BellaOnline Forums Family Early Childhood Taking baby off of pacifier. Need Advice

My son just turned 1 y/o and I need to take him off the pacifier. I'm 3 months pregnant and I don't want the new baby and him to both be on the pacifier b/c I think I'll have a harder time taking him off. Or worse if I do try he'll just take the baby's. I thought about doing it cold turkey, he is just so dependent on it.

With our first child, he brought them to school (he was older than 1) and gave them to the babies. We had arranged it with the school ahead of time and there was a present in exchange for the pacifiers from the babies.

Our second child, the exchange did not work as well. So, we cut off the tips of the pacifiers and he did not enjoy them as much anymore (though a lot more than I thought he would).

Our third child, they just disappeared one by one and we kept saying when they're gone, they're gone. He actually did really well with that.

Our fourth child never had a pacifier except to steal her brothers and chew on it. I find the faster you do it, the easier. I think the younger, the better. And, I think if you prepare yourself for a few nights/days to a week of 'difficulty' but ride it out, you'll be happy you did.

With our last child, I do things (take away bottle, stop night feeding, etc) 'abruptly' and she has accepted all of the transitions with ease.

Good Luck - it's not fun.

Why do you feel the need to have him off the pacifier? I'm just curious because I am one who let mine use them until they basically got rid of them on their own.

If you feel you must get him off it, at his age, cold turkey probably would work, but I really liked the way The Nanny did it on TV with a Two year old. She told him that other babies needed some passys and they mailed them away, and he got a return gift in the mail for doing it. It was really neat.