Use it or lose it? Advice from parents.

   Having a baby? Here's some advice on using pacifiers from the book "How to Survive your Baby's First Year." (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $14.95), straight from people who've done it:
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    "Don't use pacifiers. First off, a little crying never hurt a child. Second, pacifiers are not good for the gums and teeth."
    _Jeanne Eckman, Lancaster, Pa., mother of an 11-year-old daughter and 5-year-old twins
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    "You are not `plugging up the baby' by using a pacifier. The ones made today are shaped so that they don't cause dental problems."
    _Kathy Penton, Savannah, Ga., mother of a 23-year-old son
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    "We didn't want to use a pacifier, but it only took one week of crying for us to give in. From the minute we put it in, he was happy. I prefer the pacifier over the thumb _ we can always take the pacifier away."
    _Kristin Kelley, Annandale, Va., pregnant and mother to a 2-year-old son
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    "It was comical that a little piece of plastic and rubber controlled not only my daughter but me, too. One time, I took the kids sightseeing to an old military fort. When it was time to leave, the kids were tired and my daughter started crying. I tore that van apart but no pacifier! I couldn't face a 30-minute drive with her screaming the whole way, so I packed everyone up and drove straight to the store to buy two pacifiers_one to give her, and one to store in the van."
    _John D'eredita, Syracuse, N.Y., father of a 19-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter
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    "I offered a pacifier to each baby because I figured it would be an easier habit to break than a thumb. But guess what? That is really the baby's decision. All three of mine absolutely refused to use a pacifier."
    _Heide A.W. Kaminski, Tecumseh, Mich., mother to 2 daughters, 18 and 15, and a 6-year-old son
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    "My son was thoroughly addicted to his pacifier. To wean him off of it, we told him that when he turned three he would be too old for his pacifier, and because of this, it would break. The night before my son's third birthday my husband and I went around the house cutting off the tips of all the pacifiers. In the morning, my son ran up to me crying, "Mommy, Mommy! You were right! I'm three today and my pacifier is broken!" That was it. He never asked for it again."
    _Pamela Barth, Bakersfield, Calif., mother to three sons, 20, 3 and 9 months and a 17-year-old daughter
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    "The first night we took my son's pacifier away there was no argument or even crying. The next night we had 45 minutes of screaming and smashing the crib against the wall. The third night went without incident and he's been happily `binky'-free ever since."
    _Christine Beidel, Rutherford, N.J., mother to an 11-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son
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    Hundreds of Heads Books' survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life's biggest challenges and have insight to share. Visit www.hundredsofheads.com to share your advice or get more information.
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    (c) 2006, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.