When to use dummy?

[AllTheOtherNamesWereTaken]

Our boy is 3 weeks old tomorrow and has taken to breastfeeding well. We'd like to start using a dummy when it's appropriate but would like advice on when is the right time/situation?

The other night he'd fed for a couple of hours, was burped, clean nappy but was niggly and not wanting to sleep. I tried the dummy and after a couple of minutes he was sound asleep for 3 hours!

Is it ok to use a dummy if he's hungry to tide him over until I can feed? Or does this cause confusion? Eg if we're in the car 10 mins from home.

Any dummy usage dos and don'ts will be really appreciated we're keen to use when appropriate rather than out of habit and ideally only while he's young

I imagine if hes hungry he wont tolerate a dummy - he'll just spit it out when he realises there no milk.

Dummies are for comfort. My son self soothed from 5mo and I entirely put that down to the dummy. I only use one for my DS for sleep. Essentially you can use one how you want though.

That's a very good point about his hunger, thank you!

So did you give him the dummy after each feed at night time to go to sleep with? Or only if it seemed like he needed it?

Yeah I gave it after every feed before sleep. Not just night sleep, naps too.

I’d use it to help him soothe himself to sleep only.

If you do use it for sleep then try and use it for all sleep including naps. That way it also helps mitigate against SIDS.

My baby never took a dummy (sadly - not for lack of trying on my part!) but they can be a very useful sleep aid. I would only use it for sleep, though, and that way you avoid some of the potential downsides like speech delay.

I gave mine a dummy anytime they were a bit unsettled, and when they were going to sleep. The middle child didn't take a dummy and he was a nightmare baby!

I gave dummy straight away in hospital, think it was day 4. Doing the same this time around. Dummies are cute and look gorgeous on babies. Think I was giving it mostly for sleep if I remember correctly. Took it away at 10 months. Planning on doing the same now:)

Gave mine dummy any time they'd take it. Helped enormously with sleep. Don't believe in 'dummy confusion' nonsense. Plug baby in, go to sleep and try to cram as much milk in during daytime hours as possible!

My experience of the dummy is different in that it caused a lot of hassle at nights when it fell out! The child in question is 6 now and does self settle but still wakes at night sometimes and needs cuddles to go back to sleep.

Also it took us ages to get rid of the dummy they really didn’t want to let it go. So shamefully were 3 when I got rid of it at that point they only used it at night - but one day I just said that’s it no more dummy and they didn’t blink! So wish I had got rid of it sooner. No speech delays just always wants cuddles though which is fine with me. The night wakings to put the dummy back in was a nightmare though!

@Wtf86 that’s why we took away ours at 10 months. It fell out every our or so and I had to wake and stick it back in every hour. There was about 3-4 weeks when I had ZERO sleep and was barely able to stand and walk. We hired a sleep consultant then and she told us to take it and throw it away which we did. Only took 2 nights for baby to forget about it and I was a new person! Doing the same this time around