When or should I introduce a pacifier?
Sucking is a natural response for babies. You will notice baby doing this shortly after birth or even sometimes during a prenatal ultrasound. Nursing your newborn or feeding them using a bottle with a nipple shaped like yours can help soothe baby. In between feeding times, if baby is still crying, check to make sure their diaper is clean and give them a snuggle. Pacifiers can be introduced when you have a good grasp on your baby's feeding cues and have figured out nursing or bottle feeding. Sometimes a baby that keeps crying is still hungry.
Pacifiers can soothe and calm a baby (and parents!) when it seems nothing else beyond a clean diaper, warm environment, milk, and motion can. They may be useful in the car, travelling, during a doctor's visit, or during an outing.
Pacifiers also reduce risks for SIDS and can be used in premature babies to help them learn to suck and swallow.
For first use, sterilize pacifiers in boiling water or microwave bag sterilizers. Clean with hot soapy water for future use. Make sure there are no cracks in the pacifier and replace them every 2 months. Do not tie them around your baby.
Many babies do well without the need for a pacifier by 6 months to 1 year as they can be distracted by other objects. Removing the pacifier then can decrease ear infections and later trauma to the teeth.