The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing a pacifier when breastfeeding is well established, around 3-4 weeks of age. Offer it at nap and bedtime, as it's thought to help prevents SIDS. Don't force it if your baby doesn't like it.
In the first couple weeks, if your baby is fussy and acts like she wants to suckle, milk should come out of whatever she's suckling on. This suckling brings your milk supply in, and promotes weight gain.
In the early days, some babies are so chill that they'd be prefectly content suckling a binky instead of crying from hunger. Once your baby is gaining, the milk supply is getting established, and you feel like you can trust your baby to spit the binky out if they're truly hungry, you can offer a pacifier. Some babies need to suckle in order to settle down.
In the first few days, you can offer a binky during times that you can't put your baby to breast, like when you're in the shower or driving. Breastfeed as soon as you can.
Use a pacifier with a wide base, to keep your baby’s mouth open wide on the pacifier, as it should be on the breast.
Weaning from the pacifier
- Long term pacifier use may increase the risk of ear infections, may affect mouth shape and teeth eruption, and may limit social interaction as your baby is less likely to talk and interact with a pacifier in her mouth.
- The risk of SIDS dramatically drops after 9 months and many babies can sleep through the night without nursing.
- Babies come to depend on the pacifier to soothe themselves back to sleep during a normal night sleep-arousal cycle. If she can’t replace it when it falls out of her mouth, she will cry for you to help her.
- These meetings in the night will exacerbate the typical separation anxiety at this age, giving her another reason to cry during the night as you leave her.
- This is a great time to take care of two issues at once. Your baby can learn to fall asleep without the pacifier AND without the presence of a parent.
- You will likely sacrifice a couple nights of sleep to accomplish this, but if independent sleeping is your goal, everyone will sleep more in the long run.
- Remember to offer another transition object during this process and remain consistent and persistent.
5/23