What's your opinion on dummy use?

[kirmal12]

My LO never wanted a dummy, i did try a few times he just wasn't interested and to be honest he never was a sucky baby. Since last week he has started sucking his thumb, it seemed to happen the same time his 2 front teeth came through. He only does it as he is getting tired and again I've tried a dummy/pacifier and he still isn't interested. I'm hoping it wont become to much of a problem.

 

[pinktaffy]

wouldnt live without one. they really do help them it calms them down and i do recomend them.
pluss when i was told they helped reduce the risk of sids, there wasnt a way i wassnt having one...

 

[polo_princess]

Well since Brooke is around the general "weaning off" age i thought id give my 2 cents.

I had always said id go into things with an open mind, if she wanted a dummy she could have one, if she didnt then it was no big deal. She took a dummy daily from about a week old up until around 12 months. After that she began to self wean from the dummy and over the course of 3 months its use became less and less frequent. By 16/17 months she only had it in bed at night, and now by 20 months she will only have it in bed if she is having a particularly rough night but we havent had one for a while so im betting she's not going to want it again.

Dummy use doesnt always have to end with a screaming 3 yo that wants their dummy to take to nursery

 

[bambino156]

My lo loves her dummy, which is great for calming her down and getting her off to sleep but is a nightmare when I have to keep getting up to pop it back in!
When I was pregnant I always had a open mind about dummies, despite my mil constantly giving me her opinion on them - 'my kids never had one', 'I think they look horrible' etc etc
Have to agree with some of the other ladies though, I don't like to see 2/3 year old with them. My niece is 3 and still has hers, she talks from behind it, making it impossible to understand her.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Babies gave a natural sucking reflex so when they have a dummy it soothes them. It also helps reduce the risk of cot death, which was a deciding factor for me. Aidan had his dummy for 6 monthss and then wouldn't take it and he hasn't had one since.
X x

 

[Dragonfly]

never gave William one due to being told about nipple confusion and since I could breastfeed him I didnt see the point. Never needed it. now I dont have to wean him off one of anything.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

ETA: givin a child a dummy doesn't mean your going to have tantrums when it is taken away. Aidan didn't And neither did my friends children. If an older baby has it wean them like. PP said.
X x

 

[MrsT&Ben]

I couldnt live without a dummy! My little man suffered from colic and it was the only thing that calmed with down. He tries to suck the life out of anything he can get his hands on so I can only see a dummy as a positive. If it works then use one!

 

[PetiteMoi]

Thanks again girls! I will use your arguments to try to convince my very stubborn DH!!!

 

[Faerie]

I was one of those very anti-dummy brigade

Then I had my own baby

Admitedly I wasn't actually the one to give one to Sofia, but by the time I was out of recovery and down to see her in nicu she already had one in. My first reaction was "eeek" but I quickly saw that with all the trauma she was going through she needed one.

She wasn't allowed to breastfeed for the first 3 weeks but had no nipple confusion when we started, actually I believe that her having the dummy kept her sucking reflex nice and strong.

We still use it now, she was only having it for sleep/naps and long car journeys but I've been letting her have it whilst she settles into nursery too.

I won't automatically give one to this baby, but if it seems s/he wants one then I'll have no hesitation.

My DH had one until he was 7 now that's gross.

 

[Faerie]

p.s the anti-dummy movement seems to be a very English speaking country phenomenon, when I've brought it up with other nationalities in our baby group they think I'm mad! It's v rare to see a baby without one here.

 

[rach2010]

my LO has a dummy, but only uses it to soothe and not all the time. If he doesnt use it he will spilt it out. My daughter stopped using her dummy by 6 months so hopefully he will too.

In my opinion, dummys are good for newborns, to satisfy the sucking reflex and to help soothe, and i dont agree with toddlers still having dummies (no offence to mums here who have toddlers still on a dummy, i know it can be a hard habit to break). As a professional (i'm dental nurse ) i know the effects it can have on their teeth, so i would rather break the habit sooner than later.

 

[Natasha2605]

Summer has one but only when she's upset or tired, calms her down. If it falls out in the night etc she doesn't bother xx

 

[iceylou]

my lo has a dummy but im kinda sorry i started it. shes only 4 1/2 wks so keeps spiting it out, so im up alot putting it back in. my hubby is trying to think of an invention to keep dummies in babies mouths. wouldnt hold my breath on that

when she gets the hang of it she will have it for naps, bedtime and when shes grumpy but as little as possible. strange even as i type this i cant see that happening lol

 

[hayley x]

Settling a baby to sleep with a dummy can reduce the risk of SIDS.. surely thats enough to persuade him xxx

 

[mommy43]

all mine have had dummies one only had it 2 weeks my 7yr old had hers till 3 n we gave them to santa my 13 yr old i took hers off her at a yr old n she started sucking her thumb worse thing i did she sucked her thumb till she was 10 n caused lots of problems with teeth she had to have braces so id rather give a dummy than let them suck their thumb

 

[Neferet]

Before I had Isaac I thought they were pointless. However, I know realise how extremely useful they are. Never realised something so small could be so handy!

 

[rosie272]

I was of the opinion 'if it helps he's having one' and in the beginning when the colic was at it's worst - a dummy and swaddling where the saviours of my life! Now I only offer it to Charlie at night time or nap time and if he doesn't want it he chucks it away and I don't give it back! Don't think I'm gonna have much of a problem weaning him off it but I think they're great for comfort and calming.

 

[bubbles123]

I don't like the term dummy really - I like the American terms soothers or pacifiers much more. Because that's what they do -sooth or calm what would otherwise be a very upset baby! They are not an excuse to not go to your baby or just to shove in their mouths all the time for no reason but I have found that when my son's upset a cuddle and his dummy calm him down in no time. He's also old enough now to just take it out himself when he doesn't want it. I think they're great X

 

[special_kala]

I think a dummy has a time and place. River has hers at bedtime and nap times only.

I dont really see the need for them at times other then those