Dummy or not?

[BabyMagic]

What are your views on giving a baby a dummy to suckle?

I don't think it's necessary as such my OH thinks it would help to comfort the baby and make her more content. In her book Jo Frost (super nanny) recommends using the dummy at night for the same reason.

I don't know... I manage to calm the baby without one. What did you decide? If you gave a dummy, would you recommend it?

 

[soverign]

Personally I'd say if your little one manages without then I wouldn't bother. I only gave mine one because he was crying all night long without.

 

[-Kelly-]

Oliver would never take one so I haven't bothered - sometimes I wish he would take one, just so I could have a little break because he uses me as a dummy and feeds for comfort instead. But then my mum always says dummies were a nuisance because they'd keep falling out in the night and she'd have to get up several times just to put it back in.

But he seems happy enough without one, and if you have other ways of comforting your baby there doesn't seem much point in giving one

 

[Red_Fairy]

hannah wouldnt take one and emily absolutly loves hers. Every kids different.

 

[Becky]

I think if your baby can be settled without one then I wouldn't bother. Lucy found her fingers at a day or two old so I never had to consider it for her.

I'm not against them but I think if you do choose to use one you need to be careful to take it out once they have settled and make sure no-one shoves the dummy in when the baby is perfectly happy (a pet hate of mine).

 

[Squiglet]

hannah wouldnt take one and emily absolutly loves hers. Every kids different.

Tia adored hers but lil miss refuses to take one and just pukes when she does... But I soooooo wish lil miss would take one... that way my boob could have a rest

 

[Redshoes]

If you can calm your LO without one and they are happy then I don't see the point in introducing one, not because they're a bad thing, just because if it's not needed, why add it?

Isaac was a very loud baby and didn't sleep well without being held, on us, and we consistently tried a dummy which he would never take. For some unknown reason at 5months he took a dummy, and it was like a lifesaver for me personally because it comforted and settled him in his cot on a night, I got a bit of Isaac-free time

Do whatever you feel is right for your baby, dummy's are not a bad thing, they can be a great comfort to babies and therefore should be welcomed I think

 

[clarey]

i wasnt keen on using a dummy but i tried one in desparation one night when she was very colicky and it seemed to soothe her loads. We use it only when she needs the comfort of sucking and she fires it out when shes had enough

works for us but i would never force her to have one, seems all babs are different

 

[mum&2girls]

jayde doesent have a dummy as she hated them, but sometimes i wished she would have one

 

[trixipaws]

i think a dummy is a godsend! millie wouldnt take one at first, which i was fine with. but at 2 months she started sucking her fingers and hands then found her thumbs- and people said to me "u should get her to have a dummy, u can take a dummy away but cant take a thumb away!" so i kept trying her with one and thankfully now she doesnt suck her thumb. im trying not to give her dummy constantly i shall wean her off it soon!

 

[BabyMagic]

Thanks for your replies.

My parents actually gave me dummies a while ago so out of interest I tried giving it to LO earlier today when she was a bit fussy but she wasn't having any of it!

My SIL said that she only introduced a dummy when her daughters were 5 - 7 months when they were going out and that it wasn't too hard to weane them off at 12 months.

So it is a no to a dummy at the mo, but may change my mind a little later if I feel there is aneed...

 

[wend]

I tried maddison with a dummy and she wouldnt have it .

In the end she wanted her thumb

 

[lea m]

The first thing I bought was a pack of dummies!!
Dummies are great!! All mine loved theirs! If they wouldnt have wanted one or needed one, then I wouldnt have forced them to have one but yeh, they are fab lol!
And also it was found that dummies help reduce the risk of SIDS! Added bonus!!

 

[daftscotslass]

I was totally dead set against it until my sister in law was over. Becky will scream blue murder between 6pm and 9pm for no particular reason and SIL suggested trying one. Up until then we'd unwittingly fed Becky(and she'd take it even if she'd been fed half an hour ago) thinking she was hungry, she'd take it in gulps and throw it all back up again. The health visitor suggested she was just sucking for comfort which made me wonder. The dummy worked wonders (even though it's spat out after about 10 minutes when she falls asleep and doesn't look to have it back again) though she is still quite unsettled in the evenings.

She goes the day without it and will settle without it during the night no problem so I don't offer it. This routine has worked well with our nephew so we'll keep at it for the time being.

 

[DebbieM]

daftscotslass.. sounds like Becky might have colic. Have you tried infacol? It worked very well for Luke as he was exactly the same as you describe Becky to be xx

 

[Lola's Mummy]

My LO used to have one and it really helped. She gave it up on her own at about 4 months