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Parenting

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Original poster

I'm interested to know how many people gave their babies a.....

56 replies

my2centsis · 07/01/2012 07:07

pacifier / dummy?? I did with dd and never regreted it, she was only ever aloud it in bed.

Pregnant with DS I was determine not to have one, but got given some as baby gifts, DS is 4weeks old and not and sleeps an hour and a half, wake an hour at night and he bealy sleeps during the day. He feeds soo much and like to comfort suck on my boob to go to sleep, but will wake when I take him off it. Between lack of sleep, earthquakes and dd I'm lucky to get 4hours a sleep anight.... Am feeling I may give him a dummy but feel like uv failed as this is not what u wanted to do.

Did u give ur baby a dummy? Or not? What are your reasons for and against?

I'm very interested in peoples opinions

OP posts:

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exoticfruits · 07/01/2012 07:58

I would leave it to the baby to decide. DS1 and 3 wouldn't have one but DS2 did-they are all different.

iliketea · 07/01/2012 08:13

i gave my dd a dummy. I ff from birth and she liked to suck something for comfort, cuddling was never enough and my little finger got sore from all the sucking. I stopped it when she found her thumb, at about 4 months. I bought them before she was born as I'd read that there was some evidence it could reduce the risk of SIDS.

LifeOfKate · 07/01/2012 09:37

DS has a dummy to sleep still at 2.1 years old. DD does not have a dummy at all at nearly 20 weeks. She wasn't a very sucky baby until about 8 weeks and then she found her fingers. It totally depends on the child, do what you think is right for each child, it's certainly not failure to use one!

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mrsmplus3 · 07/01/2012 09:45

i gave all 3 of mine a dummy. not forcing it, but offered it and it did 2 great things for us as a family: it gave the baby pleasure/comfort at times when i needed a minute to put on a washing, get more sleep, whatever.

it did them no harm whatsoever as they all came off it around 2/3 and didnt suck on it all day so teeth still in perfect tact!

the only downside was when they lost it during the night. i was up quite alot sometimes trying to find it in the dark. drove me nuts in the end but then discovered that clip thing that can attach to their pjs - lifesaver!

if i had another baby i would offer a dummy again for sure. i dont actually get why some mums are so adamant about not giving a dummy? ive heard some mums being quite self righteous actually about not giving a dummy, as if they are a better parent for doing that? i never got that train of thought.

PippiLongBottom · 07/01/2012 09:54

I gave all three of mine a dummy. I bf my third so he didn't use it as often but I wanted them to have one because I sucked my thumb until I was 13 and my teeth were understandably shocking and needed pretty hardcore orthodontics.

notcitrus · 07/01/2012 10:01

i tried one in desperation when ds hada cold around 3 weeks.
Wouldn't use it.
Offered again with a cold at 10mo, quite liked it, but only had it for naps and bedtime.
Around 2.5, became pretty much addicted to it and still is at 3.4, ie will usually prefer a dummy to a chocolate biscuit etc, despite efforts to restrict to naps and bed - he finds them. New baby is about to arrive so I'm not going to worry until after that settles down, as dentist isn't too concerned yet. He's certainly able to take it out and argue his corner when he wants, very articulately!

Annpan88 · 07/01/2012 10:18

I've never used one but I've never really needed to. Anyway there was never a chance to when he was tiny as he either had my boob in his mouth or was asleep!

bonzo77 · 07/01/2012 10:19

DS was FF. He had a dummy from about 4 weeks til about 10 weeks. After that he didn't want it.

WhatstheScenario · 07/01/2012 10:20

Yes, stopped breastfeeding fairly early on with both babies and felt they really needed something sucky to soothe them in absence of my breast!

DS started spitting his out at about 4 months, DD at 6 months-ish, so I never had to go through the whole horrible cold turkey thing with toddler dummy addicts The bottle, though....that was a different story....

SoupDragon · 07/01/2012 10:20

None of my three had them. I really hate the look of them (personal choice - I don't judge :)) but did have them because I had been told that if you want one you want it now. All three spat them out in disgust. 2 out of the 3 sucked thumbs instead, one wasn't interested in anything like that.

imaginethat · 07/01/2012 10:24

I did. Actually sorta held it in her mouth when she was a newbie until she relented and got on with it. Thereafter she was a very contented baby, barely cried. Had about 13 dummies stashed around the house.

Tried to force on next baby but he wouldn't have it. Just turned it round and investigated the other end.

My thinking being, better a contented baby than a crying baby, and also sudden infant death research which revealed that dummies can be life savers as they remind little babies to keep breathing.

Didn't work with 2nd. Has been word's most discontented sleeper.

So just see how you go...

Notinmykitchen · 07/01/2012 10:25

I tried to give DS a dummy when he was a newborn, he spat it out. I don't see the harm in them if they are used just for comfort at sleep times. I hate seeing toddlers trying to talk round a dummy though!

TheSecondComing · 07/01/2012 10:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flamegirl77 · 07/01/2012 10:25

My baby is 18 weeks and has gone from total disinterest to complete rejection. I wish she would take one, then maybe she would SLEEP.

ellesabe · 07/01/2012 11:56

I don't understand why you are so determined to not give a dummy if you did with your dd and say you never regretted it

I didn't want to give dd a dummy but I wasn't aware of just how much easier it would make life for both my dd and me.

If I have another dc I would definitely offer a dummy if they showed signs of wanting it.

tigerlillyd02 · 07/01/2012 12:01

I gave DS one around 6 months old thinking it'd give me a bit of peace and extra sleep. But then I found a few weeks on I was actually up more often trying to find the bloody thing when he lost it. So, I took it away again. I probably wouldn't try it again with another baby.

LilPud · 07/01/2012 12:08

DD1 was bf and was extremely sucky so rather than lose a boob she got a dummy and what a relief that was! It didn't last too long as she then discovered her 'sooky' blanket which strangley enough didn't actually go in her mouth. DC2 on the way and I wouldn't hesitate to use again if that's what he/she wants. Wasn't aware of the SIDS advice and that just makes me more keen.

Ambi · 07/01/2012 12:22

Yes. It was the first thing I bought when I found out I was pg. DD had it from first born and never struggled bfing. Will def with DC2.

Ambi · 07/01/2012 12:24

It was only used for sleeptimes though and took a hard week just before she turned 3 to wean off it.

mousyMouse · 07/01/2012 12:26

ds never had a dummy.
dd got a dummy at bedtime at 18m when weaning her off bf. but we lost the dummy after a couple of months and she never missed it.

ladyintheradiator · 07/01/2012 12:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nagoo · 07/01/2012 12:30

I tried them but my DCs didn't go for it.

But I remember with DS I used to hold him to me with the dummy in and trick him to save my nipple!

I think you need to take it away young. my DN can't say L because she had a dummy in all the time.

ChippyMinton · 07/01/2012 12:30

DS1 had one for the first few weeks. DS2 loved his as did DD.

If you think it might help, try it. The baby will decide if he like it.

ChippyMinton · 07/01/2012 12:32

IME dummies didn't affect speech development.

insanityscratching · 07/01/2012 12:38

None of my five had one, but then I never offered one to any of them. I don't like the look of them and the brown teats make me heave when I see them (no idea why) Only one of them sucked their thumb for a short while before six months old.
No idea if it affects development of speech but it was the first question the speech therapist asked when they saw my younger two (they have autism)

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