New born Dummy and BF

[RedCountryRoads]

Hi all, hope you can help. My DD is 2 days old and I want to Breast feed for as long as I can.

I've found that the only way to get her settled is to let her suck on me. (this is after she has been fed, burped and changed)

She is constantly sucking either her hand or clothes and she latches on like a dream. She just seems to be happy while sucking anything

Advice I hear is to not give a dummy as it confuses them but i'm wondering if anyone has done this successfully and if so what product.

TIA

Hi redcountryroads. Congratulations on your new dd2. With dd2 I was told to wait until 4 weeks old to prevent nipple confusion however with dd1 the NICU nurses gave her a dummy at a couple of days old and she went on to be an excellent breastfeeder! Sorry that doesn't really help much!

No it does help thanks. It shows that you just have to do what you think is right. Thanks again.

Red, congrats on new baby :)

It's very very normal for new babies to suck - it's part of their development, part of their need to make social and emotional connections, part of their need to get 'in touch' with you, and part of their need to take in colostrum/milk.

There is not a huge amount of hard data 'proving' early dummy use leads to early cessation of breastfeeding, but UNICEF recommendations are to avoid dummy use, to enable the new baby to get his/her early sucking at the breast, so feeding cues are not missed, basically (though 'confusion' is also thought by some to be a factor). Many new babies want to carry on at the breast after being fed, burped and changed - they may well need more milk, and there is no way of knowing this.

It's just not a great idea to give dummies as early as this. Babies in NICU are a different kettle of fish. If they are being tube fed they get no sucking comfort at all so it can be kinder to give a dummy.

Healthy, term babies are not in the same category. At 2 days old, being close to mum as often as possible is lovely for them and lovely for mum - there is nothing else that needs take priority at this early stage :)

Talk to the midwife about it, before deciding, OP.

Ok thanks TikTok.

I wouldn't give a dummy until your milk is in and everything is settled - you want the baby to be sucking on you now. Saying that both mine had dummies in the car/pram from a few weeks old with no problems, I just didn't give a dummy instead of a breast.