Opinions on dummies please

[Traveller]

MadB it was one of the first things we learnt in our mid class. The topic was how research can contraindicate commonly held beliefs. Have a look at

Pacifier use versus no pacifier use in breastfeeding term infants for increasing duration of breastfeeding.
Jaafar SH Jahanfar S Angolkar M Ho JJ
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Mar 01, 2011, No. 3

[Beach Mama]

Although the discomfort of comfort feeding is there now, I would be finding other ways to feed and try different positions as well as cuddles, etc. while bub is so young rather than a dummy if you don't need to use one. Neither of my kids used a dummy early on (DD started having one after she turned 1 - don't ask!) and DS didn't ever have one at all. I preferred to just feed as needed and even though bub might be comfort sucking, they are still feeding as well ITMS - it's not just sucking for comfort they are filling their tummy too? That is JMO though and if you feel you do need to introduce one I would be waiting a few mths and make sure feeding is well established. xoxoxo

[Ryatha]

I tried a dummy last night and all he did was pull a face, spit it out and cry for the real thing. So in the end it increased his appetite

[onthefly]

Thanks Trav, interesting. If mothers are motivated to breastfeed (whatever that may mean precisely) then it doesn't seem to affect duration of breastfeeding up to 3-4 months (which is as far as the study went). I think it's worth noting that that larger study they are drawing on here recruited mothers at the 2-week mark.

Implications for practice
In motivated mothers, there is moderate evidence that pacifier use
in healthy term breastfeeding infants before and after lactation is
established does not reduce the duration of breastfeeding up to four
months of age. However, there is insufficient information on the
potential harms of pacifiers on infants and mothers. In the light of
the current review we recommend that until further information
becomes available on the effects of pacifiers on the infant, mothers
who are well motivated to breastfeed be enabled to make a decision
on the use of a pacifier based on personal preference.
Implications for research
Further research is recommended to address the effect of paci-
fier use on duration of breastfeeding that include less motivated
women. We also recommend well-designed RCTs to assess the rate
breastfeeding difficulties faced by mothers associated with pacifier
use and the long-term effect of pacifier use on mother and infant
health.

Ryatha, I strongly suggest you get it treated regardless. A lot of babies with (even minor) tongue tie end up exhibiting symptoms of reflux and get treated for that, when it's actually the TT. Not worth even a small amount of pain really.
NEither of mine were ever keen on dummies either

[AngelPants]

we gave DS a dummy at 5 days when he wanted to be attached 24/7 and my nipples were bleeding and he was screaming. it never interfered with his feeding, he knew when he wanted boob!! he would only have the "orthodontic" ones that were round on top, flat on the botom, and only one brand. hes just getting over his dummy now tho after a stage of wanting it all the time, hes started handing it to me when he wakes up.

[Lolpigs]

I only just started using a dummy with DD at about 5 weeks, when she wanted to be attached 24/7. She is fussy with hers, either she will take it or not, if is suits her. She had bad Colic so during the day sleeps she uses it to get off to sleep and spits it when shes asleep.

At night after a feed she will go to sleep without it. If she dosent want it she will just spit it right back at ya

If it gives her comfort, I'm happy to do so, TBH I dont really like the thing but it means sometimes the difference between sleep and not, as none of the rocking, patting shhing in the world will get my DD to sleep

[*TripleJ*]

with DS he had it about day 3 when MIL thought i needed it and i did but i ended up giving up the day after nothing to do with the dummy and he had it till 2 and 3 months i think he threw it in the bin
DD had hers from day 2 wasnt risking the pain i had with DS did other things too she took it a bit but never got attached