Counting On star Jessa (Duggar) Seewald shared a photo of newborn daughter Ivy Jane using a pacifier Wednesday. Jessa tried to be clear about how often Ivy uses a pacifier in the caption before the mommy shamers came out looking for blood and that surprisingly worked. A vast majority of the comments were supportive of her.
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In the photo, Ivy is seen buckled up safely in her car seat, wearing a green striped blanket with a pacifier that has a stuffed animal attached to it.
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“I pretty much only give her a pacifier for car rides, so she’s not super good at taking it— but every time it goes in her mouth, she puts both little fists up on her cheeks like this,” Jessa wrote.
While Jessa has been criticized by mommy shamers in the past, in this case, the majority of the comments were positive. Some explained why they used pacifiers for their own children, while others said a mother should not have to justify what they do.
“We don’t need to justify anything we do as Mum’s. We are all just trying to get through the day. You are amazing,” one wrote.
“Pacifiers are good! I have 4 grown kids and my first 2 didn’t like them at all. The other 2 …..LOVED THEM !! Nothing wrong with a paci poo! [laughing out loud],” another wrote. “We all have the right to raise our children as we see fit.”
“It’s very important for babies to have one. It’s how they learn to self soothe,” another wrote. “Suckling is important for their brain development. Less anxiety and an overall better rounded person in the long run. I’ve never understood people who don’t use them.Why neglect your child? The very first stage of child abuse/neglect? Why not give them every opportunity to succeed?”
“Girl, you don’t have to justify anything you do!! You were born to be a mommy!!!!!!” another Instagram user wrote.
“Be careful with the ones with animals attached,” one fan warned. “The weight of it once she has any teeth will pull on her teeth forward.”
While the response to the pacifier photo was surprisingly supportive, Jessa had every reason to believe she would be pounced on for the post. Back in 2017, she was criticized for showing how messy her home was. Jessa explained she wanted to show the reality of living with two young children.
“Certainly people would find no fault with that… but many may find fault with themselves. I didn’t do that for a reason. Reality,” Jessa wrote at the time. “Sometimes you find yourself with an 8-month-old who isn’t sleeping through the night, and you don’t care that your bed has spit up on it–you’re tired. Throw a towel down on it and sleep!”
Jessa and husband Ben Seewald are also parents to sons Spurgeon Elliott and Henry Wilberforce. The couple welcomed Ivy Jane on May 26 and have not stopped posting cute photos of their new arrival.
