How do you feel about dummies?

[Floweryfields]

Personally hate them, but I don't have children yet! I think it all depends on what age you get rid of them at. I have a theory that dummy suckers are more likely to get ear infections (just from my observations), speech difficulties (where allowed past one) and a variety of other things. Plus I've seen many parents who just can't get rid of them - toddlers with dummies in all day long are a real pet hate with me - especially when the child tries to talk with the dummy shoved in.

[SophieRose]

Ok, so i'm willing to try them, with boundaries. Now the question is, at what age should i take it off him??

[Lady-bug]

I prefer a dummy to sucking thumbs. You can get rid of dummies, but you can't cut a childs thumb off!

[~Kaz~]

I think you need to be guided by your baby tbh as to when you take it off them (assuming they will take it in the first place). Your baby may also decide for themselves that at X months/years they no longer want or need it.

We use one with DS but he came out and put his fingers in his mouth straight away. He is also a bit chucky and seems to need to suck for a few mins after most feeds (but without feeding iykwim?). He also uses it to go to sleep and I have used it to calm him down when he is distressed.

We have been advised that the cheaper dummy styles are the 'best' in terms of shape. Apparently the orthodontic ones aren't great and can cause more problems with bfing etc. Not sure how true that is, just what we have been told by midwives and also a dental technician at mothers group said the same thing.

Good luck with the whole dummy thing. It is a good idea to have a couple on hand but I think it's like the rest of having a baby and entering parenthood - it's one big rollercoaster ride and you can't predict now what will or won't work for your bub.

[SamiH]

Personally hate them, but I don't have children yet! I think it all depends on what age you get rid of them at. I have a theory that dummy suckers are more likely to get ear infections (just from my observations), speech difficulties (where allowed past one) and a variety of other things. Plus I've seen many parents who just can't get rid of them - toddlers with dummies in all day long are a real pet hate with me - especially when the child tries to talk with the dummy shoved in.

Hun, in the wee hours of the morning when your 4 week old bubba has a pain and wont stop crying - you will try anything to help them get some relief.

I don't agree with your theory whatsoever, and have had 3 kids. If it is based on a medical observation (I dont know your background) - I must be one of the lucky ones.

SophieRose - you try and reduce or take it off him when you think he is ready and able to cope or find comfort in other ways, or perhaps doesnt even want it!! - you can help him cuddle teddies instead, or have a special blankie etc - that bit is entirely up to you and your child.

Currently my #3 will take a dummy to go to bed, but if he wakes for a feed early hours, absolutely refuses it to go back to bed and self settled - weird hey!

[sydney moose]

my friends mum told me that when her youngest turned one, she took the dummy away and when the child asked for the dummy and she kept giving her a stuffed bunny and said "bunny" instead...funnily enough it worked after a few attempts! thought that was awesome.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I think that it doesn't matter what my opinion is on dummies, it's going to be what works for you and your child that ultimately you're bothered about.

I've used a dummy, though DS doesn't really like them past the initial "I need to suck something" bit. He likes his bunny more: he chews on bunny ears.

I think dummies are quite ugly and HATE seeing them. Still do. But I still used them because DS needed one on occasion. I'm not about to have DS screaming that his tummy hurts and he needs to suck and NOT use a dummy.

[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!

[Daffodil Mumma]

When I was pregnant I didnt want to do the whole dummy thing....but I bought a two-pack anyway just incase. I was big on buying a heap of "just in case" stuff (even had formula and bottles in the cupboard just in case lol) DS loved his dummy and settled really well with it for afew weeks...then he had his first head cold and constantly spat it out (I guess it bothered his breathing). Now he will take it sometimes but most often he will prefer his thumb or fist!

Could be worse tho....he could be a toe sucker like I apparently was lol

[Nadine216]

Best thing since the toaster

[SophieRose]

I guess it all just boils down to what Bub decides he wants huh.
I should be ok with him using one to get to sleep, but i don't like the idea of using one everytime he makes any kind of noise. Like a kind of plug the noise asap sort of thing.

I hope he doesn't suck his thumb, as i said earlier, thumbsucking really screwed up my sisters teeth. Plus as you guys have said, i can actually take away a dummy, can't take a thumb. (that would be a little psycho :S)

I told Dp if i catch him plugging a dummy into Bub's mouth everytime he makes a noise, there will be huge trouble.
I think my problem is with dummies is that people who use it when it's not needed (after any kind of noise is made, be it a cry or a gurgle) i just see that as being lazy (don't mean to offend anyone, sorry if i have, just my personal opinion) I would rather take the time to settle him than to just "plug" up the problem. I guess thats just me. Plus i would so much rather see the little baby lip pout than have a bit of plastic covering it. Hehe.

But i have to say, you ladies have at least gotten me ok with using dummies. Dp will be ecstatic. Haha

[paradise lost]

In order to facilitate maximum ease in learning to BF we didn't give DD a dummy for 5 weeks. Instead she sucked either at the breast or on a clean pinky finger (meaning XP could have a turn too). That worked (we still talk about our "magic finger" days. I had oversupply for a few weeks, and giving her a finger to suck meant she wasn't sicking up all the unwanted milk from comfort-sucking (i have read that on average an african mother offers her baby the breast 4 times an hour, which would possibly explain why so few find they don't have enough milk and so many find it's a good contraceptive!). I think i was too fixated on "good feed/long sleep/good feed/long sleep" with DD and i really might try letting the next one snack constantly and see how i go.

Anyway back on topic... At 5 weeks, in preparation for introducing a bottle of EBM at 6 weeks (i wanted to be able to start running and needed a longer gap than 2 hours, and had a friend who had delayed introducing a bottle to 4 months and NEVER got her son to take one, so we had a proactive plan) we gave DD a dummy. It took her a few days to learn to suck it (very different to breast, which she was great at) without spitting it out by accident but she caught on eventually. It was no better than the finger TBH because if she spat it out i had to go put it back in and it was actually more peaceful to just lie with her than go back and forth. At 6 weeks we introduced the bottle and she took it fine. At 8 weeks she began attempting to suck her thumb. She got the hang of it very quickly and by 9 weeks she no longer wanted the dummy. She would either shake her head to avoid it or spit it straight out.

She still sucks her thumb, she's 38months. I still suck mine, i'm 29 this year. I have never had braces or any other orthodontic treatment and my teeth are beautifully straight and i have very few fillings compared to many others my age. One dentist told me she'd never seen such straight teeth that hadn't been braced and another told me he feels the production of saliva from thumb-sucking can actually protect the teeth from acids in the same way that chewing sugar-free gum can. He also said he finds breastfed babies who thumb-suck often have fewer deformity problems because they tend to put the thumb further back in their mouth, akin to where the nipple is placed, which is more likely to cause mild overbite than buck teeth, whereas because bottle teats open the mouth more and stop mid-tongue those children tend to suck their thumb in the same way, in the front of their mouth, which causes more problems. Ultimately there are many factors in the need for orthodontic treatment, and many children need braces when they haven't sucked anything beyond 12 months. It's luck of the draw to a degree.

Needless to say i am not about to attempt to stop DD thumb-sucking!

Bx

[SophieRose]

I'm hoping breastfeeding will work for us. But i'm hoping me might be able to do both on the breast and EBM bottle feeds during the night.
Dp works from 4pm till 2:30am, so i'd go to bed around midnight (hopefully) and then Dp can use EBM for the night feeds so that i can get a nights sleep. Then when he goes to bed around 7:30am, i'll get up and take care of the day feeds.

So introducing a dummy at 3-4 weeks might be a good bet to aid that by the sounds of it.
I guess we'll just have to see.

[~clover~]

Jaz - had the dummy, but had enough at 6 months.
Bri - had colic, so needed it, but refused. I resorted to glycerine & she still only sucked that off & went back to screaming.
Jesse - Had it for sleep til about 4 months & turned into another nipple baby, lol.

BTW, DD1 preferred the exxy ones, had to be the right shape (flat on the bottom) DS refused anything but the cheap yellow coloured ones. Wouldn't take clear ones the same shape!

[SamiH]

I'm hoping breastfeeding will work for us. But i'm hoping me might be able to do both on the breast and EBM bottle feeds during the night.
Dp works from 4pm till 2:30am, so i'd go to bed around midnight (hopefully) and then Dp can use EBM for the night feeds so that i can get a nights sleep. Then when he goes to bed around 7:30am, i'll get up and take care of the day feeds.
.

Just quickly - in the early days be careful with giving EBM overnight - you will still need to express during that time to establish your supply - otherwise your body will not be sure how much to make to feed your baby at the beginning and you might find yourself with sore boobies regularly from engorgement which can be a risk for mastitis.

How exciting for you, good luck on the new chapter in your lives and relationship