When your baby starts to fuss, your first instinct may be to pop his pacifier into his mouth. He was born with a strong sucking reflux, and the action of sucking on anything, from his fingers to his pacifier, soothes him. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics says that parents should feel free to offer pacifiers to their babies, many pediatric experts recommend weaning babies from them by about age 1 year to encourage speech development, to reduce long-term dependency and to lessen chances of future dental problems.
Step 1
Offer the pacifier less often. When you are trying to wean your baby off her pacifier, stop using it as a tool to soothe her typical bouts of fussiness. Instead of giving her the pacifier when she is upset at any time of the day, only give it to her prior to sleep time. Gradually reduce pacifier use during sleep by allowing it only during naps or only during nighttime sleep. Finally, stop pacifier use altogether.
Step 2
Make the pacifier less appealing in taste, texture or appearance. For example, dip it in a nonharmful substance that doesn't taste good to your baby, such as decaffeinated coffee or white vinegar. You can also poke a small hole in the tip of the pacifier to make the sucking sensation feel less gratifying. An older baby may reject a pacifier if you cut the tip of the nipple to make it look broken. Do not let your baby suck on a pacifier that has been cut into, as it poses a choking hazard.
Step 3
Encourage being pacifier-free. If your baby is old enough to understand the concept of a reward system, he may respond well to an "award" for giving up his pacifiers. Create a pacifier graduation ceremony by gathering up his "binkies" and putting them in a pile. Toss them into a bin as you hand over his reward, and offer him plenty of praise.
Step 4
Go cold turkey if all else fails. If your baby is old enough to understand a verbal explanation, prepare her for the change by warning her a few days in advance. On Monday, you might say, "Okay, today you get your pacifier, but in two days you will be a big girl and sleep without it." On Tuesday, impress the point even further by saying, "Tomorrow is when you will stop using pacifiers like a big girl!" When the day comes, simply remove all pacifiers from sight when your baby is sleeping. Don't cave in to her tears, or you will end up in a worse position than at the start of the pacifier-weaning period: She will think you don't mean what you say.
