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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Do you ive your breast or bottle-fed baby a dummy?

26 replies

Dozeyland · 13/10/2010 09:33

...

OP posts:
BraveGirl · 13/10/2010 09:38

Breast, and yes, normally just for daytime sleeps - it helps him to settle himself (DS is 18 weeks old!) Never to go to sleep at night time but sometimes if he wakes in the middle of the night and can't quite manage to use his fingers/thumbs/fist to self settle I try with the dummy.
Although he doesn't often want to take it! (He prefers mummy or daddy's fingers)

LaTristesse · 13/10/2010 10:57

I gave my bf DS a dummy at 5 weeks to try and help with his colic. He liked it at the time however it messed his latch up so we haven't given it since. It also masks any hunger cues (rooting etc) at such a young age so if you're bf, unless you're desperate, I'd say try and avoid it until they're older...

PeanutButter99 · 13/10/2010 11:17

I give my DS a dummy to help him settle at night. He's 13 weeks and EBF. I pull it out of his mouth once he's asleep though, if he hasn't already dropped it.
I also give him a dummy when he's crying if I can't pick him up and give him a cuddle, like when we're in the car and he's on his own in the back seat. Have had to stop the car on many occasions to put the dummy back in!!
He hasn't had any problems with latch or nipple confusion, but then he also takes bottles of EBM and switches from bottle to breast very easily. I don't think he cares how he gets his milk, so long as he gets it :o

ayjayjay · 13/10/2010 11:36

I gave EBF DD a dummy at around 4 weeks, shes now 13 weeks old. I use the dummy for daytime naps and to soothe her when nothing else is obviously wrong i.e. fed, nappy checked, winded, temperature checked. She will only take the dummy if she wants it, if something else is wrong she will spit it out so it's not masking other needs.

No problems with latch or nipple confusion and she also switches from bottles of EBM to breast easily.

RunningOutOfIdeas · 13/10/2010 11:51

When DD was 2 days old a midwife in the hospital suggested DD needed a dummy. This was after a really bad night when no one could settle her. DD turned out to have reflux and the dummy really did help. She was EBF for the first few weeks then mixed fed. Neither the dummy or bottle seemed to cause bf problems (until 3 months when DD decided she preferred the faster feeding from a bottle).

DD is now 2.6 and if she had her way she would always have a dummy in. Instead she only gets it for night time sleep and if really upset or if she has worn me down

TheSugarPlumFairy · 13/10/2010 12:00

dd had a dummy when she was breastfed and she kept it when we moved ff. she isnt that interested in it now (6m). I used the orthodontic ones which they cant hold in in their sleep. It would fall out as she went to sleep so she never woke up looking for it iyswim.

lola0109 · 13/10/2010 12:41

DD1 I waited for 6 weeks before trying the dummy as I was worried about nipple confusion, she fed constantly at night. As soon as dummy appeared she fed once! It was a lifesaver for me. Fast forward 2 years and DD1 still has dummy, or dummies, hidden around the house. Would have it night and day and I now have to confiscate them as she has went from saying Granny to Gwanny Sad

She will be giving them to santa, [hopeful emoticon]

DD2, i didn't wait til 6 weeks, lasted 3 weeks and she only takes it for daytime naps and she drops it after sleeping for a couple of minutes.

She'll be 9 months at christmas so the plan is that Santa will get them too. [doubly hopeful emoticon]

getstuffed · 13/10/2010 13:30

Wish to god my bf ds would take a dummy. He's only 3 weeks so maybe a bit little yet.

PeanutButter99 · 13/10/2010 13:50

My DS couldn't suck the dummy at 3 weeks. We'd have to hold it so he could suck and as soon as we let go the dummy fell out of his mouth. He found his thumb after that but would constantly wave his arms and then cry when his thumb came out!

ejgm · 14/10/2010 02:24

Read ethology, zoology and veterinary science. All mammals self suck (thumbs) or inanimate object suck (dummies/soothers/pacifiers) when there is maternal nipple deprivation. Some mammal newborn fixate on their non-nutritive sucking object more than others when human reared like human babies. Lots of examples on Youtube.

marenmj · 14/10/2010 04:09

I gave my EBF dd a dummy at two days. I was trying to be a good little mummy and follow the midwives' advice (6 weeks) when my own mother said something along the lines of "oh just try it already! her latch is great and your milk will come in with a vengeance - if you keep on like this your boobs will explode"

She was right. My milk did come in with a vengeance and my right boob did explode a little bit (and some stretch marks to prove it).

I wouldn't have done it if we had latch problems, but there were none - the whole BF thing surprisingly well tbh.

ClimberChick · 14/10/2010 04:45

gave one around 4 weeks, just for going to sleep. She has it no other time. That's because I didn't want her sucking her thumb and deal with all the comments I knew MIL would have Blush

BaggedandTagged · 14/10/2010 05:17

Yep. Life saver as far as I'm concerned. My son fought the swaddle from Day 1 as wanted to suck his hands but would then hit self in face and get upset. As a result was nearly impossible to settle him without actually pinning his arms to his sides with my hands.

Using the dummy has solved that and also the problem of him "comfort sucking" on my nipples which were getting a bit tired of the attention.

Now 4 weeks old and has had dummy from 4 days. No probs at all with latch/ nipple confusion. He'll spit it out if he's actually hungry and I only put it in once he's fed, burped and changed.

Currently plan to take it away at 3 months.

WelcometotheJungle · 14/10/2010 05:24

May I ask what brand dummies are being given to BF babies?. Mine is 6weeks and won't/can't keep one in.

ClimberChick · 14/10/2010 05:30

think ours are avent ones

Graciescotland · 14/10/2010 05:46

I tried a dummy DS is nearly 8wks but he spat it out. At the same time he's desperate to suckle anything and everything Confused

marenmj · 14/10/2010 05:50

I'm not sure. It was a while ago. I think it may have been Mam. My DD preferred the 'flat' looking ones and hated the natural-shaped ones.

What i want to know is why are all under-3-mo dummies fecking invisible?? Impossible to buy coloured ones so they can be seen after they are thrown Angry

KenDoddsDadsZombieDogsNotDead · 14/10/2010 07:08

My DD had one from about day 3 on advice of midwife (reflux). She has it for sleep mainly now at 10 months (hurray for glow in the dark Mam dummies)

ayjayjay · 14/10/2010 07:11

DD will only take the "cherry" old style ones rather than the flat ones. Tommee Tippee do one in either pink or blue for 0-6 month babies. Boots do an own brand one (also coloured) for 0-6 month babies.

peppaandgeorge · 14/10/2010 09:16

My DD hated the Tommee Tippee "Closer to Nature" ones - just couldn't keep them in. Then we bought a MAM one for 0-2 months and she LOVED it!

Now 8 wks old and EBF and the dummy hasn't affected anything. She will spit it straight out if it is food she wants.

DiethanresurrectZombiestyle · 14/10/2010 09:29

In theory they can keep the cherry teat ones in their mouth easier.

Getting a baby to take a dummy at first is quite difficult ime. They will keep spitting it out and you just have to keep putting it back in eventualy they will get the idea and yes then they are a lifesaver.

Ds was breastfed until 10 months and had a dummy from about 4 weeks we took it off him when he was a year old had one bad night. The next day he had compleatly forgotten and settled for his morning nap without a problem. Dd is now 10 weeks and has had a dummy from about 4 weeks also she is ebf and we've never had a problem.

girlsyearapart · 14/10/2010 09:31

yep my 11wk old dd3 has a dummy. mainly to sleep during the day or if she wakes at night. she likes the avent ones best. she is mix fed.switches v easily from bottle/breast like peanutbutter she doesn't care where the milk comes from!

DiethanresurrectZombiestyle · 14/10/2010 09:34

Will add that we had a 4d scan of dd and she was constantly sucking then. She was even trying to shove both hands in her mouth Grin

SpecterBooAlot · 14/10/2010 10:20

DS has one and we're breastfeeding at eleven months now, so hasn't caused any problems here. He used it more when he was teething as he didn't like teething rings and I put the dummies in the fridge for him to chew / suck on those instead. We're now nearly entirely down to just bed time and naps.

We use the Tommee Tippee orthodontic ones.

CuppaMouldyBatBallsBrothJanice · 14/10/2010 10:29

Yes. There's some evidence that dummy use protects against SIDS. Also I'd rather DS sucked something that he could be weaned off. SIL still sucks her thumb at the age of 39!!

We used Closer to Nature first, which very annoyingly were discontinued. Now I buy bulk packs from the Cash & Carry. I find the natural latex ones are better once baby has teeth. The clear ones get chewed through very quickly.