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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

A Dummies Poll

70 replies

Bzza · 04/01/2009 14:10

Hi,
My 8 week year old DS is going through a rough period (for him and I) and i am unsure whether to use a dummy. I hear so many people tell me not to, for one reason or another, yet i am keen to do anything to help him settle.

i would appreciate as many people as possible simply posting a yes they have used a dummy or no they haven't in this thread. If it is a yes, then in what context would also be useful.

Many thanks

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Skywalker09 · 04/01/2009 14:16

I have DS 2.8 who had a dummy from 3 weeks and still has it now just for night time.
Also have DD 8 months who wouldn't take a dummy until she was 8 weeks but has it to settle her. I found it made a huge difference with her as she would not settle in the evenings at all until she found a dummy she liked. She has it now for going to sleep still although am considering taking it away as she does thumb suck on occasion too.

BlameItOnTheBogey · 04/01/2009 14:18

Yes from three weeks to three months. He wouldn't settle without it and it saved our sanity. We took it away at three and a half months which made for a rough week and a half but I'd still do the same again and now he sleeps perfectly. I just think he had an overwhelming urge to suck and nothing else would satisfy it.

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 04/01/2009 14:20

no for both boys - tried with both but they just spat them back at us so we gave up after a couple of days.

DS1 hasn't every sucked anything for comfort
DS2 uses his muslin cloth stuck in his mouth and sucks that (we are going to try to knock it on the head soon as he is 2)

merryandmad · 04/01/2009 14:23

Yes, i have dd1 (age 4) who wouldn't take a dummy- but now sucks two fingers when tired and dd2 (2) who loves dummies and was not introduced to them until I stopped breatfeeding at 7 months as she needed the sucking action to go to sleep.

Now at least when the times right we can gradually decrease dummy- can't cut fingers off!!

Not sure whether it is co-incidence, but DD2 is by far the better sleeper.

littleboyblue · 04/01/2009 14:27

Yes ds had a dummy from 2 days old pretty much all of the time, when he hit 12 months I took it away during the day and he now only has it for nap and bed. He is now 17months.

FWIW it's now thought that putting your baby to sleep with a dummy reduces the risk of SIDS.

ismellofbabysick · 04/01/2009 14:29

DD1 had a dummy it was the omly thing tht settled her, sge gave it up at 3. She only had it for sleeping

DD2 refused the dummy and sucked her thumb, she still does, she'll be 5 next week!

DD3 looked like she might favour the thumb, but i did push the dummy on her as I knew it would be easier to stop than her thumb.

I do beleive if it helps them settle and you have a more peaceful life, dummies aren't so bad.

compo · 04/01/2009 14:30

yes from the first few weeks until as long as they wanted it
both rejected it at about 2 months
it helped them sleep and stay asleep in the first couple of months and hlped me breastfeed for longer as my nipples were no longer in shreds!

missorinoco · 04/01/2009 14:39

yes.

ds used a dummy from 5 weeks. lots of people telling me not to do it, and some telling me to do it. he cried lots, not just through hunger. a nappy change could prvovke a 15 minute session.

after aged one it became for bed times only, and he waves bye to it when he leaves his room. (he's not 19 months.)

NattyPlus2andAHalf · 04/01/2009 14:44

yes both of mine had theirs until last week (they are 18months and 2 1/2)
we invented the dummy fairy who takes them on boxing day and replaces them with a pressie. my 2 year old gave it up no fuss. 18month old was a little young to understand but got over it.

dummies are useful and i know the stigma that seems to be attached to it, and if u dont remove them early it can be a hard to do so.

i would say use it for as long as u feel comfortable with them

2cats2many · 04/01/2009 14:44

I think they're a total lifesaver. I restricted my dd's to bedtime only from 6 months. Will probably do the same with ds.

mawbroon · 04/01/2009 14:51

No, didn't want to use one because I felt my milk supply was only just enough and no more, despite ds feeding non stop (it probably was just fine, but that's how I felt at the time) and didn't want to risk jepordising breastfeeding.

Coupled with a few of the other things here I decided that it was better not to use one but I have no gripe with anyone who does, as long as they know the downsides.

carrotsandpeasifyouplease · 04/01/2009 19:52

Yes at 6 weeks and he started not wanting it at around 9 months, he won't take it now and sometimes I wish he would so he gets some comfort when teething and waking screaming.
It was a life saver in the early days.

boogeek · 04/01/2009 19:53

No, I don't like them.

wotulookinat · 04/01/2009 19:59

I would have gone mad if it wasn't for the dummy! We got rid of them for good when DS was 25 months. It was much easier than expected to get DS to give them up. Will defo have dummies for any subsequent babies.

upsetfriend · 04/01/2009 20:01

Yes but only for sleep at night and naps and occasionally when dd was ill.

Gave it Santa 4 weeks ago (dd 3 next week) and never looked back.

Loved the dummy and this little baby in my tummy will be getting one taped into its mouth from birth

tassisssss · 04/01/2009 20:02

3 children

ds(5) had one for about 2 months between 3 and 5 months or thereabouts

dd(2) has had one since about 2 weeks old and it's been GREAT. Since about 6 months has only had it for naps. Will ditch it when she stops napping during the day (I anticipate this may be a fight but I can live with that, it's been well worth it!!)

dd (7 months) not had one and don't plan to start

roisin · 04/01/2009 20:06

ds1 had dummy from 3 weeks til about 18 weeks. He gave it up himself.
ds2 had a dummy from birth until about 2. We took them away and went cold turkey, just took a couple of days.

They were wonderful for us.

Jojay · 04/01/2009 20:07

Yes.

DS1 had one from 3 months to help him settle alone in teh cot. It worked a treat and meant we never had to do anything like controlled crying. He gave it up on his own accord at about 11 months, along with bottles.

DS2 is 2 months , and has had one from about 2 weeks. He's only take it when he's tired, and it helps him go off to sleep.

I'm breast feeding DS2 still, and also bfed DS1 and never found it interfered with my supply when just used for a few minutes to help them go off to sleep.

They've been nothing but a help and I'd do the same again. I'd rather they used dummies than sucked their thumb, which caused all sorts of dental problems for my brother.

Also, some kids I know formed strong attachments to certain toys and sucked these instead. While you can't always control what they get attached to, now their parents have the hassle of having the 'only 'rabbit' (or whatever) will do' syndrome, and the child goes nuts when they're in the wash or accidently forgotten. At least with dummies, they're hygienic and easily replaced!!

I'm all for them. And LBB is quite right about the SIDS advice too.

pleasechange · 04/01/2009 20:12

I would say yes. My DS was very 'colicky' up to 3 months, and there is no way I could have done without the dummy.

He's now 6mo and is starting to refuse his dummy quite a lot, so it looks like we'll probably be able to wean him off it soon. It will have been well worth it to get us through the early days

hotCheeseBurns · 04/01/2009 20:14

Yes!

I remember the first time I gave ds a dummy, the peaceful, content expression - I felt awful for not giving him one sooner!

It was a godsend, he was so much happier with something to suck on.

And at 18 months I threw them all out and went cold turkey and he was over it in about a day and a half.

threeandcounting · 04/01/2009 21:09

Ds 1 had one from about six weeks old (and wished i had done it sooner, didn't because of family pressure!) until 2 1/2 when he left it for santa!

Dd 2 had one from the beginning until 2 1/2 when she left it for the easter bunny!

Ds 3 never had one-much prefers his two fingers!

I think it depends on the child! Good luck!

pudding25 · 04/01/2009 22:01

We used one from about 3 weeks-16 weeks. It was a lifesaver for me as DD was very sucky. It also allowed me to get her in a really good routine without having to leave her to cry.

However, around 12/13 wks, it really started disturbing her sleep so at 16wks, we plucked up the courage and went cold turkey. Within 3 days, she had forgotten it and was able to self settle (I sat with her until she fell asleep) and 4 days after that, she started sleeping 7-7 with a dream feed.

I would definitely use a dummy again but would also get rid of it again around 14-16wks.

feedthegoat · 04/01/2009 22:05

Ds didn't like dummies. Now 3.2 and still an avid thumb sucker. Whilst i don't particularly like the look of dummies at least you can eventually take it away. I don't have that option with thumbs. I haven't made any kind of an issue out of it though as doubt it would make any difference.

giantkatestacks · 04/01/2009 22:08

No for ds and yes for dd but took it away at about 12 wks as she was waking up every hour for it - it wasnt that traumatic tbh.

UniS · 04/01/2009 22:08

Yes- at 8 weeks it was just as a cue for sleep times.
Boy was breast feed on demand so had lots of suckling as well. He found sucking soothing, so used dummy more when we stopped BF on demand.

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