Babies are born with the instinct to suck, so they can normally start using a pacifier right after birth. In fact, pacifiers are usually given to premature babies to help them develop the reflexes to suck and swallow. That said, you might want to wait for 2 to 4 weeks if you’re breastfeeding so your baby can adapt to feeding himself. But if you’re bottle-feeding your newborn, there’s no need to wait.