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Been trying to introduce a dummy to dd because at the end of a feed she keeps going and makes herself vomit.
She doesn't like the idea, gags on it and spits it out.
However, she is starting to suck on her fist occasionally.
Do I let her suck on the fist, with the potential she'll be a thumb sucker, or try to introduce a dummy again.
Any help how to introduce??
none of mine have ever taken a dummy and have sucked their fists. So far no thumb sucking issues - DD1 and 2 stopped fist sucking fairly early on
My thoughts: if she wants to suck her thumb, she will, regardless of whether you give her a dummy or not. I reckon dummy sucking is a much worse habit - they can be mighty hard to get rid of. And they're ugly :) As they get older, kids will naturally come away from teh breast and take their hands out of their mouths to interact with toys and other people. They can, however, still do all that stuff with dummies in, which I think is why they can be harder to get rid of. There's also a tendency to always pop the dummy in whenever kids make the slightest noise, whereas they probably don't always need it, you know?
Having said all that.... I tried to get my kids to take a dummy when they were little as I was so over all the sucking on me. Neither would take it. Neither is a thumb sucker, though they both sucked on their hands when they were young babies.
:shrug: some kids just don't like dummies. My kids both sucked their toys (get a duplicate!) and that was OK. Neither have gone on to suck thumbs - Quoll did suck his fist a little, but his foot is so much more entertaining :)
Some kids will take a dummy, others just won't.
I've had two dummy dependents and was trying to introduce it to DD2 (cos I figured I could at least take the dummy away)....but she ain't havin' a bar of it! She's a two middle fingers kid. I have to say - it's far easier in the middle of the night.
With the older kids I just kept putting it back in....they got the idea lol.
DD likes dummy and fingers but when she's really distressed the fingers don't cut the mustard. She actually refused the dummy for a long time and one day took to it out of the blue.
2 dummy and 1 wouldn't. I used them to help with the reflux and colic ds1 and dd both have suffered. Dummy can be a problem to get rid of. Took ds1 3ish nights of tears. I was a thumb sucker til my teens.
I wonder if a dummy delays a child from learning to deal with emotions. Its a crutch attached to their jumper and perhaps they are more aware of using it then their hand.
Or does it help the shy child to feel more comfortable and deal with things faster then otherwise. Sorry went ot a bit.
Sorry if it doesn't make sense, the barefoot princess is covering me with kisses
I used a dummy, but only when DD was really histerical due to the pain from her reflux (undiagnosed at first) or if she just couldnt settle any other way. It helped. We never used it outside of those times however so it never became such a massive dependancy.
She hated it and suddenly stopped using it herself a few months ago with a little assistnace from me as it was starting to become a problem ( I hated it too tbh) but it helped her and I would be in the loony bin if I didnt have something to get some peace.
I have a friend who sucked her thumb and her teeth are buggered. I guess at least you can throw a dummy away?
DD1 was a dummy girl, dd2 nothing, dd3 a thumb sucker. I would have to say its harder taking the thumb away coz you cant throw it out! I would go dummy after my own experiences! I think dd3 will be sucking her thumb forever!!!
some just won't take the dummy. My advice would be to let her suck her fist and leave the dummy. This way she will learn how to self settle with her fist. The dummy can cause issues with night waking because it falls out and then they don't know how to self settle. But you have to do what feels right for you :) x