opinions on dummies

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

ds is 10.5wks and the dummy was our life saver during his colicky stage, when he'd take. Think recentky though I've become a bit dummy happy and he is getting to the point where he can't get to sleep without it (well, he can, but only after several screamimg meltdowns and eing rocked/cuddled etc). It's a mammouth effort to get him to sleep for naps and bedtime so whatever works, but I'm becoming a bit obsessed with the thought that eventually he'll start waking for it, and as he's just starting to almost sleep through, I really don't want to then be getting up several times a night to pop it back.

is it too early to be worrying about it, or should I keep trying to at least occasionally help him get to sleep witout it so further down the line we don't have major issues weaning him off it?

Why worry now if they're helping you and are not a problem? DD had a dummy until she was 7 months. Got her down for naps and sleep and she didn't ever wake for it. The only reason we took it away was because her nursery used it all the time and we only wanted to use it for sleeps. She cried 10 mins the first night for it but then never looked back. Tried desperately to get DS to take one but he never would. Whatever gets you the most sleep now and keeps your DS happy now, stick with!

fair play, I suppose I just worry he'll start waking for it at some point - also he's really starting to find and suck on his hands, just wondering if I'm preventing him learning to self-soothe (that'll be the day!)

I think if they're going to find their thumb or fingers to suck they do so at an early age. DS, no dummy, sometimes sucks on his fists and I think that's part of the developmental process and wouldn't necessarily be hindered by a dummy. If your DS does start waking for the dummy then you can can always reassess but they don't all do that.

My DT'S both took dummies from the day I brought them home. They are now 9 mths, and can fall asleep without it, and are no longer waking up during the night crying for it. They did for a while, but I feel they have naturally reached this stage where they need it less. I just went with the flow with regards to dummies and never worried about it.

that's good to hear plj, maybe i should just stick with it and not worry for now

I wouldn't use a dummy for ds1 but have found it very useful for ds2. At 5 months breastfeeding still going well and he is not overly attached. (Would probably rather have me)

My DDs both had dummies, but I have never had to go in the night to put them back in - simply because I take them out when the child is asleep. They used them to help them get to sleep, but I found that once they were asleep, they kind of fell out anyway, so I just took it away at that point. Therefore, they were never used to having a dummy in their mouths once asleep and so waking for one was never an issue.

I allowed complete free access to a dummy whilst my babies were little, but restricted it to bedtime only as they got older. DD2 (2) still has one, and knows that it is for going to sleep only. So if she ever puts one in her mouth, I just say to her 'are you going to bed?' and she takes it out again! DD1 was the same, they never used it during the day, so that was never a problem.
HTH

did you take the dummy out as they were falling asleep or only once they were asleep?