Too late to back out (relatively painlessly) RE: dummies

[Ricekrispiesquare]

My eldest never had one.

I tried so very hard to not give my first daughter one but she was a very sucky baby so I caved. She's a complete dummy addict and at 19 months I'm starting to reduce dummy time when she's awake.

My second daughter came 4 weeks ago. At first I was absolutely adamant that she wasn't going to have a dummy, then I started popping one in here and there so I could get things done, spend some time with my other children or help her get settled to sleep if she was being particularly fussy.

Already it seems like I'm popping one in every time she's trying to fall asleep as she is getting incredibly fussy without one and I am massively regretting giving her one. It's not even particularly helping any more as she keeps dropping it just as she is nodding off so I'm constantly having to pop it back in when she starts crying.

What should I do? Shall I just accept a few hellish nights and go cold turkey or is there a way to reduce it?

She is fully breast fed and I have tried letting her feed to sleep but when she's tired she get frustrated at the breast and starts frantically shaking her head left to right, mouth open, panting but unable to latch!

Any advice is greatly appreciated

Thank you

I'm of the opinion that I would rather my child suck a dummy for comfort than her fingers or thumbs. At 4 weeks old I would just continue with the dummy for now as if you take it away she may find comfort in her fingers and later down the road it's harder to stop thumb sucking than dummy.

Also just because your DD likes a dummy it doesn't mean your younger one will always like to suck one. My eldest had one till she was 3 then we did the dummy on the Christmas tree. (We was also adamant she wasn't getting a dummy but she was a sucker) now when youngest came along we gave her a dummy and she took to it ok, but by 6 months she wasn't bothered by it so we stopped giving her it.

I would keep it.
Both mine only ever had it for sleeping. My four year old happily gave it up at just before 2.
My almost 2 year old still has hers but only for sleeping and I'm going to try and get it away by her second bday. I don't see it being a problem when it's only for sleeping.
I hate seeing older kids with one in all the time though

better to have a dummy than a finger or thumb,
you can throw a dummy away

If it gives you time to spend with your other dc it sounds like a great help. DC1 never had one, dc2 does, and means DC1 can get some uninterrupted mummy time. Everyone's happier for it.

Keep it. Dummies are great. I love them.