Is it too soon to give our baby a dummy?

[thrappy]

How early can you let your baby use a dummy to help sleep? We have a two week old daughter, and getting her to drop off after feeding is sometimes very difficult. Can you let a baby have a dummy at such a young age, or should we avoid their use altogether? Any advice on using dummies would be gratefully received. Thanks.

[katangel26]

Hi thrappy, if my memory serves me right it's fine at two weeks to give her a dummy. Some people do think that dummies shouldn't be given to children but it does them absolutely no harm.

The most annoying thing is when their a bit older and can talk and start waking you up with 'mummy, I've lost my dummy' but that's about the only thing that bothered me! Oh and them losing them around the house, if you do use them make sure you have more than one handy! I solved that with my daughter by only letting her have her dummy at night from when she was 1 1/2, she looked on it then as a luxury rather than a thing that she relied upon.

I gave both my 7 year old son and my 3 year old daughter dummies from a very young age and they're well rounded children lol. It soothes them like no-ones business. I also had no problems taking them off them (what with fairies taking them away for their babies and spacemen needing them etc etc) it was easy.

Good luck with what you decide x

[Amiira]

Congratulations on your new arrival thrappy.

I do remember the midwife suggesting trying a dummy with my daughter, as she was a "sucky" baby. But she just kept spitting it out. No matter how many times I prised it back in (oh for some sleep huh!)

None of my children went on to have dummies, as I really dont like them. But in the early days, I just wanted to settle her and get some sleep.

Have a word with your midwife if in doubt.

Good luck x

[thrappy]

Thank you both for your answers, they've set my mind at rest! As well as wondering if she was too young for one, I was worried about the problems you hear of weaning them off dummies when they're a bit older, but if you've had little problem yourself (by the use of a white lie here and there!) then that's good enough for me!

Anyone else with any views, facts or experiences on giving your baby a dummy, if you could pass them on it'd be great!

Thanks again!

[mycats]

Noooooo! why give her a dummy at all?? They dont stop crying, they just give something else to cry about (when they drop them) they are germ magnets and they look disgusting. Please dont use them
My son never had one and hardly ever cried, two babies I look after sometimes have them and cry everytime they drop them. People drop them and suck then and stick them back in the babies mouth! YUCK.
I've also seen toddlers with them and parents say "oh we cant take it away they get really upset" dont give them it in the first place!

[boobesque]

After being adamant my daughter wouldnt have a dummy, i gave in at 5 days as she was using me as a dummy!
She is 14 weeks now and only has it to help her sleep

[Solarjunkie]

Have to agree with Katangel - I discovered why they're known as "soothers" and "comforters" - they are just magic for some babies.
Round about 20 months, my sons dummies stayed in the bedroom, (no spacemen involved!) and were used for bedtime only, barring illness or very stressful times when they became portable comfort.
I hate to see children talking out of the side of their mouths because they have become addicted to their dummies, but by leaving them in the bed with the pajamas, the benefits hugely outweighed the pitfalls, I know I would have paid �100 each if needed!
Best of luck.

[boobesque]

I had my dummy til a late age, hence why i didnt want Emmy to have one, but my mum told me i only ever had it for sleep and after i got to 7 or 8 months i didnt take it out of the house. She NEVER let me speak with it in, or smile lol, in fact there is not one picture of me with a dummy even though i was *whispers* 6, before i gave it up!

I also think dummies played a huge part in me still breastfeeding, my little one is a 'sucky' baby and was constantly feeding, with an older child this wasnt practical at all, and i was so tired i came very close to giving up feeding, in the end my mum bought me round a pack of dummies, steralised it and gave it to me, i gave it to emmy in the end and cried my eyes out (baby blues didnt help!) but Emmy is 14 weeks and still fully breastfed - i too would pay lots for a dummy!

[maggie01]

My mum was dead against dummies so I didn't have one for my first daughter. She suffered badly with colic so when my second was born I was already armed with a dummy. She hated it and kept spitting it out. Still it saved me an earache from my mum.

[taichiperson]

I would have been more tham happy for my eldest to have a dummy, as I found breastfeeding very painful for the first 6 weeks and he was a poor sleeper, but he wouldn't have it. The second had one, but only for a few months - I must say I don't find them attractive on older babies, and am glad I never had to persuade him to give it up. However, he loved his trainer cup, and even after he gave it up, used to 'suck' drink from a proper cup, and his eyes would roll back!