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DD is nearly 6 weeks old. I gave her a dummy yesterday coz she was being difficult && now she's hooked. What should I do, take it away completely or just let her have it when she wants. She absolutely loves it.
workin'mumof2
26-12-2008, 12:30
if it starts to interfere with breastfeeding you might need to take it away from her.. otherwise id let her have it.. mine wouldnt take a dummy..
take it away now. they really aren't necessary.
Babies cry when they need something, even if that is comfort from us by just a cuddle or another breastfeed.
Are you breastfeeding?
oh and 6 week old babies can't be difficult, they are just adjusting to being in the world
laylasmumma23
26-12-2008, 13:00
sometimes it can interfere with breast feeding.
TBH my dd had a dummy from birth (the midwives gave it to her without my permission :banghead:)and she's not hooked on her dummy, she's comfort sucker!
It didn't interfere with her breast feeding either, she was fine!.
I personally think its easier then curing thumb sucking which is what she started to do.
Now she only has it for sleep time because she's teething at the moment.
Sometimes a good indication of serious dummy sucking might mean she's still hungry!.
Hey Shiraaa. Hows the little princess going?
Honestly if Sibel wants to have a dummy let her have one.
Each baby is different. My DS1 had a dummy for about 16 months, DS2 not at all and DD has never had one, she is a thumb sucker.
The dummy or the thumb sucking never caused any BF difficulties for me.
SOme babies like to comfort suck.
Hey Shiraaa. Hows the little princess going?
Honestly if Sibel wants to have a dummy let her have one.
Each baby is different. My DS1 had a dummy for about 16 months, DS2 not at all and DD has never had one, she is a thumb sucker.
The dummy or the thumb sucking never caused any BF difficulties for me.
SOme babies like to comfort suck.
:iagree: its your choice.
You say she absolutely loves it, so why take it away? Sometimes it will soothe a baby to suck on a dummy where's the harm?
Sheer Bliss
26-12-2008, 13:26
Dummies are a VERY individual decision, different for each parent and each baby.
If YOU don't want her to have it, take it away. If you think she is better off having it, leave it. They CAN interfere with b/f, so leaving it to 6weeks or longer can help reduce this. Mostly listen to what YOU think, and what you think SHE needs, not anyone else. Some babies like to suck more than others, and the breast is more than good enough for this, but some don't want the baby attatched to them that much, so a dummy is an answer. (with twins on the way, a 2yo and 4yo to look after, if my babies need to suck more than i can handle, they will have dummies, although i'd much rather them not have them.)
Both my kids had dummies, DD wasn't the best b/f, DS was great, only stopped at 19months when i got sick from this pregnancy. And DD gave up her dummies at 2 1/2, and is now an avid finger sucker, so i don't know that you necessarily 'avoid' those issues by using a dummy.
Hey Shiraaa. Hows the little princess going?
Honestly if Sibel wants to have a dummy let her have one.
Each baby is different. My DS1 had a dummy for about 16 months, DS2 not at all and DD has never had one, she is a thumb sucker.
The dummy or the thumb sucking never caused any BF difficulties for me.
SOme babies like to comfort suck.
Hiiiiiiiiiiii, Aww she is going great. She is such a good girl, she now sleeps from 11pm-7am which is so good. Its just last night she wanted to be held but i just couldnt do it. I just gave her the dummy and it was a miracle lol...She has started smiling at me when i pinch her cheeks and say "what what what what" is a funny voice she loves it. At first I thought it was wind but its definately a smile for mamma..:D:D:D:D.
Hey there,
If she loves it, and it isn't affecting her feeds, I would leave it with her. DD1 LOVED her dummy, and as a result settled better to sleep, had less trouble with teething, and made the transition to a big bed better than DD2.
We tried to give DD2 a dummy when she went into her difficult period around 6 weeks of age (Jello: the baby isn't being difficult, BUT the situation can be if the parents are doing all they can and bubs is STILL crying.) Sofia wasn't interested in a dummy, and never slept as well as Annika did.
I would advise reading up on the pros and cons of dummies before you make a final decision, though - there are issues with safety (I posted a thread years back about Annika nearly swallowing her dummy) as well as speech development when they are older etc.
But if you take away the dummy before they get too dependent on it, and before the major part of their language development (ie before 2yo or so), a lot of the problems can be avoided. Annika loved her dummy but only asked for it for three days or so after we finally took it away (we had reduced it to sleep times only some time beforehand) and, for her, it seemed to have absolutely no drawbacks.
take it away now. they really aren't necessary.
Babies cry when they need something, even if that is comfort from us by just a cuddle or another breastfeed.
:iagree: At this age your milk supply is still adjusting, and time spent sucking the dummy is better spent at your breast, stimulating your milk.
I guess you need to ask yourself just how important breastfeeding is to you, it was SO important to me, not to jepoardise it in any way, I would certainly never let a dummy near my boys, as I just did not want to risk any repurcussions. In my mind it just wasn't worth the risk.
:iagree: At this age your milk supply is still adjusting, and time spent sucking the dummy is better spent at your breast, stimulating your milk.
I'm inclined to agree with this, but then again I think it depends on what you think. Aidan was my first and I didnt work so they way I saw it was I had all day to fuss over him and feed him. He was a very hands on baby, who BF around the clock.
My first 6 weeks he was feeding more than he wasnt. It settled around about 8 weeks. If you made it to 6 weeks without a dummy you should be right. However if you dont have time to sit around for 12 hours a day and just feed then a dummy might be the solution. I think its best to weigh up the pros and the cons and work out what will suit you and your DH and of coarse your DD. Good luck.
If it's not interfering with breastfeeding then let her have it. My ds was having 8 or 9 breastfeeds/day and constantly attached for 5 hours each evening and still had a dummy. I had NO problems with milk supply, but he had problems with reflux and when he was distressed he did not always need more milk (that made things worse) and the dummy saved our sanity. Besides, when I'm in the queue at the checkout and he's screaming a dummy works quickly and easily to calm him ... offering a breast feed is not an option instantly (and besides if he isn't hungry he didn't need the milk).
It is an individual decision and if you are not wanting a dummy to be a fixture in your child's life for the next 2 or 3 years then take it away, but if you don't mind then I suggest leaving it. I have never regretted my decision to introduce a dummy (although we did wait til about 4 or 5 weeks of age - except for when he is in special care, but that was to provide sucking for him as he was tube fed for the first few days).
Kayangel
26-12-2008, 17:11
I say let her have it :yes:, i got to 3 mths without giving my DS a dummy as i didnt like dummys :o but they have benefits it settled my DS, got him sleeping more in the day and the dummy brings peace lol, some bubs just like sucking.
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