Interested in facts about dummies... please comment!

[lispy]

Not sure where to start but I often wonder about babies using dummies. There seems to be a real lack of evidence that says they're bad (or good) but lots of opinions eg. "they look bad", or "they wreck their teeth". NOT trying to get into a debate, just wondering if people who have children that used them would write and comment on their experiences.

How long did your child use them?
Did your child use all day or only when sleeping?
Were they difficult to get rid of?
What age did your child stop using one?
Does your child have bad teeth?
Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!)
Did they help your child sleep better?
Did they make your child happier?
Would you use one again?

Thanks to everyone who comments, for what it's worth I've only had a positive experience of using dummies, DS used regulary for first 6 months, then only for sleeps and then gave them up without drama at age 1 after I cut a slit in them! Made us all happier for the first year I think... Now DS2 wont use one but I really believe he would benefit from one. Oh well.

cough

9 children so a quick overview:

How long did your child use them?
Some not at all and some up to 5yo.

Did your child use all day or only when sleeping?
Whenever they wanted it.

Were they difficult to get rid of?
Not really. They more or less gave them up themselves.

What age did your child stop using one?
?

Does your child have bad teeth?
First 4 didn't. Last 5 have.

Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!)
I did with my first teeth.

Did they help your child sleep better?
Yes

Did they make your child happier?
Yes

Would you use one again?
Yes

How long did your child use them? 6 months
Did your child use all day or only when sleeping? ONly when sleeping
Were they difficult to get rid of? no
What age did your child stop using one? 6 months
Does your child have bad teeth? no
Do you or your partner have bad teeth? yes. I look like austin sodding powers
Did they help your child sleep better? NO!
DD kept waking to be re-plugged. Around hourly throughout the night. this is why we got rid.

Did they make your child happier? NOt happier, but helped to soothe
Would you use one again? I'm not sure. any benefits gained were for us outweighted by needing to replug DD when she was sleepping. But lots of children who have them don't need replugging, so perhaps I might.

How long did your child use them?
STILL USES AT 16MONTHS
Did your child use all day or only when sleeping?
HE TENDS TO USE IT ONLY WHEN SLEEPING BUT IT IS AVAILABLE TO HIM AT ALL TIMES. RARELY USES IT OUTSIDE OF SLEEP BUT I DON'T STOP HIM ANYMORE
Were they difficult to get rid of?
I TRIED TO RESTRICT TO BEDTIME A FEW MONTHS AGO BUT HE GOT FAR TOO UPSET, EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T REALLY USE IT THROUGH DAY....
What age did your child stop using one?
I HOPE TO TAKE IT AWAY WHEN HE IS 2-2.5
Does your child have bad teeth?
NO
Do you or your partner have bad teeth?
(thinking about genetic bad teeth!)
I WAS A THUMB SUCKER FOR QUITE A WHILE, SO MY TEETH AREN'T STRAIGHT
Did they help your child sleep better?
YES
Did they make your child happier?
YES
Would you use one again?
YES

How long did your child use them? STILL USING AT 2.5 AND 1.5
Did your child use all day or only when sleeping? oNLY FOR SLEEPING OR WHEN POORLY IN THE DAY
Were they difficult to get rid of? DON'T KNOW YET, BUT AM HOPING THEY WILL STOP THEMSELEVES
What age did your child stop using one? N/A
Does your child have bad teeth? NO
Do you or your partner have bad teeth? MY DH DID(thinking about genetic bad teeth!)
Did they help your child sleep better? YES
Did they make your child happier? YES
Would you use one again? YES

How long did your child use them? ds1- just over 3 yrs
ds2, still has one (13 months)

Did your child use all day or only when sleeping? usually when sleeping, but during the day if he was upset or poorly. it was basically a boob substitute

Were they difficult to get rid of? no. he posted them to some baby dinosaurs, and the dinosaurs sent him a toy he reeeeeeeeeally wanted

What age did your child stop using one? he was just over 3 yrs old

Does your child have bad teeth? no. dentist has said he has lovely teeth

Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!) yes, mine are AWFUL. dp's are lovely

Did they help your child sleep better? yes and no. helped him settle better first thing, but many trips into his room during the night to find the dratted thing

Did they make your child happier? yes. if I had been breastfeeding I would have offered breast when he was poorly/unwell/couldn't sleep. I wasn't and this was his comfrt substitute. so yes, def happier

Would you use one again? absolutely

Thanks, I really appreciate all responses as I often hear negative comments and I wonder where people get their opinions from. I'm hoping if enough people respond we'll get a bigger picture of what dummies actually do for/to a child. More replies please!!!!

How long did your child use them? dd1 until 2 years, dd2 15 months and still has one.

Did your child use all day or only when sleeping? Only when sleeping, occasionally when ill, dd2 is ill at the moment so sometimes has one when awake.

Were they difficult to get rid of? dd2 gave hers up very easily in return for a "birthday cake and candles"

What age did your child stop using one? dd1 2.5 years.

Does your child have bad teeth? No, her teeth are perfect according to the dentist last week.

Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!) We both have good teeth.

Did they help your child sleep better? Yes.

Did they make your child happier? Yes.

Would you use one again? Definitely, was not very keen initially but proved to be a nipple life saver as both dd's would have breast fed constantly, dd1 spent the 1st 6 weeks permanently breast feeding from 5-11pm, Was nice to to be able to eat properly again!

How long did your child use them? From four weeks to present (14 months)
Did your child use all day or only when sleeping? Only when sleeping
Were they difficult to get rid of? It's moderately difficult if I try to get him to sleep without one, but he can do it.
What age did your child stop using one? He hasn't yet
Does your child have bad teeth? Not so far
Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!) Dh has pretty bad teeth but he doesn't look after them
Did they help your child sleep better? Yes
Did they make your child happier? Yes
Would you use one again? Probably if needed.

How long did your child use them?
DS1 from 3weeks to 2.8yrs Ds2 never taken one, and not for want of trying!

Did your child use all day or only when sleeping?
Depended on his needs at the time. After his 2nd birthday we went cold turkey to nap and nightime only.

Were they difficult to get rid of?
No, because we'd talked about no more dummies if he bit through the last one, and when he did he only asked the once. I firmly believe you either get rid in the first year or wait till you can reason with them at around 2.5 - 3 yrs.

Does your child have bad teeth?
Not bad teeth, but he has a slightly enlarged gape, i.e. his front teeth protrude fractionally more than they should. This is an incontrovertible fact of using a dummy according to my dentist and I've no reason to disbelieve her. Having now given it up the gape will settle and won't affect his adult teeth. So overall I don't consider the dental thing a problem with dummies.

Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!)
No

Did they help your child sleep better?
Oh god yes, we'd never have survived the second year without it, any of us.

Did they make your child happier?
See above

Would you use one again?
Yes and I wouldn't feel a shred of guilt about it.

ds
6 months
only when sleeping
no, he ditched it himself
6 months
no
no
we think so
not really as only used for sleep
yes

dd
still using hers 7 months
for sleeping or when grisly

she sleeps better with than without
it makes her happier if she's grumpy
yes

How long did your child use them?
DD - Hardly at all, from about 2-4 months - wasn't interested.
DS - Still going strong with his at 15 motnsh

Did your child use all day or only when sleeping?
DD only when sleeping
DS only when sleeping now, except in extreme circs like going nuts when we're in a cafe or if he's really over tired and cranky or cutting teeth. When he was younger, he'd have it in the day too.

Were they difficult to get rid of?
Not at all with DD
I'll tell you when I try it with DS!

What age did your child stop using one?
4 months
DS still using his.

Does your child have bad teeth?
No, they both have great teeth!

Do you or your partner have bad teeth?(thinking about genetic bad teeth!)
Nope. Perfect gnashers all round!

Did they help your child sleep better?
With DD - maybe, in the earlier days - not much difference, she wasn't bothered.
DS - like night and day. He sleeps blissfully with his dummy and if he ever wakes, which is rarely, once he has his dummy back he's straight back to sleep.

Did they make your child happier?
DS LOVES his dummy. I once started a thread when he was 9 months saying I thought I should get rid and most mums were like "WHY?" Why take something away that obviously gives him comfort? I light bulb went on and I thought, they are right, why put him or me through the heart ache. I trust my instincts to know when he will be ready to give it up without too much of a fight.

Would you use one again?
Absolutely.

And for what it's worth, I didn't BF DD, even though she barely used a dummy, but I did BF DS for 6 months and the dummy had no adverse effects on it.

How long did your child use them? He has had them since birth and still has it now aged just 2.

Did your child use all day or only when sleeping? Between 1 and about 20 months it was only at night but as the tantrums set in the dummy came back into use in the day.

Were they difficult to get rid of? I'm not expecting it be easy.

What age did your child stop using one? Still using it!

Does your child have bad teeth? I had a dummy until I was 4 and I have fab teeth.

Do you or your partner have bad teeth? No.

Did they help your child sleep better? Oh yes!

Did they make your child happier? No necessarily happier, but is comforting.

Would you use one again? I would let any future kids have one, if that's what you mean.