I remember being adamant that my baby would never use a pacifier – thinking they were just one of those devices to make up lazy or poor parenting. If MY baby had all the love and cuddles he needed, there would be no use for a nasty plastic soother … right?
Wrong. Two weeks after the birth of my son, and hours of cuddles and rocking and breast feeding and many many tears later (from both me and him), my mother gently suggested that I try a soother. I hated the idea of it, I hated the look of it and absolutely hated that it was called a “dummy” here in Australia, and I resisted further. One more week of sleep deprivation and tears and I gave in. To my surprise, slight disappointment and tremendous relief – it worked. Like magic.
But then I had to worry about the dangers of BPA, phthalates and other toxins, as well as keeping it sterilized. Thankfully, I discovered Natursutten pacifiers, made from natural, sustainable rubber (from the tree Hevea brasiliensi), which is environmentally friendly and biodegradable. They are softer than silicone, and extremely hygienic because they are moulded in one piece, so there are no joints or cracks where dirt and bacteria can accumulate.
As the name suggests, Natursutten means “natural soother” in Danish, where the company is located. And since they are made from natural rubber, you avoid allergy-causing substances, artificial colours, cancer-causing substances, hormone-disturbing substances, chemical softeners, parabens, BPA, PVC and phthalates. Hooray!
For anyone who has seen them before, you’ll recognize Natursutten’s unique colour and shape – which I think looks kind of cute and reminiscent of those old cartoon character drawings of babies … or perhaps even Maggie Simpson?
Natursutten soothers come in two styles (round and orthodontic); and three sizes (small 0-6m; medium 6-12m and large 12m+) and are available now at Itty Bitty Greenie. RRP $9.95.
