dum dum

[lucyp]

Hi - was just wondering who utilises a "num num"?

We do indiscrimately - but am made to feel guilty about its usage by other "well meaning" famiy members and friends.

DS is near to 9 months - who else is a "user" and under what circumstances??

[drewid]

Are we talking dummies?

My 8mth still uses them. He only has it for bed time and sometimes in the car or out in public. But not for just hanging around the house, if you know what i mean.

[jasminesmum]

We use a dummy too.

Try to keep it in bed,car and when dd is just grumpy.

I don't care what people think about it though.Shes my baby and I have to put up with her when she is grumpy and if the dummy helps we are all happier.

[kimmy]

Ialos use a dummy for my 7mth old we try to keep it for bed 7 when she's grumpy & also when were out but other then that i try not to give it to her.

[nemosmum]

I was very against Dummy's before I became a mum that is (I'd seen alot of children have problems giving them up so was very against introducing one)

I think it was the first night home from the hospital and DH suggested we try it as DS was going bananas LOL :D

DS had one till he was 9 months old and then he just gave it up by himself....he just wouldnt take it any more (I feel so lucky that we didnt have any dramas)

DS would use it alot when he was really little as he was a very keen suckie baby and the dummy gave me a rest from bf 24/7, he also had bad reflux and we found the dummy helped him when in the car or pram(as he got pretty bad motion sickness too)

I really didnt care what family/friends thought about DS's dummy as like I said I didnt like them either until I became a mumma bear :p

Do what works for your bub and dont fret about what other people think.

[funnyfarm]

My daughter still has a dummy (16.5 months old) but only for sleeping, grumpy times and sometimes in the car or the pram.

I figure that if she is still using it when she is 3-4 years old, i will worry about getting rid of it then when she is old enough to reason with or bribe.

[dee dee]

I also use a dummy for my little one, usually only when she is grumpy or in bed. I wasn't too keen to start her on a dummy, but night number two in the hospital I was so desperate for a sleep, and the dummy worked wonders!! :D

I say if it keeps you and bubs happy how can it be bad?

[Shazbutt]

My daughter (2 1/4 yrs) has only been without her dummy for the last month. It was decided to take it off her by accident, as she had lost one dummy outside one day and i gave her the spare, and the next day she lost that one. So...we thought since we didn't have any more then we might as well try and wean her off it. She asked for it a few times, but we told her that she had left them outside and the dogs ate them!! She believed us, and that first night without it, she actually slept without a drama. She has a security teddy so it was a bit easier. She kept asking for the dummies for a little while, but we just kept telling her they were gone. I remember one day we went to the shops and i had to stop in the baby aisle and she spotted the dummies, but i just told her they didn't have any for big girls, and she was fine. After about the first week, she stopped asking, and didn't even try to take her baby sister's which surprised me. This time, i'm not going to let bubs have hers as long...as soon as she gets bigger, i'll try and swap it to a toy she can cuddle or something.....hopefully!

I say if it keeps the kids happy and the parents sane then go for it!

[Rockett]

We use one for sleeping and grumpy times.I have no problems with using a dummy.It's a comfort thing for DD,so if it keeps her happy,I'm happy too. :D

[our little treasures]

OMG where would I have been with dd when she was little if I didnt introduce the dummy!! she is 20mnths and still has it at 14mnths she was only using it for bed then I had ds and I remember seeing her walk in to visit several times with it in her mouth!! GGGRRRR Now she steals ds but I'll wait till we have a few more weeks of dry days and nites before I attempt to say "its broken"!!! I don't want her to feel outta place!!

I was told by few that dummies and bfeeding was a no no. Well I have b/f dd for 13mnths and ds is 10wks and we seem to be doing very well!! :)

[TwoBlue]

DS is 19 months old and we use dummies for bed time and cranky time.

I dont care what people think (and i have copped it here and there) but stuff 'em i say !!!

[Lil X-men]

I was fortunate that when I introduced one to my DS that he never took to it, wasn't interested, which sucked (excuse the pun) when he was small coz he cried and cried, but now I'm glad coz at six months he very placid and doens't need one so I'm lucky not to need to wean him off it. He sucks on his blanky tho, thats his vice!!!
Theres nothing wrong with a dummy I think so long as it's not constantly in the bubs mouth so they can't exercise their vocal skills blowing raspberries, practising consant and vowel sounds etc.

[flower]

I call it the doodie!

[channy]

We have been using a dummy since he was a few days old. Due to his reflux and wind problems it is a comfort thing for him and until that settes we will continue using one. He only uses it to sleep and when he is upset. He says golly golly when he has it in so sometimes we call it his golly golly. He He

[kimmy]

yeah you've got to love the silly names we give things, i call it a dou dou.

[wattle]

It's just for bed time here (and the occasional cranky session at the shops).

I had a friend come and stay recently with a 2 year old. She permanently had the dummy in - all day long. I just can't understand why. It looks terrible, and I doubt that it really calms her when she's upset, because it's there all the time. :confused:

[drewid]

Yeah I don't get the 'having it in all day' thing either. It can't be used to soothe if its there all the time. Like eating too much chocolate :) Loses its anaesthetic properties lol

I prefer to save it for when its desperatley needed and you know it will actually help.

Better for them to be practising their vocals I think.

[Lucybelle]

Lucyp, 9 months isn't "too old" she's sooo tiny still. Don't feel guilty. The only thing I don't like is the permanent dummy in the mouth of a 2 year old.

But then again, each to their own!

[WeThree]

my little ones have unfortunately never taken to a dummy, but i think they are great! and did you know that evidence now shows that babies that suck on dummies have a lower risk of SIDS as it gives them something to do with their mouths, hence less chance of 'forgetting' to breathe, so tell all those peole who keep sticking their nose into your business to put that in their pipes and smoke it :D

[Chickadee]

DD will be 2 years old in a month and still has a dummy. We're down to only one though, no spares, which has resulted in massive house searches at bedtime a few times in the last weeks. She is supposed to only get it at bedtime, naptime or cranky times when we're out, but if she sees it then she wants it no matter what time of day it is and getting it off of her is hard. Usually I get it at breakfast and will put it away for the day. Or failing that we put it into her pocket or somewhere nearby where she can see it and that seems ok. She's a big talker too, so if I ask her to take it out so she can talk she's usually ok with that. We will be trying to wean soon, but not till we've finished this house move (about a month) and she's back in her own familiar cot.

I think dummies can serve a very useful purpose, and if they help mum and infants then go for it. But probably I left it too late to get DD out of the habit of having it. If I'd tried at 1 year, when she got very attached to a few other comfort items that could have substituted, it might have been easier than now. Now she has between 3 to 5 comfort items and sometimes wants them ALL when we go out!!

[*Sal*]

I wish my kids would have taken to the dummy - I tried, but my daughter preferred her thumb until she was 4. We kept a jar of hot chillies in the fridge for threats - never used it, that would have been too cruel. Eventually she stopped after having that revolting anti-nail biting paint put on. It was a nightmare! At least you can throw a dummy away when the child is older.

[our little treasures]

Oh why would you make her stop sucking her thumb, I was an avid thumb sucker as was my mum and I have lovely straight teeth and I also sucked my thumb until I was in early teens.... (only occassionally) I am not shy and dont have social issues etc and I was very healthy. So there to all the research!!!

MarthaM oh that is one thing with dummy that really erks me when dd tries to talk and all I can understand is caccy - daddy etc. She never use to talk and use it now I have to say I cant hear you..