3.5 week old baby - can i start using a dummy to lengthen time between feeds?

[helpivegottogivebirth]

Never thought I'd need to use a dummy but have changed my mind.

Polly feeds roughly every 2 hours during the day - little and often. Basically if she creis, and has been changed or winded, then it means she's hungry. I thought of introducing a dummy to try and widen the gap, and hopefully increase her appetite for when she does feed. what do you think?

And can you use dummies at night? I'm not sure i want her addicted to it, but for my own sanity and the thought of a bit of sleep i would give it a try.

Do dummies increase wind problems? She doesn't wind well either - and infocol didn't seem to have that much effect on her.

Any dummy thoughts, hints, tips, advice would be welcome.

thanks

[NellyTheElephant]

I see you have decided against a dummy for now, but I just wanted to add another opinion. I have sworn by a dummy in the early stages (from a few days old) with all of my 3. They were all v v v sucky babies and the dummy was a godsend. I never had any trouble distinguishing the need to feed and the desire to suck (the dummy would be unceremoniously spat out and crying would start). Given I have teeny tiny babies (around 2nd centile) and they have all shot up to above 75th within 6 weeks I clearly fed them enough despite dummy use..... My eldest 2 both gave up their dummies by 4 months (at which point their thumbs unfortunately became constantly rammed in their mouths, if I put in a dummy they just spat it out and put thumb in instead so no chance of staving off thumb sucking). DS now 3 months has no interest in dummy and constantly sucking his fist.... some babies are just sucky and the dummy helps until they get the motor functions to suck hand / fist / fingers instead (which of course creates a whole new set of problems!). Despite my use of the dummy I would still say I fed (or in case of DS still am feeding) on demand if that makes sense, though the dummy probably did mean that feeds were spaced out a bit more (although that wasn't really my plan, I just wanted happy, non screaming babies). Sorry, I'm rambling, I just don't see the dummy as a bad thing or something that has any detrimental effect on breast feeding. Sometimes I think people ascribe too much weight to dummies - they aren't really a big deal, my personal experience is they didn't interfere with feeding and for some babies they work wonders, if you feel like it would help, then try it - it's not a huge issue.

[kittypink]

I've definately read that fsid recommend it in the literature I had when pregnant last year. I do think that it is because of fairly recent research that the advise was changed.

As with many things, the advice changes so often its hard to keep up!

[Babieseverywhere]

kittypink, Just checking that you do know that dummys are fake breasts not the other way around

There is no problem with babies being at the breast as long as the mother and baby like. Likewise I can understand the pull of dummies. I tried introducing them to both my children but they would not take them.

StarlightMcKenzie, That is how I read it. Dummies seemed to have a protective effect (they didn't know why and it could just be sucking something so a thumb or breast would work as well)
But if a child who was use to a regular dummy did not have one at night as a one off, their sids risk increased higher for that night, than if they never had a dummy ever. Not clear cut at all. Plus the research was sponsored by a dummy manufactor

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

I thought the research was that taking a dummy away from a child who had had one might cause a problem..

[amberflower]

I totally agree that you should not sleep train a young baby or 'force' it to sleep through the night. But what if they do it naturally? Is that a problem? I mean, DS just gradually went longer and longer through the night from a late 10:30ish feed, initially feeding at around 1:30am and then going longer and longer (I would always offer a feed the minute he woke in the night aand never tried to 'stretch' him out) of his own accord. Then one morning when he was about 9 weeks I just woke up one morning and it was 7am. The next was the same, the next and the next....no sleep training, he just 'went through' all by himself. His cousin did the same at 4 weeks and I know of other breastfed babies that simply extended the night feeding until they were pretty much 'going through' with no 'forced' sleep training at all, often by 6-8 weeks. It is not that usual, admittedly but some babies do just sleep through very young.

But - is that now considered dangerous then according to SIDS? Is the current advice that you should you wake the baby during the night even if they show no sign of waking, to get a feed into them even if they are not demanding it, to stop them going into that deep sleep and to cut the SIDS risk?

Just interested because it is 5 years since I had DS, and am currently pregnant with my second. Not that for one minute do I think I am going to get another through-the-night-at-9-weeks sleeper , but would be useful to know. I would hate to inadvertently allow anything that would put baby at risk if I did by some miracle get another natural 'good' sleeper...

[Gemzooks]

amberflower, both mine have done that, gradually going longer from 8-9 weeks, I see it as normal, the baby gets bigger, happier, more used to life, knows that night time is for sleeping, takes enough milk and one day they sleep through and keep sleeping through. I don't know why it's seen as odd or anything.. I would not have left them as young babies of a few weeks old to go too long, in fact I still wake DD 15 weeks at 11-12 for a late feed, and will carry on doing that till she sleeps through solidly every night, but you expect babies to start sleeping through the night around 4 months, for example, as long as they're well fed and happy...