Should I start my 6 month old with a dummy?

[JoT]

Hi, I am breastfeeding my baby totally and he is 6months old. I am starting to experience problems getting him down at night after his evening feed. For a while things were great as he fell asleep on me and I transferred him to his cot but for the past week he has been messing about during his feed and being too interested in his surroundings and as a consequence has been going to bed in his cot awake. The past 2 nights he has screamed until finally fallen asleep. I have tried controlled crying by going to him and comforting him without picking him up (I am fairly confident he doesn't need more breastmilk as before I finally take him to bed I offer more but he refuses) but as soon as I leave the room he starts again. My husband is quite tough and says we should leave him or else he will develop bad habits. Tonight I tried a dummy which I know is a bit silly when it is totally alien to him - he's hardly going to accept it at this time of the day. He actually played with it as if it was a toy and chewed his gums on it! Should I continue with the dummy with a hope he will take it eventually. Also has anyone been sucessful with any particular type of dummy with a breastfed baby? I have given him an avent one but my hv suggested the ball type? Your comments would be appreciate as I am concerned things are going to pot at the moment!! (my other two children weren't breastfed and slept beautifully!!!!!)

[pupuce]

I personnally would not - but it's your baby... and if he does start on a dummy it will only become (in this instance) a sleep association.
I think him not settling easily is not due to sucking but could be down to teething or just a phase. If he has not been used to settling on his own in his cot (meaning you don't usually put him in there awake) - he is just not use to it. Again I don't think a dummy is a solution... give him a toy if you want but you are setting yourself (maybe) to more trouble if he starts LOVING the dummy and crying 5 times during the night because he has lost it.

[mears]

This is usually quite a short lived phase. Rather than give him a dummy you might be better to feed him his last feed in his room without the distractions. As you have said he is very interested in his surroungings at the moment and is not paying attention to the job in hand!

You will not get stuck doing this forever - I remember it well.

A valid point about being woken by a baby losing a dummy frequently during the night. I had one out of four using a dummy till I got rid of it aged 8 months. Good luck.

[Wells1]

Hi, my son uses a dummy and loves it - but he was a terribly sucky baby from birth and would otherwise hang on me for hours and hours or cry. Now, however, he needs it to settle and does wake up at night for it (anything up to five times). So I would say, if he's got this far without it, don't get him hooked now. I don't know what else to suggest, because my son so wanted one from when he was tiny, but if your baby is sleeping through, I wouldn't risk spoiling it with a dummy.

[JoT]

thanks everyone for your advice, its very reassuring and I feel better already tonight as he settled very well. I don't think I will bother with the dummy, it sounds as though it will be more trouble in the end!