Dummies?

[lgc]

Just wondering what people's views are on use of dummies with premature babies. My son was born 4 weeks ago at 32+3. We were discharged home a few days ago, feeding alternate tube & bottle feeds (1/2 EBM & 1/2 formula).

We've been using a dummy during the tube feeds to help build the association with sucking and getting full. The last few days I have been less strict and using is at other times to help settle him, He often roots and wants to suck, even when he's full which I have been putting down to reflux (not sure I'm right though).I'm worried I'm falling into the trap of overusing the dummy and will find it difficult to discard later.

Any views/ experiences would be appreciated x x

 

[SabrinaKat]

The hospital also introduced a dummy when Finn was in NICU (born at 36wks due to my pre-eclampsia) to reinforce feeding/sucking. We have continued to use as he has a bit of reflux (it helps with feeding) and to help him sleep. However, he will pop it out of his mouth if he doesn't want it and we try not to give him during the day. I think that using a dummy, particularly pre-1 year old (before teeth) is okay and over time, we will gently stop using (he's 5 months old next week/ 4 months adjusted).

I was always anti-dummy, but it does give him some comfort and continuity, and therefore, we are continuing use. I just put him down for a nap (with dummy), but when I moved him from chair to basket, it fell out and didn't put back in and he's still sleeping. It is a godsend on refluxy/hard to sleep moments, but we don't use unless he's distressed, e.g. crying, hard to settle before sleep and it's out during play-time.

I look at it like a favourite teddy-bear -- it offers comfort, but when he deliverately pushs it out, we don't replace?

Best wishes

 

[lgc]

Thanks for your reply! I'm trying to use it in a similar way. He doesnt always want it and I only offer when he is upset & desperately routing/chewing hands (& in the process almost pulling his ng tube out!). He often manages to sleep without it so like you hopefully it will be a help and not a hindrance x x

 

[AP]

Our preemie has her dummy when she starts to have what we think is a refluxy moment still. I dont see them as negatively as i did when I was pregnant, especially when we used then in NICU. It helps her and thats what matters more to me.

 

[toothfairyx]

I have very different experiences from my 2. Jamie was an extremely sucky baby and loved his dummy probably a little too much but gave it up without problem just as he turned 1. Jamie had fairly bad reflux. Jonny didn't like a dummy, so whilst we did try to use one to help him settle all it did was induce a massive gag and puke, but he doesn't have any reflux.
From a dental long term point of view there is no major issue if you get rid of them by 2 years old (I'm a dentist) but our hospital would advise getting rid of them by age 1 so as not to interfere with sleep.
So don't stress about using it. I got rid of Jamie's by stopping it in the day, and after a couple of days he then refused it at night so it was pretty easy. I think the difficulty discarding it happens when they have been allowed to use it day and night for more than 2 years at their own demand.

 

[dizz]

Our preemie has her dummy when she starts to have what we think is a refluxy moment still. I dont see them as negatively as i did when I was pregnant, especially when we used then in NICU. It helps her and thats what matters more to me.

I was always of the opinion that if she was the sort of child who needed a dummy, she'd get one (but since I hate the look of them I'd try my hardest to make sure it wasn't a huge day-glo bit of plastic - and I hunted down transparent ones!)... I'm pretty sure she has reflux, but she doesn't seem to be severe enough for me to get any joy from the medical profession about it - and sucking a dummy after feeding seems to help her - so yep, she has one.

It's also an endless source of amusement and feats of manual dexterity as she can grab it, ping it out, giggle that she's done it, then cry that her dummy's fallen out... there are nights at 3am that thoughts of duct tape have crossed my mind... (JOKE before anyone takes offence!)

She's a very sucky child and she sucks so flipping hard now (typically she couldn't do it when we were trying to breastfeed her - contrary madam from the start) that she was flipping hurting my finger using that!

Her previous hobby from dummy pinging was NG tube pulling (think her record was 5 in one day) so she's progressed a bit since then!

 

[Dinah93]

Bliss recommend using a dummy on prem babies, as not only does it enforce the sucking movement and help them to feed better, but there have been several studies which say that babies who suck themselves to sleep have half the risk of cot death. I was very anti-dummy until the nurses in the nicu gave me this factsheet they'd written, and now I'm very pro dummy in young babies until they pass the cot death risk point at about 6 months.

 

[lozzy21]

We dident start to use one untill she was 6 weeks old because she wanted to comfort suck, she's only ever had it for bed.

 

[Foogirl]

I was very anti dummies. However, When they told me in NNICU they could help with sucking, I said, fine if that's what she needs, go ahead, but they never did and she seemed to come along ok without it. Then colic hit and we tried hard to get her to take a dummy but she refused. I was BFing so I became her dummy for a fortnight! At about 2 months corrected, she started rubbing her nose with her sleeve and sucking her tongue (Apparently I did that as a baby too). she still does it with her toy Funty up to her lips for comfort.

So, I'm not totally against them now as there are times they can be of great help in certain situations, but I'm not convinced babies need them to learn to suck as Abby has shown some babies find their own way. On the other hand I've never yet heard a parent say taking them away was an easy thing to do.

The only thing that really bothers me about them though is how disruptive they can be to sleep (both theirs and yours). If they are used as a route into sleep, when a baby wakes they think that's what they need to get back to sleep, and that can mean several trips to replace it. If you don't want to take it away completely, maybe try removing it as your LO is drowsy to give the, the chance to fall asleep without it as a crutch.