There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to introducing a pacifier to your baby. Typically, parents will introduce a pacifier into their baby’s routine within a few days or weeks of their birth.

If you’re breastfeeding your baby, experts recommend waiting up to four weeks to introduce a dummy. This gives you and your baby time to get used to the breastfeeding process, which can help prevent the likelihood of nipple confusion. 

Nipple confusion is when a baby has trouble switching between breastfeeding and using a pacifier (or baby drink bottle) due to the difference in mechanics between the two. As a result, the baby can become confused and frustrated, and this can impact their ability to breastfeed properly.

If you’re not breastfeeding and are using formula instead, you can typically introduce your baby to a pacifier within a few days of their birth without issue.

Yes, pacifiers are generally safe for newborns to use. Make sure to opt for a one-piece baby dummy (that can’t be separated into smaller parts) that’s of the appropriate size for newborns to avoid any choking hazards.

When your newborn is sleeping with a pacifier, make sure it’s not attached to a string or clip - these could otherwise present another potential choking hazard for your little one.

As long as you use a one-piece baby pacifier for newborns, you shouldn’t encounter any issues.

Many of the benefits pacifiers offer come down to how they cater to a baby’s natural sucking reflex, which they develop while still in the womb.

For babies, sucking on a pacifier can help ease anxiety and allows them to self-soothe. It leads to benefits during their sleep and waking hours. The soothing effects of a pacifier can help them ease into sleep more easily and fall back asleep with greater ease when they wake up.

There have also been several medical studies that have shown that giving your baby a pacifier while they sleep may reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

They can also help babies better manage anxiety and fear in specific settings, such as:

• When they’re getting check-ups or vaccinations from a doctor
• When they’re being bathed
• When they’re sick
• During flights and prolonged travel

It’s best to clean your baby’s pacifier regularly, especially when they’re very young. Newborn babies’ immune systems are still developing, so it’s important to ensure bacteria or pathogens don’t have room to grow.

Thankfully, cleaning a pacifier is very simple. All you need to do is immerse the pacifier in boiling water for several minutes, then remove it and let it air dry.

Guidance can differ on when to wean your baby off a pacifier, with suggestions ranging anywhere from 6 months of age up to 4 years. However, be aware that allowing your child to use a pacifier until 4 years of age is generally not recommended.

One common suggestion is that at the point your baby starts using the pacifier more as a chewing toy or teether, you should wean them off using it. That’s because prolonged use of a pacifier during teething could impact your baby’s dental alignment and speech development.

When it’s time to wean them off, some possible approaches include:

• Take the pacifier away cold turkey, though we strongly recommend avoiding this approach unless absolutely necessary (e.g. your baby’s doctor has stated you need to stop use immediately for health reasons). If you do take this approach, be ready for regular tantrums.
• Slowly limit the settings and times at which your baby uses the pacifier - this is the steady approach that allows them to progressively adapt to life without the pacifier. 
• You allow your baby to continue using the pacifier, but only in one place, such as in their crib when they sleep. Then, once they’re used to this limited use, you start to introduce them to sleeping without it.
• Offer your baby or toddler a new means of self-soothing that could be more age-appropriate for them. So, limit their pacifier use but give them a blanket or comfort toy.