How did you know that your baby wanted/needed a dummy?

[pink.crazy]

Ok, this is going to sound daft!
My first baby never wanted a dummy, the odd time he was fussy, I offered one and he spit it straight out.
My 10 week old (preemie) son had a dummy now and again in the NICU, but only really when his feeds weren't established. Since he's come home, he's only had his dummy about twice.
The past couple of nights, he's been quite fussy, and acting like he's hungry, I know he's not as he's had a good feed not long before - but I offer him a feed anyway just to make sure, and he spits it back up. Sooo.. he's full but wants to be sucking.
Tonight I have offered him a dummy and he is sucking away on it quite happily. I don't mind him having a dummy at all, but I kind of feel like I'm giving it to him just for the sake of keeping him quiet.... wdyt?

 

[janeydee]

if im totally honest we werent going to give our little boy a dummy at all but we got one in a starter pack but one night we were still up at 5.30am with him as he just wouldnt settle. in the end we tried the dummy and it settled him straight away, was worth its weight in gold!
now he still has it but not half as much
x

 

[OmarsMum]

Hi hun. Omar didnt take a dummy at 1st. At around 6 wks he started to take it. We only offer it at nap or bedtime when he needs a soothing suck. I FF & it's tricky, I didnt feel it's right to offer him a bottle everytime he needed a soothing suck esp when he wakes up at night. It really helped us, for stretching time between feeds at night, & he dropped all night feeds at 12 wks & started to sleep through for 12 hrs without feeds.

Omar was a sicky baby & was suffering frm reflux, & it helped in settling it. xx

 

[Cookie_Clare]

My LO put on a lot of weight very quickly which caused our health visitor some concern. She suggested that baby might be using me for comfort sucking since I BF and suggested we give her a dummy instead. We gave it to her at bedtime and she loved it - I think some babies just love to suck.

 

[Kitty23]

Ours were in SCBU and were given dummies to help them learn to suck etc. We weren't planning to give them dummies but they seem so happy when they have them. And we only let them have them to sleep which they are happy with (I think lol). As long as your lo is happy I say let them have a dummy xxx

 

[Dragonfly]

I have never needed one, I remember having them in hospital but since I breastfed the hv old me about niipple confusion and we never bothered after that. He wouldnt have it anyway and never thought he needed it.

 

[pink.crazy]

That's exactly how it is - like he wants the comfort of sucking but not the milk. You've just answered my question ladies thank u so much x

 

[smokey]

Brian was screaming his head off one night after all the normal stuff ahdnt worked to settle him so I tried a dummy and he nearly took my fingers off with it
Thats how I knew he wanted/needed one.
Dont feel to guilty about the thought of only using it to keep your LO quiete its not like that, if he didnt want it he'd soon spit it back out.
Think of it more as your keeping him happy and happy just happens to mean quiete and peacfull.

 

[pink.crazy]

I think I'm feelin the pressure from MIL (anti-dummies....!)

 

[bathbabe]

some babies are just sucky babies. My Lo needs one otherwise he fights sleeping, he has recently discoved he can get his thumb in his mouth so the dummy will probs retire soon! X

 

[smokey]

I think I'm feelin the pressure from MIL (anti-dummies....!)

God if we could all shove a dummy in MIL's gobs we would all be happy and she'd be quiete

Only you will ever know what your baby likes/dislikes and you know what is best for him.
All babies have a a need to suck some more then others and some just arnt happy without something to suck.
As long as your not using it 24/7 and try to just use it when he is unsettled then there is no problem with it and it realy isnt as hard to get rid of later as you would think (unless you over use it in the first place)

 

[GlasgowAngel]

Lewis only really takes his to get to sleep. But we knew he need 1 when we could see he wanted to suck but was spitting out his bottles as didn't want the milk. He was trying to suck on his hands and I would rather he had a dummy that I can off him later than he sucks his fingers which I can't take away.

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

We were always anti-dummys, seeing a 3 year old attached to a dummy in my opinion isn't right (no offence to anyone, that is just my opinion) and we didn't want to go down that route.
I have friends struggling with 9mth olds trying to throw the dummy away and it is causing hell at night and the parents always back down to get some peace.
That said, I breastfed my second for 3 weeks and in the evenings she was rather grumpy and fussy (colic) and used to be happier comfort sucking on me which hurt like anything.
OH suggested the dummy... she took to it straight away (one of those shaped ones) and no more pain for me and some peace for her.
She never wanted it at nap time though and by 5 weeks flat refused it.
It did help us through the tough bit.
Felt guilty for doing it but as mum said, anything for some peace and quiet.
She was right and it didn't last forever