Is using a dummy a bad habit to start?

Just wondering if anyone used a dummy to settle their bubs & whether it caused issues later on.

DD1 would never take a dummy so even in our desperate sleepless nights it just wasn't an option to help settle her.

But we tried one with DD2 (now 2 weeks old) and she's happy with it & it puts her to sleep. She let's it drop after a few minutes & stays asleep, so it works for me.

But I'm a bit reluctant to encourage it if it's going to cause bad sleep habits as she gets older... Anyone know if it's likely???

And just FYI, BFing has been established without any issues so I don't think I need to worry about nipple confusion or milk supply. I just want to use the dummy to get her to sleep without putting her on the breast when she's not actually hungry.

We haven't gotten rid of the dummy yet, but for the moment it hasn't caused any problems. My pet hate (one of many..lol) is seeing toddlers wandering around with a dummy in their mouth, so I've made sure DD knows she only has her dummy when it is sleep time, and she quite happily chucks it back in her cot when I get her up.

DD has had a dummy - she will only ask for it if she is very tired or distressed from being hurt. as soon as she is calm, she spits it out. when she wakes in the morning, she sits up and won't get out of the cot until she can find her dummy and hand it to us. if she has lost it out of the cot overnight, she shows us where it is on the floor, asks for it back, then hands it to us like the other mornings "there it is!"

she can go to sleep without it, but she settles more quickly with it. she spits it within minutes of settling.

DD had one at 5 months, as she was teething and comfort sucking, but drinking so much she would spew!
So Binky helps things :)

we've used one from about 4 weeks or so ... DS just loves sucking, and would nom on my finger for litterally an hour of more, until my cuticle was half way to my elbow, and I decided that enough was enough, and if he needed to suck, he could have a dummy ...

now, he has it on and off during the day, and normally (but not always) when he goes to sleep.

but we watch him during the day, and if he's clearly happy we take it out, so that he's used to being without it IYKWIM

and we're trying to phase him out of it now ... would love to be dummy-free by 6 months, but aren't going to get our knickers in a twist about it, if he has it longer ... 12 months, 18 months, not sure what our "cut off" would be, it will depend on DS and what he wants it for and why, I guess.

But I see it as an appropriate tool at the moment, while he likes to suck but isn't hungry and is too little to understand that there are other options :D

We never used one, My pet hate is toddlers with dummies or kids so we didn't want to start!

DD had a dummy from about a weeks age. It was no issue here what so ever. She had it when she slept and only when she slept. We got rid of it all together at about 21 months with no hassle at all.

We both absolutely hated dummies and were adamant we wouldn't be using one.. until we got a refluxy baby and it was an absolute lifesaver! Totally changed my opinion of them :lol:.
DS is 3 and still has his for night time only - although we are in discussions about the 'dummy fairy' coming soon! We have always been pretty strict on when he has it, only for bed or if sick etc. I think as long as you set the 'rules' with it, such as if you'd like to get rid of it at a certain age, and not being a toddler that can't be understood due to having a dummy in it's mouth etc, then its fine. Especially if it's allowing you to get some sleep!

2 of mine have had a dummy. DD1 til 6 months & DS til 4 months. DD2 was a reflux & colic nightmare & refused it from day one.
DD3 has started showing signs of reflux, so I've just started her on one. Tonight is the first time she's gone to sleep with it, coz the second I took my boob out of her mouth she was awake & screaming. So far I've put her down & she's been there about 20 minutes... shhh.......

Dummy settles DS when it is sleep time but he doesn't have it at any other time and usually spits it out once he drops off to sleep. It's been a lifesaver the past three days as he's just cut his first two teeth and wants to comfort suck after his early morning bf. I can do a quick swap and he'll go straight back to sleep, spitting out the dummy a few minutes later. I can count on one hand the number of time's he's cried in the night for his dummy so I wouldn't worry too much about it coming back to bite you on the you-know-what! I'd die of embarrassment if DS was one of 'those' toddlers, lol!

Thanks everyone. DD1 was refuxy. I wonder if that's why she didn't take one?? She just wanted a boob all the time.
Today was my first day home on my own with both kids (DH just went back to work after 2 weeks parental leave) and the dummy has helped so much. If bub stirs, I just run in, put the dummy in her mouth and she goes back to sleep! I never knew resettling a baby could be do easy after DD1 being so difficult!
But I will def try to keep it to bedtime only.
Thanks for all your advice :)

My 2 older kids had them & ditched them around their second birthdays. DS2 refused to take one, and Pie has one but I try to keep it just for sleep. I have noticed as she gets older though she's more prone to picking it up & sticking it inher gob without thinking about it, if I see her do it I will take it out (if she lets me, lol)... having said that, it's never really been an issue here, they all drop it eventually and they can be an absolute lifesaver!

I would say yes.. As I believe in self settling. my son doesnt b-feed to sleep but settles very well. I think if they dont have it they dont know what they are missing out on.

Good luck