Baby addicted to dummy - is this normal

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DD is 10 weeks old and is my first. She pretty much slept the first 6-7 weeks of her life and was a relatively easy baby. She was 6 weeks premature though.

The past 2 weeks or so she will cry until she's purple in the face for seemingly no particular reason. I didn't want to but I started using a dummy on her and it stops her crying in an instant. The second it falls out, instant crying again. It seems as if she gets herself into a frenzy for the dummy - she pants for it like a dog and will stop the moment it's in her mouth.

I feel like I'm almost getting to the stage that unless she is feeding or sleeping she isn't happy unless a dummy is glued to her mouth.

Is such a crazed frenzy for the dummy normal behaviour? She's my first so no real idea what is normal or not!

Thanks :)

Oh and I should add that thankfully she doesn't wake during the night looking for it yet.

I say perfectly normal. Dummies are amazing

Dummies are amazeballs. Don't fret about it.

I was addicted to a dummy until I was six. It wrecked my teeth. Unhelpful

Yes. They're like baby crack.

USEFUL baby crack!

Totally normal. At night I used to put about 6 dummies in the cot with ds. Then if he woke he had a good chance of grabbing one without me having to intervene! He was a few months older than your dd though.

DD just seems like the only baby who is crying and whinging at baby groups and then when I stick the dummy in, she seems to be the only baby with one in her mouth.

I know I should stop comparing to others but I can't help casting sneaky glances in baby massage etc and all the other babies are smiling and looking into their mum's eyes whereas mine is purple with crying or sucking on the dummy like it's crack and looking anywhere but at me

Dummies definitely do seem have magic abilities though.

I suppose I should really be asking is incessant crying when a dummy isn't in use normal? Crying all the bloody time when there is no apparent problem - been fed, changed, winded, had nap etc.

Everyone else seems to have a happy baby apart from me stamps foot

My DS will spit it out! He'll take one to fall asleep occasionally but he's really not arsed. And I sometimes wish he was as it'd be a big help lol

Some babies just have a stronger sucking reflex. Perfectly normal. My DD only has a dummy at nap/ bed time but would have boob instead if she could. Boob is comfort as well as food which is where the suck reflex comes from. I wouldn't worry.

Very normal.
My dd is much the same at 7 months. I will try to work on it becoming for naps ans sleeps later on and then not at all.
Have u thought about reflux? Reflux babies love to suck as if soothes the pain

thanks for the assurances that it's normal. It's an instant frenzied drama once dummy falls out and a different baby once dummy is placed back in mouth - it was the frenzy bit that I thought might be a bit strange!

She very rarely vomits after a feed time to grow (maybe 3 times since she's been born) so I don't think it's reflux though she was put on medication for silent reflux when she was about 5/6 weeks and seems a lot better with it. Dummy addiction only started 2 weeks ago but yes, it could be linked and maybe she is still suffering more than I thought

Yes, sadly the screaming, apoplectic ball of rage (or baby as its otherwise known) is also completely normal. Mine turned into something that more closely resembled a baby at about 14 weeks. She's mostly adorable now at nearly 6 months.

Congratulations

Another 3-4 weeks until she hopefully chills the feck out a bit then! though if I have to go by her corrected age I may be getting the ball of rage for another 10 weeks or so

Thanks for the congrats - same back to you

I don't know if it's worth suggesting, as my LO was a lot older (11 months), but he recently went mad sucking on everything - bedding, toys, hands, spoons, baby gate, changing mat... He also went from 0-1 night feeds to 3 or 4. Turns out he had a double ear infection and the sucking was the only thing that soothed the pain! Worth checking maybe?

The HV is coming this afternoon so I'll mention it to her. Never thought of an ear infection but that could make sense. Hope your LO is better now

Another type of super sucker baby is the one with a cows milk protein intolerance. They have lower gastric distress though especially at night, and acidic poos. Basically they can't digest it properly. So you'd probably have spotted some sign. But they suck constantly too as it helps the bowels move along.

I have three dcs and the other two weren't too fussed about them but DS2 can't go anywhere without it and will cry if he doesn't have it.

Ds was prem and he had a tiny weeny dummy in his incubator in scbu,cant remember why probably to encourage feeding.

Sounds normal

I started using a dummy with dc2&3 as it bought me time. I made sure they were got rid of at six months though. Dc2 shouted for it and sometimes I feel I used it to much but she's 13 now and while both kids are having orthodontic treatment he's said not to be worrying about whether it was dummy caused or not.

Mine didn't like dummies, only breasts so I am envious of your baby's dummy addiction!

Mine sucked constantly and wouldn't only take a little bit of milk at a time - I expressed and bf, so I could see how much he was having, and right up to his last feed at 12 mths he would only ever take 60ml at a time, but suckle for hours. I'd watch in awe and envy at other peoples babies who'd chug down a huge bottle in minutes and go for hours in between!

I now know that this and the unrelenting sleep problems are all classic signs of something physical going on, but I had bad advice at the time and couldn't get anyone to investigate.

At the time I thought it was probably silent reflux, but 5 YEARS later and he still gets stomach pain and digestion problems so is finally getting it investigated, I suspect lactose/ milk/ dairy intolerance.

So, you might have to be insistent, but definitely worth checking out dairy/ milk / lactose intolerance, and other medications for reflux.

Maybe you do just have a baby who loves her dummy, and that's nothing to be concerned about, but maybe it's a sign she's uncomfortable.

Good luck, and don't worry too much.