home from the dentist. Baby Girl was sweet, she got a concerned look on her face and she said, "Mommy is sad? Mommy is cwying?" Through my tears all I could say was, "Yes, baby girl, Mommy is crying. Mommy is sorry." I feel so guilty and so stupid for not knowing that this was happening. I just thought that these were the last few teeth to come in and that they were taking a while; I didn't know that they should have been in long before now and that the pacifier was preventing them from coming in sooner.
At least she'll look really cute with braces. And at least it hasn't inhibited her ability to speak and pronounce things well.
Lesson learned the hard way. Hopefully you all can learn from my mistake. So here's the advice: use pacifiers sparingly (if at all) and if your kid ends up liking the pacifier a lot, break them of the habit around 5 or 6 months before the teeth start coming in. And don't let a pacifier be one of the things that you use to put your kid to sleep.
6 comments:
As moms, we just do the best that we can. Sometimes we have to learn from mistakes, but we always have our child's best interests in mind. You are doing great. You have a happy, beautiful, intelligent little girl. I have a cousin who didn't know that you weren't supposed to put your kid to bed with a bottle of juice or milk and her daughter's teeth got all rotted. She had to get caps on all her baby teeth. My cousin felt horrible, but she just didn't know that would happen.
I had no idea that the pacifier could affect teeth like that. Both my kids use pacifiers to fall asleep. And you can't blame yourself, you are not a dentist, how were you suppose to know that a pacifier would affect her teeth like that? Unfortunately, kids don't come with a manual and there is no degree in being a mommy. It is a learn as you go gig and unfortunately, the first child gets to be the training kid. You can make all your mistakes on the first child and then be awesome for the second child. Or, that is what I tell myself when I make mistakes with Nicole. Being a mommy is hard.
It will be ok! And maybe her teeth will straighten out on their own? Don't know. But hey, I had braces and I survived! ;)
~ Amy
Awww, poor Lisa. Amy is correct, it will be alright. She is young and still growing, with the help of "nature" and braces later (if she needs them), she'll be fine. I am not discounting your own feelings on the subject though. As the mom, it is normal to feel responsible for everything (!), but Marie and Becky are also right-try to be easier on yourself. Maybe at bedtime and naptime you can offer her a small cup of something to drink and tell her she is getting to be such a big girl now and that she doesn't need a pacifier any more. Pray about it and I'm sure you will come up with something that works for her and you.
I love you, Lisa, and I know you are the BEST mom for your children. Heavenly Father does not make mistakes, and he will help us through the ones we make!
Love, Mom~
...and what kind of two-year old is concerned about others' emotional state? What a kid! I love her!
Mom~ :*
You are a great mom. Don't doubt yourself. Morgan is a beautiful and smart girl. I agree with your mom, Becky and Marie. Kids don't come with "how to" manuals. We learn as we go and they do great because they have loving parents. You and Mike are great parents. Keep up the good work.
Post a Comment