I am 38 weeks pregnant and unsure when and after how long to give a baby dummy?

Question

I've just recently been to a sit in on a breast feeding class and I found it very useful because there are so many things I didn't know about the advantages of breast feeding my baby.
The teacher of the class told me that you shouldn't give your baby a dummy while breast feeding because as the baby is supposed to have his/her mouth wide open to suck the milk from the areola (not the nipple) and to suck on the teet of a dummy his/her mouth only needs to be open just slightly...by giving him a dummy this will confuse him which way he should be sucking and how much his mouth should be open.
Can anyone tell me how long you should wait before you give your baby a dummy?

Answer 1

I tried with a dummy from birth with my daughter and i breast fed, and most of the other mum's on the ward were the same, no one told me that! My daughter didn't take to the original dummy i gave her because it was too much like a nipple, once i changed to a cherry teat she was fine as she associated the cherry teat with the dummy and comfort and the breast with milk. I think it makes it easier for them personally, to have one thing to associate with feeding and another with comfort, if you think about it they're less likely to be confused if you start this way than if you suddenly introduce a dummy later on.

Answer 2

Hi there,
My daughter is 8 weeks old and i am breast feeding.
I started off saying i would never give her a dummy but she is such a sucky baby and one night when my nipples were nearly falling off i resorted to trying a dummy!! Bliss!!
She has never got confused over the teat or nipple and still feeds well and she is settled by having something to suck on.
I also give her one bottle of expressed milk a day which the health visitor recommended to allow ease at weaning as she will always take a teat, whereas exclusively breast fed babies can sometimes reject bottles making weaning a nightmare.
I really think breast feeding is the best but the baby does need to be able to have the occasional bottle
incase you are ill or need to go out somewhere.
I really think some people are too worried about nipple confusion like i was, but i never had any problems.
Good luck with the breast feeding and the birth!!

Answer 3

My little ones never actually used dummies and they never sucked their thumbs either. While they an be handy for soothing babies they can also become a problem later on when you no longer want them to use them. Personally i was never told that using one would interfere with breastfeeding, but i can see how it would confuse a young baby as they expect to recieve some food when using that sucking motion yet aren't getting anything from the dummy, the problem i can see arising from that is that the baby may not wish to suck on the nipple next time because they may think they'll get nothing from it. You'll probably be best not using one at all.

Answer 4

You can give your baby a dummy from birth if you feel the need to. Don't listen to the people that tell you not to give your child a dummy. These people will tell you a lot of myths sunch as it stunts their speech or gives them bad teeth and even that by giving your child a dummy it makes you neglectful - all untrue.

My younger brother used a dummy and contrary to all the myths you may hear he has perfect teeth, and no communication or speech problems whatsoever - in fact he is extremely confident and never stops talking, despite having a dummy until the age of three.

I also have a friend who was never given a dummy and was instead allwed to suck her thumb, and to this day she still does so when she is feeling bored.

In my opinon it is easier to wean a child off of suking a dummy but nearly impossible to stop a child sucking their thumb (which they will revert to doing if not given a dummy or teether)

Answer 5

i never breast fed as i don't produce enough milk, but a friend of mine is breast feeding and she bought nubby (I'm sure that's how its spelt) dummies, they are more like the breast than a "normal" dummy, also the cherry ones are better than the orthopaedic ones. I used dummies as when i had my last baby there were articles in the paper saying that they can help prevent cot death. But at the end of the day it is your choice if you want to give a dummy to your baby.
Congrats in advance

Answer 6

i told myself from the off that i wouldnt give my baby a dummy, but only a day or so after having her i gave her one, and although i wasnt able to breastfeed (my hospital sucked) for long, the time that i did breastfeed, her having a dummy wasnt a problem, i too went with a cherryteat dummy and all was fine, dont worry about when the best time to do so is, you might be able to wait a few weeks, you might not, if its right for you then its right for baby, a happy/relaxed mum, means a happy relaxed baby....good luck

Answer 7

I never gave my son a dummy and he never needed it but a lot of ppl i know gave their babies dummies straight away but got the soft ones similar to nipples and NEVER had any problems with feeding, its personal decision though you can try it once and if feeding doesnt happen properly wait a little

Answer 8

why do you want to give it a dummy? They are horrible bits of plastic that obscure a babys gorgeous smile, delay speech, ruin tooth growth and are difficult to prise away when you don't want them to have it anymore. Comfort your baby properly or find out what it needs. Dummies are for dummies who cant be bothered. Breast is best too, well done and good luck.

Answer 9

I have 2 sets of twins and have NEVER given any of them a dummy. You will start off with all good intentions of only allowing your baby to have it 'every now and then' but its all too easy to try to 'shut your baby up' by trying to pacify it with a dummy, especially if your having a bad day or you just want some peace and quiet for 5 minutes (as the saying goes)!. I've got friends who having given their children dummies, suffered long term trying to get them to stop using their dummies, and one in particular is still having trouble getting it off her daughter now some 6..........yes 6 years later!!!! Don't do it!!!!! They don't need one, and tbesides anything else your child will end up with mis-shaped teeth through it!

Answer 10

An orthodontic dummy shouldnt confuse your baby but try it and see.
My daughter has a dummy only at nap and bed times!
She was premature and they taught her at the hospital to suck using a dummy.
There are advantages to a dummy and the main one is that it drastically reduces SIDS in babies because they are kept breathing. But do limit the amount of time you give your baby a dummy!
As i said my baby only gets it at nap time and bed time.
Dummies are also designed not to cause any damage to teeth, and i use the flat ones as opposed to the cherry ones.