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Pregnancy

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Original poster

What are your thoughts on Dummies?

64 replies

Rooroo1012 · 24/09/2018 13:25

I'm 35 weeks pregnant with DS2 and I'm wondering whether to bother with a dummy.
DS1 never really liked using a dummy so by the time he was 2.5months old, he stopped using one. Even getting him to use one was difficult as he would constantly spit it out.

Do babies really need them?
Anyone out there that is planning on NOT using one?

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Shmithecat · 25/09/2018 15:11

I wish my ds would've taken one when he was an infant! But he flatly refused. Every shape and size. Still uses me as a human dummy nearly 3 years on...

Girlwiththearabstrap · 25/09/2018 15:31

I tried with both of mine and they weren't interested! I think they're fine though.

The advice to wait till bf is established isn't an old wives tale, it's because dummy use can stop babies cluster feeding and lead to a drop in supply in some cases. As long as you offer a feed before the dummy and pay attention to hunger cues it should be fine to use from birth.

As far as being proven to reduce sids, the lullaby trust just says there is some evidence that it may reduce sids. They definitely don't recommend it the same way they recommend back sleeping etc so there's no harm in not using them.

MyHusbandSaysIHave1000MNNames · 25/09/2018 15:48

I really loathe the term dummy for a soother/pacifier. As for the product itself, our daughter really loves it.

Maybe just buy 1 to try. 🤷‍♀️

Goostacean · 25/09/2018 15:52

I am really against them, but it’s a completely irrational hatred 😂 Never introduced it, and baby is completely fine at 8mo. I wouldn’t buy any for DC2, if and when we have them.

Jackiebrambles · 25/09/2018 15:57

Interestingly my son sucked his thumb until he learned to roll over, and then he couldn't quite figure out how to suck his thumb as well! Then the dummy was a great help.

See also - the car. Dummies can be a life saver if you've got a baby who hates being away from you in their car seat!

I didn't have a dummy but sucked my thumb until I was at least 8 years old. Had to have a brace. Neither of my dummy loving children has attempted to suck a thumb after they ditched dummies.

cece · 25/09/2018 16:04

I have 3 DC. I didn't use a dummy with any of them. I'm not really sure what they are for and never felt I needed them.

QuickWash · 25/09/2018 16:05

DC1 - I was keen not to use one as I'd been warned it would interferenwith feeding. By the time I was insane from sleep deprivation, she was too aware of what was what and refused to take anything except my nipple. She was such a bad sleeper and I really wish we'd tried a dummy sooner and maybe all had a nicer time.

DC2 - I was keen not to repeat my mistakes from DC1 so introduced a dummy early. She was categorically not interested and it just fell out of her mouth whenever we tried it.

DC3 - I thought we wouldn't bother due to the lack of success with DC1 & 2. He cried so hard every time we made even the shortest of journeys in the car I wanted to drive off the road and couldn't cope at all. We stopped at a tiny chemist on one particularly dreadful trip and ripped the dummy out of the packet there and then and he loved it! It absolutely saved us and allowed me to continue to parent my other 2. He still has it for bed at 2.5 and I'm in no rush to get rid of it as he loves it so much.

WeeDoughball · 25/09/2018 16:17

DS1 had one in special care to help develop his suck reflex for feeding and we then kept it to reduce sids risk (prem, boy, low birth weight so had lots of the risk factors). He kept it for bedtime until 3.

DS2 has one too but tends just to use it for sleep already as prefers his fingers when awake (4 months old).

Big fans of them in this house.

InterstellarSleepingElla · 25/09/2018 17:41

We used one. Wasn't planning to. However, they can reduced risk of SIDS (along with other things, back sleeping etc) so don't regret using one .

Breen86 · 25/09/2018 20:29

I think they are fine for small babies as they can help soothe them. They just become an issue later on as kids can become addicted to them and it can inhibit their speech.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 25/09/2018 21:47

Nicu gave me the choice of one or formula with ds because he wouldn't stop screaming whenever they packed me off to bed. I went for the dummy. By 8 months, he no longer needed.

Dd has one currently because otherwise her hand, blanket or anything else in reach would be in her mouth. She's just about to turn 4 months.

MsHopey · 26/09/2018 06:58

I don't like them.
I very much do agree each to their own, but I love my son's face and I'd hate it if half of it was covered by a dummy all the time. That sounds silly but I know some kids and I have genuinely never seen their mouth.
DS did become a thumb sucker to soothe himself at around 9 months but only sucks his thumb when he's tired which is a good cue for me that it's nap time.
I do think if I was really desperate I might have tried them but would have stuck to nap and bed time only, he's 14mo and still hasn't slept through the night and wakes up at least 3 but more likely 6 times a night, so I think it would have to have been REALLY bad.

ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 26/09/2018 09:50

I am generally anti dummies (mainly due to the hassle of getting rid of them years down the line - and I think they're ugly too, just my opinion) but I did buy a few just in case when my DS was born. He never took to it, which TBH I found annoying at the time as friends babies settled well with a dummy and mine didn't! However, now he's nearly 2 I am glad he didn't like it. He settles fine now and the same friends who gave their children dummies are struggling to get their DC to give them up (even in the day).
I don't judge people who use them btw, everything as a parent is a personal choice and they can be a saviour for lots of children and parents. I just don't really like them personally. I will however get some in case DC2 likes them who's due next year!

celticprincess · 28/09/2018 21:58

Ah well, the choice was made for me by the hospital for my second daughter. She ended up in SCBU after delivery and it was quite some hours before we saw her. She was there in her little glass tank hooked up and sucking a dummy. And not the type you can easily buy in a shop in the UK. Internet searches found them for us and they were very expensive. We tried other normal ones - we live near the tommee tippee factory - but she refused those and kept on with the special one. They are truly awful dummies too.

First child we didn’t plan on dummies as planned on BF however after refusing the breast and not latching on I left home in nopple Shields. After days of struggling to feed and a baby that hardly stopped sucking on me or crying, the BF support person even suggested a dummy so I could sleep. It appeared I wasn’t producing milk, she sucked for comfort, and after doing from 5lb 8oz down to 5lbs in a few days I was told to formula feed. I tried expressing but never made enough. The dummies helped and we had them scattered around her cot at night so when they fell out she could reach one.

My niece never had one but was a thumb sucker. She is still a thumb sucker age 7. St least we gave the dummies up. First went to Santa, second to the birthday fairy.

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