To Chupy or not to Chupy

Lets talk chupy (aka Binky or pacifer).

I am interested to learn what other people have to say about this topic. Before the arrival of Baby DIVA, I read many books and articles on "how to raise my baby". Some of it I agreed with. Some of it I thought was stupid. And some of it I just had no idea what it meant or how to even process the information, given I had no experience with children.

One topic that was up for great debate in a lot of the literature I read was about whether or not you should allow your new baby to utilize a chupy. The Mayo Clinic released this article on the pros and cons of using a chupy. Pretty much all the literature I read before Baby DIVA's arrival on this subject can be summed up in this article.

We decided from the get go that the use of a chupy was perfectly fine. We even had chupy's packed in our hospital bag and introduced Baby DIVA to this object in the hospital the day she was born. She took to it like a champ. I read about the cons and listened to other mothers fuss about how they were not going to allow their baby to use this contraption because it may harm their teeth, or it could be too hard to break the child later, blah , blah , blah. I figured I would just cross those bridges as they came about. So Hubb-to-be and myself accepted the chupy into our life.

Well now Baby DIVA is 6 months old. We are chupy users. Baby DIVA likes her chupy a lot. However she is not dependent on it by any means. She likes to sleep with it, however does not require it to fall asleep. She hardly ever uses it during her waking hours, although I always have it nearby, just in case. She likes to pop it in and out of her mouth in some little game she invented for herself. I think it is perfect fine and normal.

Watching her not be totally addicted to this item got my mind turning. I am curious if she is a child who just doesn't need it; Or did we as parents teach or mold her response to such chupy? We have not pressed the chupy as a needed item. If she wants it we give it to her. If she doesn't we don't. No big deal either way. She in turn has the same behavior toward the object. I am curious to know what other parents have done and how their child has responded and what that child's behavior is towards the chupy. I am also curious if other parents went into parenthood adamant about not using a chupy because of current literature findings only to find themselves changing their views after baby arrived or vice versa.

So please share with me your thoughts on this topic. I am very interested to get real momma's and daddy's views as opposed to views i find in articles and books I find on parenting.