Dummy? Pros and cons?

[southlondonluxe]

Just had DD2. Didn't use dummy for DD1 as not needed. DD2 is generally happy baby except evenings when can be v fussy (in spite of being fed/changed/warm/burped etc). At this time will suck the life out of her fingers. Wondering whether to try dummy but not sure re pros /cons?

Some babies are 'sucky' and dummies are then a godsend! I guess the cons are:
Can cause 'nipple confusion' if breastfeeding
Can also make you miss feeding cues (again, only really an issue for BF)
Can fall out when sleeping, leading to broken sleep as you're having to put dummy in
Can be hard to give up / bad for teeth if used for extended periods (e.g until 4ish)
You'll need to buy quite a few as they get lost/dirty/punctured.
The pros are:
Contented baby (big pro!)
Able to self settle
Can be removed (unlike a thumb)
Maybe try a dummy, or just let her suck her fingers.
P.S congratulations on your baby!

thank you!

We used a dummy from pretty much day 1 with ours. She's 4 months old now and we have slowly been weaning her off of it, as she's a bit older and can be settled by toys and her hands. There really is no harm in giving your baby a dummy (only after breastfeeding is established if you are BF). Those that steadfastly refuse to give their screaming baby a dummy as they can't be soothed by anything else aren't doing themselves or their baby any favours. Some babies, for whatever reason, do just need that added comfort. Like Figuringitout says, as long as you wean them off of it before about 3 or 4 years of age, there's very little harm done to them.

However, if your baby really is happy just sucking their fingers, maybe they don't need a dummy. While I used to agree with the argument that you can take away a dummy but not a sucked thumb, in reality we found that DD will often try to put her thumb or hands in her mouth when she doesn't have the dummy and wants soothing. I've rambled a bit here. The pro's and con's were really well laid out before my post, but I just want you to be aware that there really is nothing wrong with giving your baby a dummy; no one wants to see their baby crying.

Really helpful thank you both

Pro's;
They soothe crying babies and help them sleep
They're replaceable and widely available(unlike a special teddy)
They're cheap
They're portable (unlike a light show/wean the sheep type thing)
They do less damage to teeth than a thumb
You can be in charge of them (unlike a thumb)
They're easy to keep clean

Cons
Some people don't like the look of them
Erm. .......that's it!

I've never heard of a case of nipped confusion irl and my babies would certainly spit a dummy straight out if they wanted feeding!

DS needed a dummy from birth (wouldn't take one for months but that's a different matter). He had a very strong need to suck which was great for setting us up with a great start to BF but not so great for my sleep and mental well being. In the past he would have been passed to other lactating women in the village to give me a rest, these days a dummy does the job. They are great.

He is a total dummy addict but really only has it for naps, bedtime and in the evening after bath if very tired. He's nearly 2 but I can see its use just gradually declining as he drops naps etc.

DC2 due in just over a week and I won't be hesitating to use one again if needed.

One of my DC had a dummy, another was a thumb sucker. The advantage of a dummy is that it's easier to take away when you decide they're too old. However, the thumb sucker has perfect speech whereas the dummy sucker was speech delayed as a toddler and now, age 6, still has trouble with some sounds. Not sure if that's just my DC though.

Mine had a dummy and he loved it. It was an absolute godsend, and I really don't know why people are so sniffy about them. If it works for you - use it. They'll grow out of it when ready