Cleft Binkies
Although babies with a cleft lip and/or palate have a hard time creating suction, they are still just like any other baby in that they are often soothed by the act of sucking. This can be a problem with binkies because with no suction, they just fall out of their mouths constantly and holding them in is just not practical. Luckily, to the relief of many new cleft moms, there are some binkies that have proven to work well for our cleft babies. While every baby is different, and some may find luck with different binkies, these are the two binkies that get the most rave reviews from other cleft moms.
MAM 6+
MAM 6+ month
This is a pretty standard binky, but the size and shape of the nipple is larger and works well for some cleft babies to help them keep it in their mouths. They can be bought at pretty much any regular store like Wal-Mart and Babies R Us.
Wubbanub
The Wubbanub
This is a soothie with a little stuffed animal attached to it. This one comes with a ton of different stuffed animal options and works well because the animal gives a little extra weight and helps it to stay in place. The animal can also be zipped up into sweatshirts or sleepsacks to help keep them in place. These are not as easy to find but are becoming more common in stores like Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. They can also be bought on Amazon.
As an alternative to binkies altogether, some moms have found that just using the nipple of their bottles works well for soothing too!