Dummy debate

MichelleM

Havent read all posts but my SIL works on special care baby unit and they uses dummies to soothe babies. Dummies have also been proven to help prevent coth death in some cases; some babies forget to breathe whilst theyre asleep but a dummy can prevent this from happening.

My LO has a dummy, I am breastfeeding. I didnt want to give her one as MW said it would interfere with her sucking method. However, im very lucky in that she has both bottle and it hasnt bothered her. I got her the dummy as she would wake up at night startled and would then be latched on to me all night to soothe herself. I didnt mind as we would co-sleep but it became too painful to carry on.

Even now, she will spit her dummy out in favour for her thumb which she discovered a few weeks ago. She has now started sucking on her comfort blanket so I guess shes just a 'sucky' baby.

SusanC_2

We used a dummy with our daughter when she was very small. Once she started sucking her thumb there was no point because if she wanted to suck, she would already be sucking her thumb so the dummy would be rejected. The dummy was just one of a number of things we used to try if she wasn't settling for sleep when she needed it after the obvious things like being hungry and needing the toilet had been eliminated. Sometimes a two minute suck of the dummy was all that was needed to make her happy. I'm sure they can cause problems if used improperly but then almost anything can be used to the extent that it causes problems.

OrkneyStar

Caroline73 wrote: »

He was 7 when he stopped doing it.

Oh right thanks, so a lot older than 3 then!

Krystaltips

DD1 was very sucky and had a dummy, was also happy to take her milk from bottle or breast... I took the dummy out of her cot when she was 17 months old (before she could ask for it...) she cried the first two nights and wasn't bothered after that... I do sometimes catch her sucking on her clothes now and she is 6...

DD2 wouldn't have a dummy (I tried, believe me, I tried!) She also never figured out how bottles worked so was purely breast fed... She never really comfort fed though so I guess she wasn't so sucky...

I have some dummies to try this baby with too... I'm not a dummy snob...

Incidentally I had my dummy taken away before my brother was born... And I missed it... I can remember missing it...

nomnomnom

as someone mentions, they encourage dummies in SCBU/NICU as I think it reduces cot death or something. I have twins and the one that spent time in NICU still uses his dummy at 18 months, the other spat his out at 5 months and never took one since.

Tigsteroonie

Our NICU doesn't encourage or discourage the use of dummies - they leave it entirely up to the parents, and won't give a baby a dummy without checking first. Andrew didn't have a dummy at all in NICU but has been given one (many!) since he came home. We prefer him not to have them when he is awake so that he can vocalise as much as he wants; he still likes one to fall asleep with, though we shall wean him off that after our next holiday.

clairec79

None of my three had them and this one won't either, I'm content to be used as a dummy in the early months and what they've never had they don't miss and I couldn't be doing with all the trials I've heard of when people try and wean the child off them. I don't mind them with babies but have to say once child is 2 or 3 I don't like them (at least when out of bed/nap time)

onlyroz

Regarding thumb sucking, my dentist told me that it would only become a problem if they were still doing it around age 5-6 when the adult teeth come through.

Rainmaker_uk

Personally I hate dummys. I think they look awful and are lazy parenting.

Just my opinion.

clairec79

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Our NICU doesn't encourage or discourage the use of dummies - they leave it entirely up to the parents, and won't give a baby a dummy without checking first.

They sometimes use them with babies on cooling who aren't well enough to be fed - them still having a sucking reflex is a good sign that they haven't got brain damage (not that they need to suck on a dummy but if you have a baby who is getting better but not well enough to be fed it's often seen as a way to soothe them)