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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Wil a dummy be detrimental to breastfeeding?

20 replies

MadameJ · 05/08/2013 08:10

I am not really a fan of dummy's but dd is really hard to settle at night (she is fab in the day). She doesn't really fall asleep whilst feeding and so I feed her and put her down sleepy but immediately she starts fidgeting and trying to suck her hands, I have offered the breast again but she usually refuses. I have tried rocking, shushing etc but this seems to wake her up more!! DH suggested a dummy but what do you lovely ladies think and will there be any negative impact on breastfeeding?

OP posts:

Sheshelob · 05/08/2013 08:11

Not in my experience.

mrsyattering · 05/08/2013 08:16

breastfed ds till he was 15 months and hs had a dummy. no issues at all. He's 4 now can' t get the dummy off him though

Original poster

MadameJ · 05/08/2013 08:26

I think that's one of my biggest issues as my younger brother had his dummy until he was 6 and it really affected his speech!!

OP posts:

HappyAsASandboy · 05/08/2013 08:33

My breastfed twins both had dummies. They wanted to suckle but not on my breast as not hungry, so they spent the first few weeks of their lives suckling on my clean little fingers. Two babies, two little fingers plugged in - I couldn't move or do anything as both hands taken up!

Once my twins were about one, and understood that we were going downstairs for breakfast, I started saying 'dummies and teddies in the cot' and enforcing it before we went downstairs. They're two and a half now, and 'dummies and teddies in the cot' is still said before we leave the bedroom in the morning and after naps. It is a useful way of making dummies a sleep aid rather than a speech inhibitor.

I don't know when/how we will give up the dummies, but while it is just nighttime and naps, I'm glad they get comfort from them and not their thumbs!

Overcooked · 05/08/2013 08:33

I found it a bit problematic in the very early days, first week or two as they wouldn't open their mouths wide enough to BF after having it but that passed fairly quickly. DD gave her dummy to the 'dummy fairy' fairly easily at 2.3, DS is still on,y five months.

NaturalBaby · 05/08/2013 08:38

The only time I found it a problem was when desperately trying to get a tiny dc3 into a sleep routine but he was still genuinely hungry.

BabsAndTheRu · 05/08/2013 08:42

Used a dummy with all three of mine for comfort after a fed otherwise they would have just kept going but not for milk just comfort. Never effected they're feeding and can be really useful with breastfed babies to settle them. Always made sure they only had dummy when sleepy not when up and about so you don't have the issue of trying to get the dummy of them when they are three. Worked a treat.

Original poster

MadameJ · 05/08/2013 09:09

I think I may try one, are there any suggestions for which type to try with her first?

OP posts:

Hermyninny · 05/08/2013 09:14

Eldest dc had a dummy from 2 weeks until he was 2. Generally just at nap/bed times or during teething. No problems getting rid of it and he breasted until he self weaned at about 2.4years. Youngest DC didn't want a dummy and was a much less sucky baby generally.

CityDweller · 05/08/2013 13:31

I've been trying the dummy for daytime naps with mixed success (mine goes down at night but is hard to get to nap). She does seem to like sucking it, but gets frustrated once she realizes it's making her sleepy and kicks off screaming (grrr), but sometimes it sends her off before she gets to that stage. But, then she'll wake up when it falls out... I'm also worried about replacing our previous jiggle-to-sleep crutch with this one. I'll probably keep trying it for a couple more weeks and if it's not consistently working by then, give up. Mine is nearly 4 mo

I just got the Avent ones from the supermarket. They're orthodontic and come in different age ranges.

Have you tried a white noise app? I downloaded one for free to my phone and that sometimes works to get her to sleep or calm her down if she's getting frustrated and crying when she's tired.

Original poster

MadameJ · 05/08/2013 13:50

I have tried white noise and it doesn't really seem to have much effect. I think the main problem is that she is sleeping most of the day and having her awake time when I would like to sleep. I know it could be much worse as my first dd never slept day or night without suckling at my breast but I find it so frustrating and tiring!!

OP posts:

CityDweller · 05/08/2013 19:18

How old is lo Madame? Is it just that they don't know day from night yet? Have you tried the whole lights on/ curtains open/ plenty of noise thing during day vs quiet, dark and calm at night?

wellieboots · 06/08/2013 08:47

How old is she and what is her daytime sleep like? Could she have day and night still confused or just not be having enough awake time during the day? We use a dummy but DD wasn't interested in it until about 5 months. Nearly 9 months now and no idea how t get rid of it!

FreeButtonBee · 06/08/2013 10:35

I found it made my DTS's latch sloppy. But he had a very bad TT to start off with. I ditched after a week as it really didnt help that much and he was starting to really hurt me when feeding.

I think I was an unusual case though.

mamamidwife · 06/08/2013 11:11

The theory is that a dummy is only detrimental while trying to establish breastfeeding, not once established, (but this idea I think comes from the WHO 10 baby friendly steps which are not really aimed at first world countries anyway)
In my experience a dummy did not interfere with breastfeeding and rather improved my sanity! So dare i say its probably worth a try...
you should do what's right for you.
Good luck

Original poster

MadameJ · 06/08/2013 13:39

DD is only 6 weeks and she settles amazingly well during the day but she definitely has day and night muddled up despite the fact that I do the whole light, loud days and very chilled nights, I have a toddler so obviously noise levels in the day are very high. I think maybe (as I feel slightly better today) that I just need to wait a little longer for dd to get a little more clued up in regards to day/night as I appreciate it could be so much worse. Im also hoping that as she manages more awake time in the day she may become easier to settle at night x

OP posts:

Discolite · 06/08/2013 20:16

I use one with my 21 week old DS - I hadn't even thought about them before giving birth but he was given one by a SCBU nurse at 6 days old (term baby btw) and he LOVED it. He's a very sucky baby, but he now only has them for naps and night time.

I would say that at 6 weeks breast feeding is usually considered to be established. So I would give it a go! My favourite dummies are the glow in the dark MAM ones - they make finding them in the dark just that bit easier and it's cute to see the dummy moving about in the dark!

mamamidwife · 06/08/2013 21:04

I always use the mam ones too, love the glow in the dark

mrsyattering · 06/08/2013 23:23

we use tommee tippee orthodontic dummies ds no speech issues he only has it in bed now and knows hes giving it up before the summer holidays next year...although he spits it out once hes asleep now

KeepTheFaithBaby · 07/08/2013 11:47

At 6 weeks it'll be fine to try. However my DD point blank refuses to take one! Tried 4 different types now and DH refuses to buy any more. So yes worth a try but be aware that she may not be interested.

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