Initially, babies are awake only before or after feeds. In all likelihood you will only need the pacifier at these times. However, do not hesitate to use the pacifier freely in the first three months of the baby s life. The aim is that the baby be given every opportunity to suck so that she gets it out of her system by the time she is three months old. Removing a pacifier is not as easy as popping it in the baby s mouth.
Most babies protest vigorously.
The best time to remove the pacifier is when the baby is feeling drowsy or has just fallen asleep. Babies who become accustomed to falling asleep with a pacifier can ruin their parents sleep. This is because when the pacifier falls out, the distressed baby begins to wail lustily and will persist till you replace the pacifier. In normal circumstances, most babies decide on their own that the days of the pacifier are over. They usually indicate that they have outgrown the pacifier by spitting it out when it is offered to them.