How do you feel about dummies?

[BeautifulMadness]

Sometimes u have to give in to get ur kid to sleep lol i never used one for my first but my second needs one.

[bon]

Dummies are fine, I like them! All of my 3 have been dummy kids, they were always so much easier to settle with a dummy. My 2 yo DD just gave away her very last one to 'dummy fairy', just as her older brother and sister did, and she has been fine without it. I thought I might be in for a battle and some sleepless nights, because out of the three she was the most attached to her dummies, but it didn't eventuate so that was good! Could have had something to do with the dummy fairy giving her a present in return for her dummies.

[SophieRose]

My step-daughter Paige who's three used dummies until she was about 2, her mother just took it away one day and said the puppy ate it. Paige apparently handled it really well. Cried for a little while but ultimatley accepted that the puppy had eaten the dummy and that it wasn't coming back.

I would be fine with using it as long as Bub is able to accept it when it's time to stop using the dummies.
It's definitely better than thumb sucking IMO. My little sister Lulu sucked her thumb constantly from birth until about the age of nine or so, and she's had to have massive dental work to fix the damage from that. Like getting two teeth pulled and braces for the last few years. She's 17 now and it completely screwed up her teeth development.

I don't like the idea of a dummy screwing up Bub's teeth. I guess all the horror stories got to me.

We've bought a couple for a just in case sort of thing.

[beau_9]

i agree with just keeping one on hand. thats the advice i got and it's come in handy a few times late at night when i'm exhausted. just curious though why are people so against them.? my sis was taking her 15mth old for a walk in the pram one day and a lady walking by yelled out to my sis, "i can't believe you still let him have a dummy". ha ha how rude.

[sydney moose]

DD came out of the wonb wanting to suck everything in her sight, including the humidi-crib she was put into for the first 30 minutes of her life! LOL My DH was sooooo anti-dummy, it wasn't even funny. We were both thumb suckers but in the end, one night, she just would not settle and DH wasn't home so I stuck a dummy in her mouth and ***HAAAAALLEILUIYA** she settled in 5 seconds! So I said to DH, look if YOU want to spend the next 3 hours settling her all the time, be my guest but I am using it. At 3 months, Sammy stopped taking it and is now an avid finger/thumb sucker.

I say, have one on hand, but let your bubba guide whether he wants one or not. You may not have a choice! ;-) As for the horror stories re dental work, I am pretty sure you haven't got to worry about that until the 2nd set of teeth comes through. One bonus of finger sucking over dummy...you never have to look for it or forget it, drop it, etc...this is also a downfall as you cannot take it away either I say keep your mind open and go with the flow

[Fleur]

I used dummies with DD & DS1...DS2 wouldn't take one but I sure hope this bub does.

Like Maz & Leasha's bubs, DS2 preferred me as the dummy...I don't want to do that again!

DD got one very early on because she was a thumb sucker, and I figured easier to get rid of a dummy than a thumb.

Interesting that both DD & DS1 had other 'security' items as well that they absolutely refused to sleep without and were much more attached to than the dummy...they went at about the same time. In DS2's case he was happy as long as he had a nipple nearby...

Both DD & DS1 gave them up with a bit of gentle encouragement at about two and a half - I know this will horrify some people but they were ready, it wasn't a drama, no tears or tantrums and 6 months later, it's such a non-issue, let alone years down the track!

I would like to see it gone earlier... we will see what happens this time.

And FWIW I understand that people think it's ugly or whatever, I tend to agree, but really it's such a little thing compared to all the other issues that parenting raises...just do what works for you

[Doing my best]

I think it is up to the child.. I know I wouldn't like it if someone said I couldn't have my pillow which I use for comfort, LOL...

We had different types when DD was a baby and she just wouldn't accept them.. Have since given them away, and have bought some more in case this baby wants one..

[briggsy's girl]

i was hoping to not need to use them - but i wasn't anti-dummy to the point of making me or my girl suffer! she is definitely a comfort sucker - and it was getting to the point where she was ending up overfull from sucking on me, and couldn't sleep without breast. so we introduced a dummy a couple of weeks ago - she only uses it for comfort to go to sleep if she doesn't go into a deep sleep while i'm feeding her. i can't see that putting her on the breast when she's just fed JUST to put her to sleep again is healthy for her so i give her a dummy. most of the time she spits it out when she's asleep properly and we find it in her bed when she wakes up a couple of hours later

[Olive]

DD1 was a huge thumb sucker and it was fantastic! she slept extremely well very early on, self settled etc..loved loved loved the thumb, we stopped her quiet easily by taping her thumb with sports tape for a few weeks, the first few days were hard but she got over it pretty quickly and hasnt looked back!
DD2 takes a dummy but is self weaning off it, she doesnt seem to need it as much any more, she prefers to talk herself to sleep.
i agree they certainly have there place, sucking creates more saliva which helps digest the milk which is why reflux babies like them!
never say never!

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

I found with DD (and other parents have told me) bubs don't like the orthodontic ones. I have no idea why but I keep hearing from other parents that their bubs, like mine, would only go for the cherry shaped. Personally I wouldn't bother paying lots of money for dummies, believe me they will get lost! We like to joke that they run off together and breed because we'll struggle to find any for weeks and all of a sudden we look under the bed and there's 10 of them LOL!

[bon]

We like to joke that they run off together and breed because we'll struggle to find any for weeks and all of a sudden we look under the bed and there's 10 of them LOL!

LOL our 2 yo DD was a classic for this. She would be down to one dummy after losing all the others, then she would disappear into one of the bedrooms and reappear with a new one!

I was finally prompted to get rid of them for good after she had once again lost them all and the dog chewed the last one. It was surprisingly easy - I told her that the dog had chewed her dummy so we have to throw it away, but to sweeten the deal the 'dummy fairy' left her a little present for being a big girl and saying goodbye to her dummies.

When my babies were newborn I would buy the more expensive ones, as they don't tend to lose them that easily when they are so small. But as they got older I would just buy the cheap 3 pack of tommee tippee cherry soothers. My kids didn't like the happy baby ones because they would always deflate.

[Malyna]

DS doesn't like dummies at all. I have tried putting something sweet on the end of it (I used maple syrup) and he sucked it off and spat the dummy out. He doesn't like bottles either. I've tried all the shapes etc, and he just doesn't like it.