When to give a breast fed baby a dummy?

[Muminneed22]

My ds is 16 days old by day 12 he had gained 1lb (more than enough weight by the sounds of it) I find he won’t sleep without being attached to my breast but then takes so much milk he’s being sick. Can I introduce a dummy or is it still too soon?

My HV said that a full term healthy baby really should not have any nipple confusion. Neither of mine would have taken a dummy at that age (first not til 3 months, second absolutely refused and never did), but no harm trying. If it causes problems with latch or supply, then you can always just take it away.

I was always very anti dummy until (ebf) dd2 had classic 3 months colic, starting at maybe 3 weeks old. In desperation I bought a dummy - it was the only thing that seemed to give her any comfort.

She carried on with it (mostly when tired) until well into the toddler stage, and TBH it was a godsend - she'd go to sleep anywhere with her dummy and favourite blanket (or what was left of it later). Dd1 never had one, and it was always harder to get her off to sleep. .

Despite what we are often sternly told, dd2's teeth were not affected in the slightest - they were always perfect.

If you want a dummy for soothing/going to sleep purposes, then if I were you I'd introduce it asap. Not a fashionable opinion, I know, but there you go.

I introduced at 5 weeks and breastfeeding has not been affected

Get one now. Sounds like breastfeeding is going well. I will absolutely be introducing a dummy asap if / when I have another baby as DS used me as a dummy constantly for the first 6 months of his life - it was exhausting but by the time I tried to introduce one he wouldn't take it!

I introduced a dummy for sleep at 3 weeks after my daughter was using me to comfort feed herself to sleep. This of course perfectly natural behaviour and there is nothing wrong with it, but it can take it's toll, particularly at night and the dummy can give you some relief.

I still exclusively breastfeed now at 19 weeks, dummy didn't affect feeding at all and she doesn't really use it anymore.