Tag: Orthodontics

It all seemed so harmless when she was a baby, the whole pacifier thing. There we were, fumbling around to find something, anything to stop the crying and there it was – the innocent pacifier, waiting to be sucked on.

Oh, it did the trick…in fact it still works it magic – lulling our daughter into a state of blissful calm. Only, her teeth are now moving out like a little rabbit’s; her smile each day getting more and more prominently buck-toothed. We had to end it.

So, even though she only used the pacifier at night, we took it away this weekend. All hell broke loose.

When I say hell, I mean the most horrifying, high pitched, heart-wrenching wailing emanated from that tiny little body. She kicked and screamed and arched her back and pleaded…just like an addict! It took all the courage we could muster to not give in. And believe me, it took both of us, holding hands together saying to each other, “it’s for her own good and this too shall pass.” Only pass it didn’t for like an hour. Literally. An hour of pure torture. For all of us.

Then she fall asleep. Must have tired herself out something fierce with all that. She woke up a few times in the night, remembered her distress and let us know all about it. None of us slept well. But, miraculously, the next morning she wasn’t scarred (although we’re saving up for her future therapist’s bills just in case). She was happy and hungry and her old self. That was encouraging.

So we move to the second non-pacifier night. A little protest, but her heart wasn’t in it. Oh, she made some noise, but you could tell, she was giving in to the fact that it was an end of an era. No midnight wakings, either. That night, we all slept remarkably well.

Finally, the third night. Silence. She was cured! No more withdrawals, no more protestations, nothing. Only three nights to kick the habit – way less time than I had mentally prepared for.

Yay! I’m so proud of her…she really handled everything like a champ. Now I can only hope that her teeth stop their outward migration and that we won’t be facing horrendous orthodontic bills…one can hope!

photo credit: ff137