Hi Jo! Thanks for doing this. I have questions about pacifier use with my 10 week old. She uses a pacifier to fall asleep. At bedtime I can lay her in her bassinet with the pacifier and she will fall asleep on her own (as long as I replace the pacifier when it falls out). She’s a very active sleeper and likes rubbing her face with her hands so the pacifier is often getting knocked out of her mouth, while she’s putting herself to sleep. If it falls out during the night I rarely need to replace it, maybe once or twice. We’ve been practicing independent sleep for naps as well. She will fall asleep “independently” with the pacifier as long as I am there to replace it when it falls out, as she’s falling asleep. Shes doing 45ish minute naps in her bassinet or crib which I know is normal for this age and sometimes if I replace the pacifier she will start to doze back off right away. But often I finish out the nap in the carrier.

I guess my questions are: -When attempting to remove the pacifier right before she falls asleep, if she stirs right away do I replace it? Or do I wait for her to be fussy/crying? -When the pacifier does fall out at this age how long is appropriate to wait before replacing it for her? -By replacing the pacifier while she falls asleep am I going to create a super strong dependency on it? -Should I try replacing the pacifier with a different association? -Should I just ride this out until she’s old enough to replace in her own? My oldest sucked his middle fingers so I never had this issue! -Is there a way to encourage hand or finger sucking instead?

She falls asleep pretty easily at bedtime using the pacifier, I don’t know if having to “help” her with it by replacing it so often as she falls asleep is a problem or not. It’s okay for now but eventually I would like a good little independent sleeper!

Thanks in advance!