the great big dummy debate!

[shamu]

hi girls,

just after your advice and opinions and experiences with dummies!!

see, when i was a baby, i never had a dummy, neither did my sister, and my sister never used one with her lil girl, whos now 2 & 1/2.

so i have no idea when you use them ,if you actually ever need to use them? - are they a neccesity or not, what they're actually for or why!!!

my niece is really the only baby i've ever watched be brought up on an almost regular, day -to-day basis, i have friends and relatives who have used dummies, but havent been around to see the effects of them, if you know what i mean


it came up in conversatin with a few older ladies in work, and i just happened to mention that i didnt intend to use them ( i never say never like, but they're not something that are on my essential baby items shopping list) - i all but got called a bad mother!!! eeek!!


so, would just like to know your findings on dummies as a whole, have you used them? have you not needed to, did baby not like them? etc etc!!

thanks girls

shamu x

 

[beanie]

Hi hon,

I have also been giving this some thought. I don't want to use a dummy for my little one, and I didn't have a dummy. As far as I know dummies are used to comfort babies as they find sucking very comforting.There is research that says that use of dummies can (but not always) affect speech in later life and can cause bite problems, however I did suck my thumb and my sister did too and that also caused problems in later life (we had to have braces as we had pushed our teeth out of position). Research I have read is that these factors are reduced if baby stops using it at around 1 year and I guess it would be easier to to stop baby using dummy then stop using their thumb? One of my cousins had a dummy, another cousin didn't and they are both ok. I think its personal choice, and that's why I'm seeing if I can get away without using one. However I have also had the bad mother comments, and that I'll soon be using one etc. I hate those comments, I also get them because I am using reusable nappies - "oh you'll be using disposables within a week". So what if I do, at least let me try things out my way first. Am starting to rant - sorry not been too much help x

 

[michelle82]

I would say get some in just in case like I have but I dont plan on using them unless I need to.My mum didnt want me to have a dummy as a baby and when she was in hospital they gave me one and my mum was upset until they explained I was sucking my thumb and it would get sore, after a while I didnt have either but I would buy a couple in just in case.

 

[shamu]

thanks girls

i think one or two come with the sterriliser starter kit im going for, so will keep those just incase, but am gona try and go without

congrats on the reusable nappies! - i really wanted to use those too, but boyf said no! ( kinda backfired tho, cos as a compromise i made him agree to recycling everything else we can instead - so now he has to go the recycle center twice a week with all the plastic bottles, cans, glass, newspapers, cardboard etc etc! hehehehehehe) - im hopinh to try the nature boy/girl nappies to, they're a bit eco friendlier

thanks again
shamu

 

[beanie]

He he Shamu, that'll teach him. I was quite lucky as the one thing that seemed to swing it for OH was that he couldn't see the point of throwing something away that he has paid for - though I'm not going to point out to him the fact he uses disposable razors..... Still we are going to use disposables occasionally, like if we are going out all day somewhere so I really like the idea of the eco friendlier ones.

 

[Urchin]

I didn't use a dummy for my son and don't intend to buy one this time around.

If my baby starts sucking his thumb I might consider one, until then, why give them something they could come to depend on?

I absolutley HATE seeing 4 and 5 year olds with dummies, I just don't know why parents can't put their foot down and stop using them.

 

[Kim]

I still haven't decided whether I will be using them. My mum didn't use one for me or my brother but I have got a couple in just in case. If I do give my baby a dummy, she certainly wont still be using it at 4 or 5!!

 

[AmberNicole]

Ava uses one and it's been a real comfort to her since birth. She's started sucking her thumb recently as well.

If she doesn't self wean, as some babies do...I'm going to get rid of them as I wean her from bottles. Pacifiers are less likely to cause bite/teeth problems than thumb sucking, but you can't take away your childs thumb so what can you really do?

 

[marylou]

i am one of those mums with toddlers with dummies
i have been meaning to get kylie off dummies 4 ages but i havent really had a chance lol

i will def be giving the new baby dummies coz they just are an easy way to get them to shut up lol
they both have about 4 dummies each!! not too many lol

neway im due today!!!!! wish me luck
xxxxxxxxxx

 

[sarahx500]

hi all,
urchin i TOTALLY agree with u on 4 and 5 year old using them..
my neighbours has 2 girls 8 and 6 year olds, and the 8 year old had a dummy until last year, i used to see her with it {only in our road where it was ppl that are used to seeing her with it} and the 6 year old STILL has hers, b4 school she walks to school with it and gives it to her mum b4 she goes in and gets it straight back straight after school, she can speak clearly but with her dummey in u cant understand a word she says and she rarely takes it out!

im NOT against dummies coz i had them with my boys but only until they were about 12-18 months old..

and if or wen i have another baby i will be using them again,,

 

[Rosieroo]

I had dummies til I was so old I can remember my stepdad burning the teats off of them. I will not be using dummies with my babies! (Hopefully!)

 

[marylou]

haha poor u rosieroo
wat wud life be like without dummies!!!!
my life wud be hell!!!!!!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxx

 

I'm going to buy some dummies but I don't know if I will use them. I guess all baabies have different personalities and some teeth better than others too. I think dummies can be a great comfort when teething as you can put some soothing gel on it to help ease their pain.

I agree that after a year or 2 they should be started to be phased out and not used though. But that's a personal thing for each parent and their child I guess.

So all in all, I'm gonna buy some, but who knows if I will use them If they comfort my little one then I'll use them for a while. If they never seem to want it , then i'll just bin them.