Use of dummy when breastfeeding-experiences please

[eggontoast]

Has anyone successfully used a dummy in the night between feeds when the baby wakes for suckling comfort?

My first was awake between 1am - 6am every night till at 12 weeks I had to co-sleep to regain my sanity. For safety reasons, I dont really want to co-sleep this time till about 1 year old.

I know this baby could be different, but I just want to have a plan. I have also got a rocking crib this time in case baby likes to be rocked to sleep. Had stationary basket last time.

I have used a soother and a rocking crib beside the bed to help my dd back to sleep when she wakes during the night. She will tell me fairly fast if its a munch she's after but she has been sleeping ten hours straight since she was nine weeks. Touching LOTS of wood now because she is only fifteen weeks now and I am a first time mum so who knows. We were abroad last week and so she's a bit upset in her routines and last night and night before woke chancing her arm for feeds. I managed to get her back to sleep using soother and rocking. In my book I see nothing wrong with it.

Try it and see. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, you've lost nothing.

Dummies worked very well for two of mine, didn't affect bf at all, both had a dummy from a few days old.

DD wouldn't take one.

I did it with DS and it worked and didn't put him off the breast. BF for 7 months.

dd1 loved it
dd2 wouldn't take it but is a thumb sucker...goddammit
both fine with the BF

DS was BF and had a dummy. It caused no problems with BF. We started using it at about 5 weeks, but that was after 4+weeks of using a finger instead.

Only thing I would say is that (obviously!) they can't put it back in overnight. Worth attaching a muslin or something to it to aid any late night rummages to find it.

Thanks everyone. My first rejected it outright, but I think I will give it a go. Anything for a little more sleep at night, well, almost anything!

Sam wouldn't take a dummy and still won't - I think he didn't like the taste as he always screwed his face up when you tried.

SorryThisWasn'tMoreHelpButThoughtYouShouldKnowNotAllBabiesWillTakeADummyTiggaxx

a dummy makes my DD gag otherwise I would definitely be trying it during the night

The only thing I would say is to make sure that your baby is feeding well and your milk supply is well established before starting using a dummy, especially at night. Night feeds stimulate milk production in the first few weeks.

If DS wanted milk rather than dummy, he spat the dummy out and continued crying. So IMO you can tell if hungry or just comfort sucking. For me, introducing the dummy (at about 2 weeks) had no impact on bf which continued successfully for ages. I wouldn't tie anything to your dummy though, I'm picturing a muslin attached to dummy and lying over baby's face.

My DS was the same as Iggi describes - would reject dummy if hungry. I introduced the dummy at about 2 days because he was a very sucky baby (ventouse) and my nipples were bleeding. AS Mears says - ideally make sure feeding well established first. We did verge on nipple confusion a couple of times but when that happened I just withdrew the dummy.

DS is 14 months now and still bf and using dummy. Now I just have to wean him from both at some point!

DS1 had one from 6 days until a couple of months, when he started refusing it. DS2 had one from 2nd night and still uses it for getting off to sleep at 11.5mo.

I BF DS 1 for 11 months until he weaned, and am still going with DS2. Dummies didn't make the slightest difference to breastfeeding - except that not using them would have meant the little buggers darlings would probably have sucked my nipples off within days!

I would just try it and see - I was worried about giving a dummy so soon as I read somewhere it could interfere with BF but it became very clear that both needed something to suck CONSTANTLY at night and it wasn't going to be me...!

Good luck!