Am I creating bad habits and how to avoid this

[kittypower]

My DS was a pretty good sleeper until a couple of weeks ago when he has suddenly started waking lots. He is 17 weeks. He wakes up a few times a night now but when i go in he still has his eyes shut and is crying, if I put his dummy in, he stops and goes back to sleep really quickly. Firstly i'm not sure why he is waking, as if he was hungry or uncomfortable surely he wouldn't go straight back to sleep?? Also I'm worried I am creating a bad habit by giving him the dummy every time and that he might just start waking and wanting it out of habit....any advice?

Most babies have a bit of a developmental leap at about that age, and the waking is due to that (that's why a lot of people start weaning at that age thinking that the waking is due to hunger), he may well be having a growth spurt too. I don't think you are creating a bad habit if he goes to sleep with his dummy in when you put him to bed. As you say, he is going back to sleep easily. I'd only start to do something else if he was waking at the same times each night and it had been going on for a while.