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Babies naturally want to suck, it's a comfort/security and bonding thing. I was against soothers until I realised that my daughter wanted to continually feed. I noticed however, that she was not looking for a feed, that was how she wanted to sleep and I couldn't walk around with her 'attached' to me 24/7. A soother was my only option at sleep times and worked wonders.
The soother was used for the first year mainly.. beyond that a soother was not necessary during her days when she was awake. I watched for signs as she grew older, when I noticed she was not as reliant on the soother, removal was encouraged.
One other thing I did notice, if the soother was not handy the thumb would take it's place. My brother was a thumbsucker his whole life (to 19 years). I think breaking the habit of a soother is easier than breaking the thumb-sucking habit...
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To those who wander but who are not lost...
~ Knowledge is not something you acquire, it is something you open yourself to.
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