Pacifiers work because sucking calms babies. However, you may want to consider some of the downsides to pacifiers. If the baby gets used to having a pacifier, they may not learn how to ‘self-soothe’. Who will be picking that soother off the floor in the middle of the night to return it to baby’s mouth? (Incidentally, this is how I convinced my husband that we wouldn’t be using a soother).

There is the matter of ‘nipple confusion’ where baby gets confused with nipples, bottles and soothers. Also, like anyone else, babies communicate by mouth. They are trying to tell you something when they cry – perhaps they have a soiled diaper or they are hungry – so try to solve that problem before reaching for a pacifier. As well, whether you are breast or bottle-feeding, baby may get sufficient satisfaction from sucking on a pacifier and refuse food at feeding times. Finally, pacifiers may be a difficult habit to break. In all, having baby learn to comfort itself may be the best for everyone.