Weaning Pacifier

by Mary
(Hollywood, FL)

How do I wean my 4 month old from a sleep dependent pacifier? He wakes up every time he looses it and it is driving me crazy. I regret giving him the pacifier at all, but before that he jsut wanted me instead...

What can I do to wean him from the pacifier?

Find answers and comments below.

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Baby Help Line Response:

Weaning Baby From Pacifier

You have quite a common problem with a baby that wakes up for his/her pacifier. There are several ways you can teach your baby to sleep without a pacifier.

The first is to take the pacifier out right after the baby has fallen asleep. That way he won't be used to having the dummy in his mouth while asleep.

The second way is to simply take it away. The baby will learn, but it can be a rough ride! There is also the obvious risk that you will exchange the pacifier for rocking or something similar.

The third way is to gently teach your baby to fall asleep without the pacifier. It takes more patience, but usually works if a baby is older than 4 months or so.

For a detailed description of the gentle method to wean a baby from the pacifier, read this answer I recently gave to another mom.

I hope this will solve your situation, if not, come back and we'll see if there is anything more we can do to help your baby.

Paula

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