To not know why some people are anti dummies?

[TaliZorah]

Had a couple of comments about using them. I get everyone has different opinions but I can't see a reason to be against them? At least the bf vs ff argument has advantages and disadvantages to either whereas this seems to have no issues?

Something I've been thinking about after a few "MY child didn't need a dummy" (do you want a medal..?)

[Littlefish]

I have taught many children aged 3 and up for whom the over use of a dummy has caused problems with speech and language, plus arching of the teeth. There are no problems with dummies being used as a comforter at night and for sleeps, but once a child has started to talk, they should not have a dummy in the day. This is the advice I have been given by all the speech and language therapists I've ever worked with.

I know that many people on this thread will say that their child has always had a dummy in the day and never had any problems with their speech, which I completely accept. However, every year, I teach children whose speech has been badly affected by the over use of a dummy.

[Seeyounearertime]

We decided when my GF was pregnant that we wouldn't do dummies due to speech, deforming teeth, habit developing etc etc.

My LO was born and within a week we got her a dummy. She basically spent every night unsettled and sucking her hands and fingers etc. We got her a dummy and she slept like a little pink log. Now she's 2.5, speech is perfect, teeth are perfect and she has a dummy only at night.

It worked for us, my Mum didn't like it, tough arse hairs to her.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

I don't like them and chose not to use them.

They look strange to me and just weren't really on my radar as a solution.

Thinking about it, younger siblings, cousins, friends etc didn't use them when I was a child, I didn't have one as a child and I don't have much memory of seeing them used. Maybe that's why?

[DickDewy]

I hate them, but used them with our youngest and it was a sanity saver.

I was too ashamed to let him have it in public though! It was strictly at bed times and in the car.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

The dummy haters are martyrs and snobs imo.

Never gave ds1 a dummy, he ended up sucking his thumb anyway until age 5. Never ever affected his speech though he spoke beautifully and very clearly early on.

Ds2 has a dummy, I've had loads of snobbery over it. He's making all his noises though and chatting away. I try to keep it just for sleeping or if he's very unsettled.

I've heard all the bullshit that parents only use them to shut their kids up, lazy parents who can't be bothered to find out what's wrong.

Fact is most babies need to suck some A LOT and if it's not boob it will be thumb or a dummy.

[Hassled]

They don't look great. Babies/children look better without a dummy in their mouth, and that's the source of the dislike. But I would have lost my mind if DS1 hadn't taken to a dummy - they kept me sane, so the fact his lovely face was masked by a bit of tacky plastic never bothered me. The other DCs just never took to them - never interested.

[magpie17]

When I was pregnant I was all 'no child of mine...' about dummies. I will freely admit to being a snob and just not liking the look of them (plus we know a four year old who has his in permanently and talks around it - it looks and sounds awful and he can't make himself understood).

Guess what - my DS had one within weeks! He's not a massive fan of them but will use it if he's over tired or grumpy and nothing else works. I did NCT and everyone said they weren't going to use them - they ALL do now!

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

People do get very worked up don't they?

Why 'martyrs and snobs' Pyjama? Why would anyone need an alibi for NOT doing something optional?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

Also dummy's are a pain in the arse they fall out, drop on the floor I don't use one for my convenience.

Was much easier with ds1 thumb sucking, you can't lose your thumb. However thumb sucking is harder to break and did become a bad habit with ds1, bored it was in with the thumb.

[DeputyPecksBentBeak]

Swings and roundabouts. I've used dummies for my DC and my friends haven't with theirs, they've used comforting techniques I wouldn't use. I think sometimes parents can come across as judgy not so much because they're actually judging you but more because they want to justify their own parenting choices.

I felt sorry for a friend of mine the other day. We were chatting after nursery drop off and her LO (18 months) was upset in his pushchair. She got out a bottle for him and promptly felt the need to explain to me that he only has them a couple of times a day now, but it's his comfort and they're weaning him down. She didn't need to do that. It was none of my business and I wasn't judging her. She went on to say neither of her two have had dummies. I don't think it was in a judgemental way, more a, "yes, He's still on bottles when I'd rather he wasn't, but look, I'm a good parent because X,y,z."

[Thymeout]

You can't suck your thumb AND play with both hands. But there are children who wander around with their dummies in all day, whatever they're doing with their hands. That's why it affects speech - and the babbling that precedes it. The tongue stays in one position to keep the dummy in instead of moving around the mouth, developing all its muscles.

And dentists can tell if children use dummies. It affects their soft palate?

Fine for small babies, to help them to settle. But beyond that - discontinue asap. It's certainly not a case of leaving till the child decides.

Or that was what I was told.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I don't know what you're talking about strawberry, people can do what they like.

[Supermanspants]

They saved my sanity

[HelsBels3000]

The only think I am anti is thumb-sucking past school age. There are several children wandering around our primary school with thumbs stuck in mouth - up to age 9 and beyond. Its so unhygienic and babyish I guess. I want to shout at them 'get that thumb out!!' particularly when they are talking to me still with thumb firmly wedged in!

[TheDaerieQueene]

I was told by someone that if you're breastfeeding, you shouldn't use them before breastfeeding is established. Not sure why, maybe to do with supply (if the baby is sucking a dummy for comfort instead of on a breast, could this affect supply?) or nipple confusion. But I think, as other posters have said, that it's mostly snobbery/aesthetics.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

You are about the third person on the thread to dub dummy-sceptics "snobs", pyjamas. I found that confusing and was wondering why you would say that.

[Sparklingbrook]

I don't think they look very nice, and don't like the slurpy sucky noises. Maggie Simpson springs to mind.

DS2 had one at 5 weeks because the Consultant shouted 'Will someone get that baby a dummy!'. DS2 was screaming with hunger before his tummy op. It served a purpose for 24 hours but I was worried he would want to keep it.

I think people are worried about prizing the dummies off older babies so best not to start too.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

It's really, really hard to break thumb sucking habit helsbels, I really wanted ds to stop because his thumb was constantly in. I tried plasters, bad tasting nail varnish stuff, socks on hands, constantly removing hands.

In the end he stopped if his own accord. Funnily enough we were just chatting about it, he said he misses sucking his thumb but he tries not to think about it.

[MrsMolesworth]

People who are snobbish about dummies are so tedious! DS1 loved his until he was two and a half, so we got a lot of bitchy comments and judgement. He was speaking at nine months and did full sentences at 12 months and has rarely shut up since.

I think babies look super cute with dummies.

DS2 was a thumb sucker which lasted well into primary school. (Not that it affected him either.

[lightgreenglass]

DS1 had his for bedtime and naps till he was 2. He wasn't allowed them during the day. DS2 had his for 3 months till I got fed up of holding in for him - poor suck due to being a prem so we went cold turkey with him. I am judgy of parents who toddlers hsve dummies during the day, but DS2 is 26 months and still has a bedtime bottle as he's so damn attached so I have to tell myself to shut the fuck up.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

Well people have openly admitted they think that they look 'chavvy' (horrible phrase), lower class, I've had people tell me lazy parents use them to shut the baby up. I find that very snobby.

I didn't use one with my first, i just didn't want to, I didn't take it upon myself to judge other parents who did. It's none.of.my.business.

[TaliZorah]

So it literally comes from thinking they look silly? Weird

Not judging people who don't use them, I just think it's strange some people are so against them.

[StrawberryTeaLeaf]

But that's not all people who dislike dummies being snobs, that's snobs being snobs

[MrsTedMosby]

They're horrible and ugly. But so damn useful! I hated them, vowed no child of mine would have one. They all did, for varying amounts of time.

The only thing I really really hate is seeing a child talking with one, fgs make them take it out and talk. It's one reason mine only had them to sleep - as soon as they were awake (or awake and happy as I had a couple that needed time to wake up and stop being grumpy!) the dummies were taken out.