When is it ok to use a soother/dummy?

[Rach35]

I have heard reports that you shouldn't use one until the baby is a month old because of teeth formation? And how is a dummy different from a teat on a formula bottle?

Haven't heard that but my sis had a baby last month in Dublin and was given dummies as there is research to suggest they can help protect against cot death. If the baby is sucking a dummy then the theory is that they will still breathe.

I think dd1 had one at about 2 weeks

dd2 definitely had one before 1 week

No problem with dd1's teeth... didn't interfere with bf, either.

Both were just really sucky babies

i don't get not using one before one month prevents a dummy from affecting teeth? surely it matters more when the teeth are in?

ds used a dummy to sleep until he dropped all daytime sleeps at about 2y 9mo. i think it is the cause of his bottom two teeth pointly (ever so slightly) in the ways. however i took comfort form a post on MN some time ago about baby teeth correcting themselves...

Gave my LO a DT at 3 weeks - found it a Godsend. She spits it out when she doen't want it and doesn't appear to be 'reliant' on it.

we gave one at about 3 or 4 weeks i think
oh the peace....
never had any problems with nipples/teats

Never heard it affecting teeth, thought it was to do with interfering with bf. Which is nonsense, both of mine had dummies from about 2 weeks (would have started on day one if I'd been organised enough) and both bfed (one still is) with no problem at all - would have probably given up if I hadn't had the dummy to stop them sucking on me 24/7. And both were easily weaned off before 4 months, just stopped one day when I sensed they were outgrowing dummies and first child never missed it, while second just started sucking her thumb instead. Dummies rock!

my ds had dummy from when he was first born as he had bad reflux and was advised to do this his teeth are fine lol it only affects teeth if in all day and night my ds 2.4 only has dummy at night now and has done since he was around ayr and half although i will stick it in if he is whining all day lol

That report about cot death was on tv about 2 months ago. It was a spokesperson from SIDS saying it.

I'm sure dummies cut it by about a third

we gave a dummy when ds was soothed sucking our finger and we thought how is a dummy different? except we can go for a wee and not have to contort ourselves into odd positions

DD had a dummy from I think 3 weeks. I had expected her to be like DS who was happy as long as breastfeeding. However, she had a much more sensitive stomach, and although she really wanted to suck, once she had finished eating, she had finished eating and didn't want more milk.

I have to say I did notice that if she had been sucking on a dummy for a while, it would take her a minute or two to get back into breastfeeding, however it was worth using the dummy because she was inconsolable in the evenings (colic?) without it. We used an orthodontic dummy and by 4 months she was a much happier baby and didn't need it any more.

DS had a dummy from day 2, after i realised he was a sucky baby and my nipples were suffering from his sucking sessions. Didn't interfere with BF but he's only 12 weeks, so no idea about teeth yet.

DD wouldn't take a dummy til 3 months old (we tried from 2 weeks!) but we weaned her off it at 5 months, and she found her thumb.

Thank you thank you - feel quite relieved as DD fell asleep quite happily today after using one and then it fell out and she wasn't at all fussed!

Hi - See the FSID advice on dummies reducing the risk of cot death at www.fsid.org.uk/dummies.html

Hope this helps