Nursing to sleep vs. dummies for comfort

[RockabillyKitty]

I've noticed my 6mo wanting a quick suckle on the boob to get to sleep for a nap. Should I give him a dummy? He's never had one up to now. I've heard they can lead to bad habits.

I had the same problem and found my daughter just suckled a dummy for 5 mins and it fell out when she dropped off. My nipples were getting really sore with her just comfort sucking so was a relief for me x

I'm think about this too but a word of caution, I'm currently battling with my 2.9 year old to drop the dummy.

I guess each child is different. Our Ds1 didn't have a dummy until he was 5 months old and then rejected it of his own choice at about 10 months when he was teething which I was relieved about! Our 12 week old Ds2 has had one since 3 days old so have no idea how this one will pan out .....I do think I have made a rod for my own back but it does get him to sleep. I guess you can never tell - you might find he doesn't actually want it and prefers boob instead!? Sorry not too helpful, just my experiences x

I guess it's swapping one thing to get then to sleep for another! At some point they will need to learn to settle without anything. And it just depends when you feel it's the right time to tackle it!

My dd nursed to sleep for all naps then refused o be put down in her cot and bed time till about ten months for last few weeks we have worked on self settling for naps and she will now settle after a couple of mins.

My DD would not take a dummy when our ENT surgeon reccomended trying it to keep her tongue moving at 4 months! So at six months they might not take it either.

all 3 of mine had dummies for sleep times and I would let them fall asleep on the boob in the evenings if they wanted to. they are all happy, healthy and sleep well, I wouldn't stress about it. in my experience regular bedtime routine in the evening is the most instrumental for encouraging good sleeping habits and self settling.

DS1 got a dummy at 6.5 months to help him go to sleep without a boob in his mouth (I was stopping to start trying for siblings). We only ever used for sleep in the cot but it helped enormously. Took him a few days to get the hang of it (and had rejected my mum trying to give him one at an earlier age).

We didn't take it away until 2.5 years (as only in bed) and was v easy as by that age we could explain the dummy fairy had taken it for another baby and he got a lovely present instead.

same, and I didnt take them a way until 3. no drama and 3 years of peaceful evenings to show for it. I am a real dummy convert after being initially against them. only bad habits I can see is if you let them wander around with them all day and out of the hose which looks awful and could affect teeth/speech I guess in the extreme. mine only ever had them in their cots for 10 minutes going to sleep and gave them up easily without a fight around three when the dummy fairy came and left a present. one jut have it up himself just before three when moved to a bigger bed.

advantages far outweigh disadvantages IMO for Baird that take to them. I am a convert.

It's up to you, at a certain point you'll have to "teach" him to go to sleep without sucking, so decide whether you want to tackle it now as a 6mo, or later as toddler. If it helps it was about 6 months that I stopped feeding my DS2 to sleep, he's never had a dummy. DS1 did have a dummy, I think it depends on the child as to whether they'll take it.

It's your decision, but I personally wouldn't want to stop comfort sucking on a breast to something inferior and with disadvantages to the child over the breast.

They won't want to nurse to sleep forever and you certainly won't have to teach them not to need it to get to sleep. They will naturally grow out of it. Would be much handier if they'd just feed to sleep forever....