What made you introduce a dummy?

[Smogtopia]

As the title says... what made you feel a dummy was necessary?

This is not a judgement post! Or a dummy bashing thread! I'm just trying to suss with my PFB if they need one or not.. yes I'm overthinking it but I always thought 'I will avoid them if I can as saves me removing it later down the line / one less thing to make sure I've got and have sterilised etc'

Does PFB need one / will it help with sleep etc?

Because I didn't want to end up with a thumb sucker. You can wean them off the dummy but not the thumb!

They asked if they could give dd one when she was in NICU and I said yes of course. She was ill and I was recovering from a traumatic birth, it gave her a bit of comfort.

Baby cried really hard at nappy changes. My nan suggested it.

He wasn't hard to get off the dummy tho.

My first used me as a dummy, constant boob in the mouth for about 6 months 🤣 I didn't mind as it was just me and her for the most part so I just soaked it up!

With my 2nd, I didn't have the time to be sat nursing him, so introduced a dummy at 4 weeks and he took to it. He's 10 months now and only needs it for sleep and occasionally in the car!

My ds never seemed satiated (bf till day 11 then bottle) beyond the usual cluster feeds etc and at a few weeks old he was crying and I put my finger in his mouth - instant calm. We had a dummy that came with a nuby bottle so tried it and didn't look back.

After a year we only used it for naps, then only for naps not in the car, then night time sleep only then about 2 the dummy fairy came and we never looked back.

I have 5 DC, the 2 eldest had dummies and dropped them around the age of 2 without much issue, my 3rd sucked his thumb from the outset, had no interest in a dummy. He was a fair bit older when he stopped sucking his thumb to self soothe.

I then had a gap of around 8 years before my 4th baby came along, he too had a dummy and settled well with it. My youngest was offered a dummy the same as her siblings but she refused, choosing to suck her middle fingers instead 🤷🏻‍♀️

For my lot it really has been pot luck as to which ones used a dummy and which didn't.

It was the first baby thing I bought after the pregnancy test. I have a low tolerance for crying babies. I think they are wonderful things to soothe babies. They had them for sleep time only and gave them up at 2/3yrs.

Reflux baby, and the dummy helped keep feeds down. It was a pain though because despite dropping night feeds at 8 weeks, he needed a circa 3am dummy replace until he learnt to do it himself at 6.5 months. My other baby was a thumb sucker and tbh that was so much easier.

Tried desperately for both of mine to take dummies to reduce the risk of SIDS but neither of them took them! Ended up just constantly cluster feeding and attached to the boob instead.

Both of mine would have sucked on my breast all night if I had let them tbh. Dummies reduced the night time wake ups, and meant that I could have 5 minutes occasionally to eat dinner, make a coffee or, when I had DS2, help DS1 on the toilet etc.

With DS1 we had to get rid of it at 6 months because he was spitting it out every half an hour at night. DS2 didn't have that problem and still had it until he was around 18-20 months - I remember the HV noting it in his red book at his 1 year check. Managed to get rid of them by accident when I replaced all the dummies with a bigger size - he never took to them and just held them on his bunny comforter/dummy holder

My first used to want to be on the breast for comfort even when not feeding.all day and night. Couldn't get any sleep. It wasn't planned but it was necessary for our sanity at the time

I was openly against dummies, firstborn never had one. Then when we had our second last year she would wake every 20-30 minutes through the night, sometimes take 2 hours to settle and just wanted to be on my nips, but not feeding. I was red raw, sore, bleeding at times and utterly miserable. DH kept suggesting a dummy and I kept refusing. Then we had a night of literally no sleep and at 5am I 'relented' and got one from downstairs that I'd been given for free at a baby event. She fell asleep instantly. She's now 13 months old, only ever has the dummy for nap and night sleep and we will be stopping by two (as recommended by our dentist). I won't lie that I do think they can be 'overused' and research shows this can delay expressive language development amongst other things, but for us having one for sleep to help soothe her saved my sanity.

My family firmly believe their way is the right way of dealing with a baby-only breastfeed,give solids at 6 weeks,use terry towelling nappies etc

rule no 1-never use a dummy
i tried but caved after two weeks
no2 had one from birth to 3 months
no3 had one until about 18 months
no4-never
no5-6 ish months
no6-I honestly thought I’d have to let her have it until she was an old lady (thank god for my mate who just dealt with it aged about 3)

the truth is I needed to sleep
and put them down to have luxury time to pee or eat

but my family will tell you what a failure I am as a mother for tearing up their rule book and doing it my way

For a baby their main comfort is ducking. I didn't want to have baby latched on to my breast all day but I also didn't want to take away that source of comfort.
I also think they are the best way of encouraging independent sleep without ever needing to leave baby to cry.

The nurses at NICU gave DS one at birth (Well after he came off ventilator) as there was new research from lullaby trust about helping to reduce SIDS. They didn’t ask us but we were fine with it (it was the least of my worries tbh)

it was quite useful. From 6 months he only had it for naps and sleep, and then at just turned 2 we took it off him completely at night / naps and he was totally fine. Didn’t look for it at all.

it’s a personal choice. In hindsight we probably would have given DS one if the nurses hadn’t. It was handy in those early days - he was bottle fed too to used it for comfort.

DS had a dummy. He loved it.
DD hated the things. She sucks her thumb.

I think they tend to do one or the other. Dummies are easier to take away.

Gave my DS a dummy the night he was born. I just knew it was something I'd want him to take to.

My DS had a horrible forceps birth and sucking seemed to help initial discomfort. I'd have wanted him to have one anyway because of the reduced SIDS risk - my cousin died of SIDS before I was born and it haunts me.

Teething. We tried a dummy earlier on but DS didn't seem to understand what to do haha. So we decided not to push it. It was only at 5 months when he started teething and biting my nipples/wanting to suck but getting annoyed at the milk coming that we tried the dummy again. He loved it! For us, it makes life so much easier - it's his comfort thing. He can be at nursery or with DH etc and still get to sook. Honestly, we praise the dummy here 😂😂

NICU asked if I wanted twins to have dummies - I said I'd prefer not. Im not a fan personally but each time their own. Wasn't told anything about reduced risk of SIDS etc - they are heavily monitored anyway in there so didn't see the need TBH.
None of mine have used dummies albeit 2 suck their thumbs.

Crying

Tried it with my first and he wouldn't have it. Would wake him whenever it fell out if his mouth so it was a hindrance more than anything.

My youngest likes her's. Finds it soothing.

Babies comfort themselves in different ways. For some, a dummy really helps. Dummies are definitely a lesser evil than having a stressed and miserable baby (and parents!) waking every half an hour or so. If they work for a particular child, I think the advantages of having a soothed and comforted baby (and reduced SIDS risk) outweigh the short-term pain of having to take it away when the time is right.

My DD had a traumatic birth and was in special care for a bit, they suggested it to keep her feeds down and SIDS.

My DS is 2 weeks old and isn't a fan will take it occasionally though but normally spits it out 🙈

Initially colic, but now I’m so glad I did because she self soothes to sleep amazingly well.