Use of a dummy

[Deleted User]

We gave both our babies dummies - they had pretty bad gastric reflux and the sucking really helped to sooth them. The eldest is 3 now and will only want a dummy if he's upset. Our 9 month old will suck his thumb or use a dummy.

I'm not quite sure why people get upset how people treat their own children. It's not your business, is it?

System

All my kids were offered dummies. The first two loved theirs, the other three prefered their thumbs. Weaned the first two off their dummies by the age of 2 but the ones who sucked their thumbs tended to suck their thumbs throughout their early childhood when they were tired.

One of my thumb suckers had reoccurring bouts of worms which wasnt very pleasant i must say.

jellyhead

pukkamum wrote: »

A dummy is reccomended in babies with reflux, our 3rd had one because the saliva it produces when sucking dilutes the stomach acid which causes major reflux pain.

The health visitor and the midwife in hospital both said this. A dummy was included in one of the packs of freebies that new mums get My eldest didn't want one but youngest most definitely did!

thorsoak wrote: »

DD was born sucking her fingers! In fact I tore quite badly because of the way that her arm was positioned as she sucked!

Me too, the midwife said she was trying to flick his arm out of his mouth to stop me tearing, but to no avail. He has always been a sucky child and needed a lot of comfort. I rarely put him down, he was like a clinging baby monkey.

There was no difference between my children and you couldn't tell which had a dummy and which one didn't. Neither have dental problems, both talked at the same time etc.

Both were late talkers and poor eaters. Youngest stopped having it during the day before he turned 2, so maybe any effects would have been more pronounced if he'd had it all day every day.

Some of you mention dummies at preschool or even school - I have never seen this, but at that age I wonder if perhaps some children are regressing if there's a new sibling, and they want their dummies back?

jellyhead

shellsuit wrote: »

With regards to pushchairs, I read a comment on this thread about 4 year olds being in a buggy being wrong.

Unless a child is wearing an age badge, how does anyone know how old another child is, unless their parents tells all and sundry?

My son is a big tall lad (his Dad is 6'5), so he could easily pass for the age of 4.

I'd hate to think people think bad of me for having an older child in a buggy, when he isn't that age at all!

I have a big lad too (he says he's going on the pepsi max ride at blackpool - he's only 6!) - he outgrew his pram at 18 months so I had to find one with a taller back, because he still wanted an afternoon nap if we were walking a long way.

Even if yours was in a pram at 4 - so what? Nobody judging you knows how far you are walking and for which portion of the journey he will be in a pram.

I remember at a toddler group one of those preachy type mums sniggered that mine was in a pram still - the silly mare had driven there and her child never walked further than the car park. I'd walked 7 miles and had no problem at all with a 2 year old climbing back into a pram for some of that journey.

jellyhead

DON79 wrote: »

their parents still bring their double buggy to drop them off and pick them up at nursery - they are both 4 years old.

A car is just a giant buggy for the whole family. So many people drive to nursery or school nowadays even if it's less than a mile.

pelirocco

On the scale of 1 to 10 of the worse things your child is going to go through , or more probably put you through before they are at least 25 , having a dummy is about a minus 100 lol

Toothsmith

My first son sucked his thumb, the second had a dummy.

I have no profound views on either.

It was a bit harder with Thing 1 to get him off his thumb than it was to get Thing 2 off his dummy, but both had been stopped before the age of 4. - well before in the case of the dummy.

From a dental point of view, I would say that as long as it's all stopped well before adult teeth start coming through, there's not much to worry about.

If your child is a thumb sucker though, there does tend to be different 'shades' of thumb sucking. From those that just passively have a digit hanging from their mouth, to those that do it with some force, and use a fair bit of pressure on their palate. Those that put the pressure on are in serious danger of affcting the growth direction of their palate, and should be discouraged as a matter of priority.

gingin_2

Better a dummy used as a pacifier than a sausage roll, as I have seen many times around here.

<<<<< Lives in close proximity to a Greggs.

OrkneyStar

Toothsmith wrote: »

My first son sucked his thumb, the second had a dummy.

I have no profound views on either.

It was a bit harder with Thing 1 to get him off his thumb than it was to get Thing 2 off his dummy, but both had been stopped before the age of 4. - well before in the case of the dummy.

From a dental point of view, I would say that as long as it's all stopped well before adult teeth start coming through, there's not much to worry about.

If your child is a thumb sucker though, there does tend to be different 'shades' of thumb sucking. From those that just passively have a digit hanging from their mouth, to those that do it with some force, and use a fair bit of pressure on their palate. Those that put the pressure on are in serious danger of affcting the growth direction of their palate, and should be discouraged as a matter of priority.

Dentist mentioned this to me. DS used to suck quite hard on his thumb, and even did sooking motions when thumb not present. He sucks a bit more gently now and even himself wants to stop, he loves the feeling of fluff too and rubbing fluff and thumb sucking seem to happen together. Dentist was not overly worried but agreed stopping would not be a bad thing either!

Ellejmorgan

Great way to get them off a dummy, I did this when my eldest was 3 and her sister was 2, did them both at the same time...

Just before going to bed on Xmas eve I gently told them they were too big for dummies, the eldest was almost 4, and exceedlingly clingy .I spoke to them in their own way and asked them if they'd help Santa I told them he needed as many dummies as possible to give to 'new babies' ...

I explained santa would think they were kind and would leave them pressies, my 2 year old didn't have much concept but followed her sister...
I told them to say goodbye to their dummies and that they would be gone.
In the morning they were so wrapped up in their pressies they forgot..

The eldest did ask for her dummy again but I kept repeating Santa thinks you are good and a big girl..
Worked like a dream...