Am I setting myself up for failure using dummy for 1 nap a day

[thenightfeed]

I have 2 DC - 2 year old and 6 week old. DH works shifts so often I am alone with them for bedtime. DC1 never took a dummy so I don’t really have experience of using one. I’ve had the idea to give the baby a dummy in the evening to keep him settled/ facilitate a nap during the toddler’s bedtime routine. My plan is to avoid giving the dummy any other time- including night time. This has worked for the past 2 days, but do you think baby is going to start needing it at other times (which I am keen to avoid), or more likely to just start refusing it?
The baby otherwise only falls asleep whilst being breastfed, or in the carrier/ pram on the move which isn’t convenient when doing toddler bath/ bed! I wasn’t planning on using a dummy initially but it can be difficult getting toddler bedtime done if baby is unsettled. Thanks.

They might end up needing it at other times but so what? What are you ‘failing’ at? You don’t get a prize for no dummy.

Fair point, maybe I worded it badly. I’m keen to avoid baby waking up frequently in the night to have dummy put back in if they end up needing it for night sleep. That’s my main concern! Not the actual use of the dummy itself, i don’t see that as failure!

He's likely to start wanting it at least at night. Does it matter though? Both mine had them and were both breastfed, no speech issues, teeth are fine, both got rid of them around age 3.

I have the same age gap and DC2 had a dummy but not DC1 like you. Tbh I couldn't have got through the first few months without the dummy especially for naps in the cot. Once the balance started tipping out of favour and I was doing dummy runs 6 times a night I got rid of it. That was at six months. Was tough for a couple weeks but fine now and he has learned to self settle. I think you have to do what you have to do when you've already got a toddler! Dummies are fantastic for soothing babies when you can't.

I do think the baby is likely to start wanting it more and you'll start using it more probably as well such as during the day but honestly the other option is often letting them cry so dummy is better imo. I'd do the same again.

Embrace the dummy! DS never wakes for his, has it for naps and bedtime, it falls out when he nods off and that’s it. I don’t understand the anti dummy thing, DD had one too, I make extremely gassy babies who like something to suck after a feed and if it wasn’t a dummy it would be my finger until it went completely white. Did that and it’s shit.

How I envy my sister her thumb suckers.