Hi KD,
Glad to read that your daughters surgery is over and hopefully all will continue to go well for her!

I just wanted to mention something about pacifiers. All babies are born with a strong instinct to suck. They not only suck for nourishment, but also for comfort. Sucking on their hand was a part of their in utero life and it's natural for babies to want to continue that because it helps them deal with a constantly changing environment. It also helps them calm down and lets them sleep peacefully. Nook pacifiers are shaped very much like a mothers nipple and they do not cause any impairment in the natural growth of the childs mouth, teeth or jaw so long as they are not used past the age of 4 or 5. The time to start to wean a child from a pacifier or his thumb is when he has stopped breastfeeding and his main diet is solid food. At that same time, the child becomes so preoccupied with other things, that he no longer needs that suckling comfort that he did when he was a baby.

New moms tend to worry too much about the future what if's........... my friend who is a long time pediatric nurse practitioner always says to her new moms.......... if you think your baby will be weaned from this by the time they are 21, what are you worried about? In other words, it's ok, it's satisfying a natural healthy urge for your baby, it's not going to hurt them and it will not last forever.

All the best to you and your family!!
Bryanna