Comfort sucking ff 2wo: best practice (temporary) dummy use?

[dizzy77]

We're ff'ing our 2wo DS2 on demand. Some feeds, particularly at night, he wakes, roots and cries so we offer a bottle. He can then spend an hour or so "nursing" half an ounce of formula, taking it into his mouth and letting it dribble down his chin, before dropping off and waking again a bit later to sink 3oz or so.

We're considering introducing a dummy at night with some reluctance (DS1 is 2 and still has his for sleepy times). Presumably, if DS2 was bf this would all be part of him "ordering up" more milk to get my supply going, but since he isn't and I don't have to worry about nipple confusion etc can anyone advise how to manage this?

I think you've totally worked out why he's doing this and that a dummy would be useful. Sounds a good plan imo

I would definitely try a dummy!

Thank you! How best to use the dummy? Would prefer not to come to rely on it all the time and I'm not sure what's most helpful. I don't want to deny him the comfort as he's so tiny right now, is there a good point to remove it? (Either per night or at a certain age?). Have been too chicken to even try separating DS1 from his dummy overnight until we can have the "dummy fairy" conversation (he's not there yet).

We gave DD a dummy at 8 weeks as the GP suggested it might alleviate some of the symptoms of her silent reflux.

We removed it at 6 months when her reflux was finally under control through medication. We gave her a very thin muslin (Olly & Belle) to hold/suck in her cot as a replacement. It does not come out of the cot.

This works for us but I don't think babies are supposed to have anything in the cot until 12 months.