My oldest fell in love with her binky around 2 months old. The binky fairy took it when she turned 3 years old. After 1 year, she only had it at night. She was a good sleeper, I wasn't messing with it.

My youngest never wanted it and never used it. She doesn't suck her thumb or anything either. She did put a lot more toys in her mouth than my oldest.

I say do whatever soothes your child. You need your sanity and their happiness. Of course they aren't babies long so do what works for you.

I don't have much of an opinion on them either way. My older son didn't do a pacifier or his thumb and he's never really been one to put things in his mouth. My younger son, however, wanted to suck on things all the time. I tried a pacifier with him (could only get him to take one kind) when he was a newborn and it would hold him off from wanting to nurse for about 20 minutes but he didn't have any interest beyond that and he only took it for maybe a month or two. He eventually became a thumb sucker. That habit was broken rather abruptly (and painfully for all involved) at 22 months when he broke his arm this summer. Now he has his hands in his mouth all the time. I'm kind of learning to just go with the flow on this one. Pacifier or thumb doesn't matter. If it brings them comfort, fine. Both habits would have to be broken eventually anyway. Just my two cents.

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Stephanie
Mom to: C (8/03), I (9/05), & L (11/08)

I thought it was a good idea from the beginning, I just didn't want her to be addicted to the thing.
I only give it to her when she is fussy. Too many parents push the pacifier in the beginning because it's cute or they think they need one.
Lena slept just fine when she was a newborn with out it and so we try not to encourage it during the day so she doesn't think that she NEEDS it.
We don't even give it to her in the car. We put it in the car seat incase we really need it while we're away. I just stick it where I can reach it without a problem.
She'll be done with it by age one if I have anything to say about it. She is almost ten months old and our plan is to wait just a few more min. each time she thinks she needs it to give it to her and just keep it away from her when she is happy so she can't put it in by her self. Eventually she won't expect it anymore.

I plan to use one with all my babies if they'll take one.

A friend of mine has a son two months younger than Lena and he has never had a binky. He is just as happy and doesn't suck his thumbs either. It just depends on your baby.

Also, about the germs. Yes, you would think that thumbs will touch more and have more germs but every mom that has used a pacifier knows that there will come a time when the binky hits the ground in the parking lot or somewhere were you can't wash it and your baby is having a fit. Maybe you have a back up and maybe you don't.
AND if your baby is around other babies or will be... sometimes you find a child sampling everyones binky. Yuck.

I say hold off as long as you can when they are newborns and if you then find that they need one, great, but only for bed time or soothing needs.

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Danielle