Newborns and Pacifiers

Many years ago, when I was still training as a pediatric resident, nearly every newborn in the nursery had his own pacifier in the bassinet. Fast-forward to almost 13 years now, there is so much mixed information about whether pacifiers should be used or not that it is easy to see why many parents feel torn about this.

Babies love to self-soothe by sucking

Babies are born, in fact, with a natural, primitive reflex to root and suck. They have an innate desire to self-soothe by sucking, either on their mom’s breast, their own hands, or something else, like a pacifier. Some fear that if you offer the pacifier too soon, babies would develop “nipple confusion,” which means essentially babies lose desire for the breast in favor of the pacifier.  

Should you use a pacifier in the first two weeks with your newborn?

The first two weeks of life for a newborn is a critical time period when babies and moms work together to learn to do skin-to-skin, establish a healthy latch for breastfeeding, and learn how to suck effectively to feed.

We recommend refraining from using a pacifier extensively during this time if your goal is to successfully breastfeed.

There are always occasions when the baby does not want to latch but simply wants to suck for comfort. Those are the times when using a pacifier has its place and purpose-to soothe, as long as it is not offered in excess over the breast for feeding.

When to introduce a pacifier:

After the first 2-4 weeks, once the baby and mom have established a good breastfeeding routine and latching, it is generally not harmful to keep the pacifier around as needed for soothing.

Infants between 4-6 months experience teething pain, which can be greatly alleviated by using a pacifier. We recommend weaning your baby off the pacifier once they get closer to one year of age, a time when many infants develop their primary tenths. This will help ensure healthy dental development and prevent the misalignment of new teeth that form.

If you are unsure about the use of pacifiers and whether it is suitable for your baby, bring this up with your pediatrician. We advise each family based on their individual situation, from breastfeeding to the baby’s need for soothing. So while for some pacifiers are avoided, for others there may be a place for them for your newborn baby.