DH just used baby's dummy 'to see what it was like' aibu to be worried about germs?

[booklady1990]

I am just concerned that sterilising won't be enough is it better to just get another dummy?

It'll be fine.

Years ago, a friend brought out a mobile steriliser for his child's fallen dummies when they were out and about, as a non parent I thought this must be essential.

Now as an actual parent I really struggle to understand why he thought it necessary.

I think it reflects parent's own anxieties rather than the likelihood of anything bad happening.

First baby by any chance?

Well there’s research to suggest it can actually improve baby’s immune system
and prevent development of allergies. It seems we’ve become too clean as a society. It may not be your preference, but I fail to see how it’s disgusting unless the parents have significant hygiene issues.

It’s fine so long as DH gargles with Milton first surely?

I bought one of those for my first! Used the clunky piece of rubbish once and then gave up.

I have never understood the "own mouth" cleaning method! It's so gross!

It will be fine. My baby is always trying to put a dummy in my mouth, he thinks it’s funny to take it back out. It keeps him entertained for 5 minutes so I’m happy to oblige!

The human mouth is about as disgusting as it gets.

I mean... No.

It's literally part of you.

You're not disgusting.

Honestly think this is a batshit form of self-hatred.

Would you kiss someone with that mouth?

You wash it first then sterilise it that's should be fine

@Fancycheese

what about the parents though? Not very nice for them getting germs from sucking a dummy that’s been on a mucky floor

I think generally parents are doing this when it’s fallen on a car seat, carpet, their own floors etc. I certainly wouldn’t do it if it fell on the floor outside, but to each their own!

I mean if you touch it with your fingers you’re more likely to put dog germs, cat germs and bum germs on it than if you put it in your mouth. So I think you are overreacting OP

Will DH be seeing what the nappies are like….

It’ll be absolutely fine.

Unrelated but when DD was little she had a spell of poor sleep, and my Gran asked if I’d tried dipping her dummy in brandy. I didn’t 😂

My mum and dad said they did this regularly when me or my sister were teething.

I guess we have so much more available over the counter now, but back then remedies were based on what was available.

This has always grossed me out. I would rather have dealt with a screaming child than put a dummy in my mouth. 🤮🤢🤮

If I was looking after one of my little cousins who dropped a dummy I sucked it clean as a kid. My aunts did it for their kids and their sibs kids...it What we did....I have 51 first cousins...no one died or got ill because of it!

Dentist here. You can’t get tooth decay from sharing saliva. Imagine if that was the case! We’d never snog anyone ever again

I can just see nipple steriliser been sold in the future, and anxious parents saying ' well you can't be too careful'!

You made a baby with the man and haven’t succumbed yet , so presumably he’s not some form of superspreader whose bacteria will survive sterilising.

You can't catch tooth decay from someone 😂

Unless your child is having chemo/particularly immuno compromised it would likely be beneficial for their overall health and immune system development. There's a strong association with being too clean and a host of allergies for one.

I wouldn't even sterilize it I would just rinse it off in the sink. But certainly sterilizing it would kill any germs that were on it. That's what sterilizing is.

It was my actual dentist who told me that bacteria that causes tooth decay could be passed from a parent to a child in this way. A quick google finds other dental practices saying the same on their website. A look on pubmed does give a more nuanced picture, as you would expect, and it doesn’t seem that the mechanisms of tooth decay are entirely clearly elucidated at present, but as you don’t miss out on anything by not sucking on your child’s dummy, easy enough to avoid I would have thought.

"to see what it was like" 😂