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Infant feeding

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

Dummies for BF babies?

15 replies

Cydonia · 30/06/2012 03:23

Or is it more pc to call them soothes?! I have read its best not to use them 'until breastfeeding is established', how do you know when this is? Is it a bad idea? I was adamant I wasn't going to use them but DS gets colic and after the last couple of days of seemingly endless crying I'll try anything! Plus I sometimes think he's using me as a soother, staying attached at the end of a feed without seeming to be taking much. Would just like a little more sleep if possible, or should I just ride the storm until things improve as he gets older? He's 5 weeks.

OP posts:
GodisaDj · 30/06/2012 03:39

Hi cydonia. You quote the advice to the letter - until bf is established.

The main reasons they shouldn't be introduced early on is because that suckling (yep he's using you as a soother) establishes your supply by telling your brain that more milk is needed because at the beginning, your body doesn't know how much milk to make.

So, if DS is putting on weight, having dirty nappies, perhaps even posseting too, then the extra sucking could be for comfort (boobs were here way before dummy'!) as your body is making the required quantity of milk.

It genuinely is up to you. The dummy police aren't going to shoot you Grin You could limit it to evenings only, or all the time, it's your call.

Obviously eventually they get used to it and perhaps reliant on it to go to sleep but then some babies get reliant on falling asleep on boob too, so you have the benefit of moving away from them if they'll accept a dummy.

I too'd and fro'd for a while but at 2 weeks, cracked nipples due to tongue, then mastitis, i just needed a break of 'sucking' I gave in a offered dd one. She refused it Grin typical. DP and I would take it in turns to hold a little finger in her mouth whilst in the Moses baske and she'd suck on thatt. Some babies are 'sucky' babies- mine use to overfeed by sucking because i had a good supply and letdown, she'd then throw up (over herself and basket) because she'd had 'too' much!

She eventually took a cherry shaped one (the old fashioned style ones) which reduced the sickness and let my nipples heal the few poor latches at the beginning. At 11 months on, she doesn't have it during the day out and about, only for nap or sleep time. Just my personal 'rules'.

Hope you get some rest. Wink

Softlysoftly · 30/06/2012 04:18

Dd2 is a very sucky baby who doesn't sleep I broke on day 2 and forced a dummy on her. She hasn't got nipple confusion in fact doesn't really like them but it helps settle her if she half wakes and I know it's for comfort not food. You just need to be careful not to overuse

FrillyMilly · 30/06/2012 04:37

I broke at 3 days when my nipples started to hurt a lot. I'm still breastfeeding 5 months later. Hes never had nipple confusion.

HappyAsASandboy · 30/06/2012 07:05

My DTs both have dummies (different shaped ones for each, which is a pain, but that's what they would take!).

I gave them dummies at about 1 week because they were both very sucky and wanted to stay on the boob permenantly, which I couldn't do with two. I did feed them as much as possible - literally had one baby or the other latched on me for three months :) I ate, slept and peed with a baby latched. But they didn't get confused, and the now just have a dummy at bedtime and are still breastfeeding at 20 months :)

Dummies can work alongside breastfeeding, but do be very careful not to overuse them or use them to delay the next feed.

exoticfruits · 30/06/2012 07:10

They are two different things and they are not going to get confused!
It also depends on your baby- don't assume they are going to meekly accept whatever you decide! All mine were bf and never had a bottle ever. One loved his dummy and the other 2 wouldn't have one.
DS1 had a blanket
DS2 had a dummy
DS3 had his thumb

exoticfruits · 30/06/2012 07:11

It never delayed a feed - he knew the difference!

FrillyMilly · 30/06/2012 10:14

Do hungry babies really except a dummy instead I a boob? My DS would spit his dummy out with some force of I gave it to him when he was hungry.

exoticfruits · 30/06/2012 10:19

Exactly FrillyMilly-babies have minds of their own!

Cydonia · 30/06/2012 22:19

Hmm ok, might get one to have as a last resort, ie when I know he's not hungry or dirty etc but still crying. His feeding patterns have changed and it's thrown me a bit, is now feeding as frequently but for longer, but crying almost straight away after. Plenty of dirty nappies and gaining weight so I assume he's getting enough.

OP posts:
Jakeyblueblue · 30/06/2012 23:30

I gave my ds a dummy at about 2 weeks. He was bf constantly, which I didn't actually have a problem with, but he was drinking that much milk he was being sick all the time. I gave him a mam dummy which he took and it was a god send.
I honestly don't know what peoples problem with dummy's is? You do what you need to do to soothe your child. And as long as they are used sensibly,
I think that dummy's def have their place. I only ever gave him an orthodontic dummy and I would only ever use it to soothe him, rather than let him have it all the time. He just turned one last week and still has it on the odd occasion and even then, it's Usually when I am at work and someone else is looking after him. He never got nipple confusion and it certainly hasn't been difficult limiting it's use now he's getting older. Obviously if you use a cheapo cherry dummy and put it in the child's mouth at every opportunity, then you are likely to have problems! We are all sensible mums and If you feel like your little one would benefit from having one, then do it. Grin

whimsicalquark · 01/07/2012 00:10

I wondered the same thing with my DD, I had no idea how you knew breastfeeding was established. In the end i gave her a dummy at 2 weeks and she (thankfully) took it straight away. She hasnt suffered nipple confusion (despite also only feeding through nipple shields until 4 m, my poor baby is going to grow up with a serious silicone addiction!! ) Shes almost 8 months and still has it at nap times and at night. I figure its easier to get rid of the dummy than for dd to end up a thumb sucker and have no way of weaning off that
Even in the early days there was no way my baby was accepting the dummy if it was boob she wanted, it used to come straight back out

Cydonia · 01/07/2012 08:43

Jakey I think people have a problem with dummies because they are so often misused. For some reason I've always had a dislike of them, even though I've only just become a mother so had no evidence on which to base my prejudice! I just hate seeing older children walking round with them in, or mothers shoving them like a plug to stop the crying, for some reason I always associate them with lazy parenting. Maybe my mother subliminally passed this on to me as I know I never had one.
Now I have my own baby I can see why they have their uses!

OP posts:
EauRouge · 01/07/2012 08:49

There is some infohere if you want to do some more reading before making your mind up.

Cydonia · 01/07/2012 18:41

Thanks for that eau rouge, it's a 'no' from them really then isn't it?

OP posts:
EauRouge · 01/07/2012 19:23

It's not a 'no', just a heads up that it's not totally risk-free. Many babies are fine with dummies but others are not. It's a personal choice whether you feel you want to try it but it's better to make an informed decision- that way you can be more confident about your choice :)

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