for or against dodies/pacifiers? And why?

[chammydoodle]

Whos for or against them? and why? iv got a friend who absolutley despises them and another who thinks there a god send, so fowt id ask and see what replys i get on here.

 

[Equreuil]

I'm for them in moderation.

I feel that in most situations, there's probably a better way to quiet a baby down, but some times, I've been told it's a comfort thing that the baby needs, like if they're colicky.

What I hate are mothers who seem to rely on them and shove one in their child's mouth any time they make a peep. My SIL did that with hers, even if he was making happy sounds... now at almost 2 years old, he's still using one and I feel like that's just too old. Also, I don't know if he's really talking yet. Last time they visited he always had a pacifier in.

 

[mrs_park]

All I can say is don't make your mind up until baby is here. I smugly said that no child of mine would use one and guess what? He does!

 

[chammydoodle]

Yeh think in moderation to help colic is better but after a few months i dont think there suitable at all and if a child starts to rely on it it can be a nightmare getting it off them

 

[MrS. MaBrEy]

I really don't have an opinion either way unless it is excessively used. Right now we plan not to use them..but we have about a dozen given as gifts that I did go ahead and sanatized and pop in the cabinet "just in case" we change our mind. My husband never took one and neither did I. It kind of seems like just another habit to break later so if we can make do without it we are going to try.

 

[Mum2BKW]

I'm very much against once baby gets to walking age and if they are used all the time during the day. I totally get it for helping a young baby to settle (but only if they need it, not by default). I hate seeing 'children' (too big to be called babies) running around with a dummy in their mouth in the playground.

My reasons are:
1. It looks ugly to have half your child's face obscured by a chunk of plastic
2. It does make me think the parent is lazy for stuffing a dummy in the child's mouth ALL the time (again I'm talking about older babies now)
3. How can baby learn to talk and communicate clearly with that in their mouth?
4. I understand in older children it can damage their teeth and cause them to grow at funny angles

When our baby is very small, if it wants to comfort suck I have no problem giving a dummy, but only when it's napping/sleeping.

 

[AP]

Depends on the baby honestly.

With my first they helped her learn to feed in the NICU

With my second it was just for comfort.

There are some positives!

 

[CatherineK]

I never use the with my kids. It's just me personal choice. All it is is a fake nipple-if my baby has a need to suck on something that's what's real nipples are for. I just see some people use it whenever baby is crying or can settle, and that just drives me insane, personally. I like to hear my babies noises, and find out what they want.
Some people say they use them because studies show that they reduce SIDS- but the real thing (nursing on demand) works even better
Overall, you will find some children do have a greater need to suckle, my first son certainly did! But it's not bothered me to let them nurse more in that case, which greatly helped Milk supply as a benefit ;-).

 

[babydevil1989]

Im for - its now said it can help prevent SIDS and also my son was starting to suck his thumb, id much rather have a dummy we can get rid of rather than a thumb which is very hard to stop (I know lots of adults who still suck their thumb!!)

But id never say anything to anyone that doesnt want to use them each to their own x

 

[Katerz]

Im for - its now said it can help prevent SIDS and also my son was starting to suck his thumb, id much rather have a dummy we can get rid of rather than a thumb which is very hard to stop (I know lots of adults who still suck their thumb!!)

But id never say anything to anyone that doesnt want to use them each to their own x

THIS! I know of a couple of adults who suck their fingers/thumbs still.

I always said I wouldn't use one but changed my mind when LO arrived. We don't rely on it heavily though.

 

[Cherry Bow]

We aren't planning on using one but I know some babies settle better with one. My nephew was a baby that would of benefited from one as he was restless and colicky. I would get rid of it by the time the baby is a few months old though before attachment forms. I know far too many kids that still had dummies when they were 3 or 4 and it causes speech dysfunction as well as misformed teeth.

I guess it's personal choice but me personally, I want to try and avoid it if we can xx

 

[sue_88]

I've bought some as a back up.

I plan to breastfeed and nurse on demand, however if baby is a serious comfort sucker at sleep times then I will use a dummy. I am a single mum and I really wont have the time to have her attached 24/7 if she needs a little comfort.

That being said, they will only be introduced at a minimum of 6 weeks old (beforehand she will use me/breast), only at sleep times (including day naps) and completely removed by 6-9months old.

 

[FLU77ERBYE]

I didn't want either of mine to have a dummy, but they have been a god send especially when they've been teething. Jorja doesn't have hers in the day anymore only of a night it used to be permanently glued to her face. Oliver is pretty much the same he only really wants it when he's feeling under the weather. However they're going with father Christmas this christmas which I think is going to be really hard on Jorja.

 

[chammydoodle]

So many good points for and against them! Wev been given some as gifts and i think if absolutley need be i would use them in moderation id only do it for colic, teething reasons and wouldnt want my baby to rely on 1 so wudnt use a great deal and wouldnt want to use 1 at all once the baby is a good few months old.

 

[sharnahw]

I'm for them in moderation too!!! ideally I would like it if baby didn't rely on one at night so that she doesn't wake up crying for it at all!!

 

[mummyosborne]

I'm very offended by the comment that toddlers with dummies just have lazy parents! My daughter is 2 and still has her dummy. She has severe reflux and giving her a dummy after she's had something to eat or drink helps her keep it down because of the sucking motion. Her food and drink often goes into her lungs because of her reflux and the dummy helps to prevent this, I'd much rather have a 2 year old with a dummy than go back to the middle of the night trips to the hospital for oxygen and steroids because her lungs are struggling. Also I feel I should add her speech is very advanced for her age.

 

[AP]

I'm very offended by the comment that toddlers with dummies just have lazy parents! My daughter is 2 and still has her dummy. She has severe reflux and giving her a dummy after she's had something to eat or drink helps her keep it down because of the sucking motion. Her food and drink often goes into her lungs because of her reflux and the dummy helps to prevent this, I'd much rather have a 2 year old with a dummy than go back to the middle of the night trips to the hospital for oxygen and steroids because her lungs are struggling. Also I feel I should add her speech is very advanced for her age.

We use them for reflux too I agree (cant say much for the speech because she cant talk but this isnt down to dummies, its neurological)

 

[mummyosborne]

We use them for reflux too I agree (cant say much for the speech because she cant talk but this isnt down to dummies, its neurological)

Thank you,I believe it's quite common for them to be used for reflux but I don't think this is very widely known. Ella has cerebral palsy and her physical development is very effected but luckily her speech isn't. Because of this though we get automatically judged by people that don't realise she has cerebral palsy for all sorts of things, I didn't think I'd have to worry about being judged for the dummy too!

 

[Mum2BKW]

I'm very offended by the comment that toddlers with dummies just have lazy parents! My daughter is 2 and still has her dummy. She has severe reflux and giving her a dummy after she's had something to eat or drink helps her keep it down because of the sucking motion. Her food and drink often goes into her lungs because of her reflux and the dummy helps to prevent this, I'd much rather have a 2 year old with a dummy than go back to the middle of the night trips to the hospital for oxygen and steroids because her lungs are struggling. Also I feel I should add her speech is very advanced for her age.

I presume it was my statement that offended you and I'm sorry for that. I do stand by it though - obviously there are exceptions where there is a medical reason behind it but IMO it seems to be far too common for all of these children with dummies to have severe reflux! I also notice a very strong correlation between older children who still use dummies and the child still being in a buggy despite running quite happily around the playground for the last hour. Again, some of these children might have mobility issues (not that they are apparent to me) but that will be a small percentage and the rest will be lazy parents who can't be bothered to encourage their child to walk home.

I remember when I started school (I would have been 5 or so) and there was a kid in my class whose Mum used to collect him with a buggy and give him a dummy to suck on the way home. There was nothing wrong with this lad, I still don't understand it! So that's probably why it bothers me to see it.

 

[babydevil1989]

Il just say that I myself had a dummy until I was 4 my teeth are fine and my speech was fine (im not saying everyone is like me btw)

DS had his at night until he was 3 his speech is fine - havibg a dummy to sleep with is very different to having them throughout the day which in turn would delay their speech - I dont thibk its down to lazy parenting sometimes they are needed for medical reasons like pp said but sometimes if your child goes on and on and on about something its easier to give in (if they are crying for their dummy for example)