Difrax Natural Soother

The Difrax Natural Soother is a dummy — also called a pacifier or soother — made to meet your baby's natural need for non-nutritive sucking, the comfort sucking little ones do for calm and reassurance rather than for milk. It pairs a soft silicone teat with a distinctive butterfly-shaped shield, and the range comes in sizes to suit babies from birth through to around 20 months, so you can stay with a familiar shape as your baby grows.

The teat has a round, convex shape, which suits babies who tend to turn their dummy around in their mouth — there's no single right way up to worry about. It's a design that most babies find easy to accept, which can make those first tries a little less fiddly when you're settling an unsettled baby.

A shield shaped to sit against baby's face

The butterfly-shaped shield is the feature that sets this soother apart, and it's built around comfort and airflow rather than looks alone.

• Nose recess: The shield is contoured with room around the nose, so your baby can breathe freely through the nose while the dummy is in place.
• Ventilation holes: Two airy holes on each side keep air moving over the skin, which helps reduce the risk of irritation where the shield rests against the face.
• Snug fit: The butterfly shape is designed to sit comfortably against the contours of baby's face rather than pressing flat against it.

Sizes for every stage

The Natural Soother is offered across stages so the teat and shield stay in proportion as your baby develops. The 0–6 month version is tailored for newborns and younger infants, while the 6–12 month version is crafted as a single piece — shell, button and teat all in one soft silicone design for easy cleaning and durability. An extra-soft silicone shield and lightweight build make the older-baby version easy for little hands to manage. Sizes are marked by stage, so smaller is not automatically the right pick — choose the size that matches your baby's age band.

Materials and everyday care

The shield is made from 100% BPA-free polypropylene and the teat from soft, BPA-free silicone, which is clear, shape-stable and holds up to regular use. Cleaning is straightforward: rinse with water after each use, and follow the sterilising method suited to your baby's stage. Difrax advises replacing the soother every six weeks, and doing a quick daily check by pulling firmly on the teat to make sure it's still intact — if you notice any cracks, tears, stickiness or thinning, swap it out straight away.

Best For

The Difrax Natural Soother is a good option for parents who:

• Want a soother with a round, symmetrical-feeling teat that doesn't need to be oriented a particular way
• Like the idea of a shaped shield with a nose recess and ventilation to help keep skin comfortable
• Prefer to stay with one familiar dummy design across stages, from newborn up to around 20 months

It may not be the right fit if you:

• Have a baby who consistently refuses a dummy — acceptance is always individual, and some babies simply prefer their fingers or none at all

A few things worth keeping in mind

A dummy is there to comfort, not to delay a feed — always check for hunger cues such as rooting, mouth opening or hands to the mouth first. If you're breastfeeding, many parents wait until feeding is well established before introducing one routinely. At sleep time, keep clips, cords, toys and attachments out of the cot and follow safe-sleep guidance; a dummy is offered on its own. Colour options vary across the range, so the exact shade supplied may differ from the one pictured — pop any preference in your order notes and we'll do our best to accommodate it.