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Original poster

Will older babies start to take a dummy?

5 replies

Vmama · 25/07/2007 20:42

I have a 5.5 mo DS and am about to go back to work. I have concerns about my MIL looking after him (long story let's not go there) she will be doing one day a week and she has consistently nagged me to give him a dummy even though he's the happiest baby alive and the only time he cries is when he fights naps (hates sleeping in the day).

My question is if she tried to give him a dummy behind my back would he take it? I tried giving him one the other day just to see what he would do and he spat it out repeatedly and laughed. She made me feel so guilty telling me that she couldn't bear to see him in distress and we should just give him one but my husban and I don't want to and don't feel he needs it. (no judgements about dummies either way just not for us)

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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gegs73 · 25/07/2007 20:44

I think he could well take it if she keeps offering it him during the course of a day. However I don't think he would become dependent on it if its only 1 day a week and if he never gets one at home I don't think it would be a problem(other than being incredibly annoying if you don't want him to have one!)

ratfly · 25/07/2007 23:59

Cant you just tell her he MUST NOT be given a dummy. My god, I have spent sleepless nights putting one in when it falls out, I just cant see why she would think it is a good idea at 5 months !!!! MILs are weird arent they?!

bookthief · 26/07/2007 00:58

I tried giving my ds a dummy at 7 months as a vague attempt to get him to "self-settle" (and I know, it wouldn't really be self-settling but ykwim) after a friend went on at length about her son's self-settling-with-dummy skills and he's only 10 weeks, imagine .

He was quite pleased with it but tended to hold it as if it were a fine cigar, take a few sucks and then remove it and wave it about for a bit before having another go.

In this instance it seemed to be too late to introduce a dummy, and rather pointless, and so I just put it away.

Seona1973 · 26/07/2007 10:18

My ds used to have a dummy which I took away at 5 months due to it causing sleeping problems. Now (10months) when he gets hold of dummy at my sisters he just bites and chews the teat as if it is a toy rather than something to soothe him. Your lo would probably do the same as it is not something he associates with sleeping/calming him down.

bundle · 26/07/2007 10:20

dd1 started using a dummy at around 8 mths, just at bedtimes

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