How To Use A Dummy?

[GeorginaA]

I'm hoping for some tips and tricks from experienced mumsnetters .

I've finally resorted to using a dummy with ds2 (4 weeks) to try and get him to settle for naps (primarily day and evening - he mostly settles at night on his own and I don't want to "break" this and get him needing a dummy every sleep). Ds1 never accepted a dummy so I'm a real novice at this.

How's the best way to use this so he doesn't get too many bad sleep associations (i.e. I want him to be able to resettle if he goes into light sleep). I've tried rocking and let him suck, removing the dummy then placing in the cot but he wakes immediately he's put down. I've tried letting him have it in the cot but removing as the sucking stops ... but either he wakes up as soon as it's removed or he wakes 10 mins later looking for it. I don't really want to leave it in there with him so he falls asleep with it in his mouth in case he starts needing it all the time.

Is dummy use during the day going to mean he starts looking for it at night? I want to stop use as soon as the colic zone is over (around 3 to 4 months) - do I start weaning him from it around then slowly (reduce time used/number of naps used for) or go cold turkey at that point?

Also, another thought, is it going to interfere with breastfeeding?

Georgina - I used a dummy with number 3 and actually ended up using it for 8 months. I used when I needed breathing space to get other things done or DH gave it when I was at work and due home soon for a feed. I stopped using it cold turkey at 8 months without much difficulty. DS never had it all the time and did not need it to actually do to sleep at night.

DD1 (no.4) had a dummy for about 12 weeks - until she found her thumb (DS3 never found his). Again I gave it when I needed time to do other things. I left it in her mouth till it spontaneously fell out when she was asleep. She would settle for a while, long enough for me to get whatever I needed done with other 3 children.

You will only have problems with breastfeeding if you allow sucking on the dummy to go on for hours on end, therefore missing feeds.

Try not to overanalyse dummy use - just pop it in and leave till baby gets hang of it. Your sanity is more precious than potential dummy depenence which might never happen. Baby might remain really sucky though and need that comfort.

Georgine, I used to remove the dummy when he became dozzy, according to what I read it stops the problem of the baby waking up in the middle of the night and demanding the dummy. After a couple of months we just got lazy and let him go to sleep with it (put him in cot plug the dummy and of you go) and he got the bad associations he cried for two weeks before getting used to the idea that dummy was not coming back when we removed it at 8 m due to eczema.

Thanks mears & Chandra

Next question (probably silly) - cherry teat or flat teat?

ask ds! I mean try one and see how it goes. Flat teat made my ds gag so we have cherries. One consideration is whether you want to be able to tie it on to anything in which case you need a little ring at the front.

Don't worry, if your child is a "dummy baby" as my dh calls them, then he will take it and give it up when he's ready. If you try to wean him too soon from his dummy I suspect he'll turn to something else, thumb etc.
My ds and dd had dummies from day one. I let them have it whenever they wanted it asleep or awake. They were both exclusively bf until 6 mo. (and then continued bfing until 15 and 11 mo. respectively). My ds threw (quite literally) away his dummy at 3 months and my dd threw hers away at 8 mo. Ds never substituted with anything. Dd is adicted to her bottle now (I only put water in it).