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dummies? Good or bad idea?

I wasnt going to use one for my LO but at 3 months old and BF, he still would not take a bottle with my milk in and i hoped learning to suck on a dummy would teach him how to do this. To start with he pushed it out with his tongue the same way he does with a bottle but all of a sudden it clicked and now he loves his dummy. Im trying not to use it as a magic solution for everything - but when he needs feeding whilst out and about and i need to find somewhere its a godsend for buying time. Ive also used it for last thing at night when hes over tired to help him drop off. My LO has been sleeping through for a couple of weeks but had been going 12 hours in the day without sleeping at all. I therefore used his dummy to get him off for an hour or so in the day. This all conincided with him repeatedly waking at night and making noises (not crying, just shouting!) i put the dummy in and he drops off again. In the morning im not sure how often/when ive done it as i barely wake up - however, prior to the dummy he never did this!



I dont know if its the daytime nap making him not sleepy enough at night or that he has already got reliant on a dummy for settleing? Should i brave it and take it off him? x

Replies

  • Only you can really answer this one. It could be that LO can go without daytime napping or it could be that we're after some form of comfort at night & have associated dummy with just that. Then again if not sucking on dummy what could be substituted (some people prefer a dummy to a thumb, at least you have the option to remove it with age).
  • GC, just wanted to say we didn't want to give our DD a dummy to start with, but gave in, she only has it at night time to settle down, but guaranteed that within 10 mins of dropping off, she has already spat it out. It is a comfort thing really... We don't really use it throughout the day and I read somewhere, only earlier today, to try and get rid of them by 6 months, as a baby's memory increases rapidly at around 8-9 months, so its much easier to wean a baby off a dummy around 6 months rather than leaving it till later when the habit is more ingrained....



    Zxx
  • Awesome Idea, go for It, I will too try this. image
  • I hated the idea- but my son had one after a few hard nights (and days) right at the start, we went completely cold-turkey with it when he got to six months, but he refused to sleep at all in the day and we had to rock him to sleep at night and when he woke during the night (thought this was worse than using the dummy) so the dummy is back - its not as easy to get rid of as I thought, my son is now 10months and still using it to get to sleep/get back to sleep image
  • i sympathise chocchipcookie, i can't take it off my LO at 6 months - he's 4 months now - seems mean just to give it for 8 weeks! Most of my friends took dummies off their babies when they start to hit an age where they look a bit silly with it in - eg 2 years or something. But i think you could stop them having it out and about a bit younger and just let them have it for sleep.



    I think we all try so hard to be perfect parents, following all the right guidelines, doing everything right - but they are little people in a big confusing world and its fair enough they need some comfort. x
  • I use one when my LO is very overtired or in pain with his teeth. It helps him and so I think it can only be a good thing.



    I don't put it in if he's happy to settle himself or if he's a happy chap.



    I generally follow his lead on most things and think he'll just become less bothered with it in time x
  • we have one for DS but DD isnt keen, for me the research into the reduction of SIDS was the only thing i needed to get me to buy them, if your baby needs that extra comfort then why not? DS is nearly two and we are starting to wean it off him but as hes still suffering with his teeth i'm not ready for cold turkey!



    the research is great for shuting up nosy old busybodies spouting nonsence about them being dirty! oh you mean you didnt know about this research? :lol:
  • I didn't like them, I tried lo with one after scary amounts of no sleep, he spat it across the room and I was not gona sit holding it in for him. Turned out the mite had silent reflux so a bit of gaviscon and sleeping on his tummy sorted that out. He has now never had one, doesn't suck his thumb, and sleeps through - if he wakes he switches his sooth and sing seahorse on. The cot death research on dummies isn't conclusive and is based on children that have been used to having one. I chose not to use one and we have got on just fine, but each to ones own.
  • Hi,



    Personally we tried a dummy when LO was a few weeks old as it was suggested to help with reflux however he refused. We then found ourselves at around 8 weeks or so with a situation where LO would fight sleep for hours eventually going to sleep around midnight to 1am having been repeatedly fed for comfort, he was knackered as were we & he would be exhausted next day. So one night we tried the dummy and he was asleep by 9pm. Since then he can barely get past 6.30pm (although currently experienced some disruption which may be due to teething) without being exhausted. We aim not to give him the dummy & if he settles without then great, but if he doesn't we give it to him. We hope to wean him off it by 6 months but accept this is easier said thn done.



    I think it's very individual & down to what suits & works for you image



    Good luck



    Linds x
  • Both my LOs ended up in SCBU at the beginnning and dummies were recommended by the doctors and nurses. My DD refused right from the start, she was born obstinate and has continued that way. Now she's 3 and sucks her fingers, I can't take those away from her. :roll: Charlie sucked a dummy until 8 weeks to encourage sucking but as he was tube-fed he lost the reflex. He still doesn't drink or suck (15months old) so wish he had kept it.



    There is nothing wrong with a baby using a dummy to settle. I personally hate seeing a toddler with one but that's just me.



    H xx
  • As with everything its each to their own and a mummy will always make the best decision for their baby whatever that happens to be!!



    DD is 16 months and has had a dummy for quite a while. She only has it for sleep times or if she's poorly and I have to say its been a god send. She has learnt to self settle amazingly and sleeps so well, weaned off bottles no probs at 12 months but she loves her dummy. I will let her give it to the dummy fairy when she is able to understand. She did suck her thumb for a time but seeing what that did to my mums thumb (she has one noticeably shorter than the other)I'd prefer the dummy which I can get rid of.
  • thanks ladies lots of good advice. I made sure i only got LO a small dummy and I actually think he looks really cute sucking on it, i love that im giving him reassurance and helping him be content - he's only little after all. Dummies have such a bad name, i understand why for kids of school age (lol). Ive got to be honest though i do sort of regret it as the night time waking has continued. My LO had done 2 weeks of sleeping twelve hours from 12-14 weeks, which is pretty amazing for a BF baby but I think it's because he's on the 98th centile and has lots of reserves lol! Weeks 14 - 15.5 have seen the introduction of the dummy and he wakes 1-2 times a night, needing the dummy back in and slips off. If i dont get to him in time i have to feed him to settle him. Am a bit annoyed with myself for introducing it but its done now and i feel its my fault so dont want to force it off him just yet, its also amazing in the day when he grizzles out and about and i can't breast feed him just like that.





    In the night he makes this really cute blissed out noise when the dummy goes in, as if he's instantly off to the land of nod... :lol: i think we all just love our LOs and want them to be happy xx
  • I gave one to my first daughter and she loved it and it was a great comfort for her especially with teething. She handed it to me herself at 2 1/2 and that was her off it with no bother. With no2 I never gave her a dummy to start with but had to give in at 9 weeks as all she wanted to do when awake was suck anything and anyones fingers and I wasnt having that. From that day she loves the dummy. When she is in a deep sleep she spits it out and thats her although she does tend to wake to get it at some stage. I totally agree about older children not having them and especially talking with them. To be honest everytime my daughter spoke with her dummy I made her take it out to talk and wouldnt answer her questions when she asked with dummy in. She learnt fast and it stopped her talking with the dummy.
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