Pacifier
Whether your baby uses a pacifier (dummy) and when to introduce it, for example from birth, after feeding is established, or only for sleep.
Should we give our baby a pacifier?
In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: From birth; Once breastfeeding is established; Sleep only; Never. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: around the birth.
- Evidence
- Evidence leans one way
- Best settled
- Around the birth
- Part of
- Pregnancy to first birthday
Pacifier: what are the options?
Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.
1. From birth
You offer a pacifier from the first days.
2. Once breastfeeding is established
You wait a few weeks, until feeding is going well.
3. Sleep only
The pacifier is used only for falling asleep.
4. Never
You do not use a pacifier.
Pacifier: what does the evidence say?
Evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational.
AAP: offer at sleep time to reduce SIDS risk; wait until breastfeeding is established
Sources
What else is worth knowing?
Sucking soothes babies, and a pacifier can help them settle. Some parents wait until breastfeeding is established before offering one. Later, you will need a plan for giving it up.
Questions to ask each other
- Do either of us feel strongly for or against, and why?
- When would we want to start, and when to stop?
- What would we try to soothe the baby without one?
More in Feeding the baby
First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.