Breast feeding and dummies?

[Gemma & Jake]

Is anyone breast feeding and have given their baby a dummy? If yes at what age did you give them the dummy and has it interfered at all with breast feeding. I am asking as some of my books say don't do it but my health visitor said it would be ok and also a few friends have said they did it.

 

[Alfiesmummy]

does he need one hun? i cant even get Alfie to take 1, he likes to torture me with his cries, you could always try and if it did interfere then stop letting him have it

 

[Gemma & Jake]

I wasn't going to give him a dummy if I could get away with it but last night he cried for hours and was on and off the breast all night and wasn't sucking much. I was thinking maybe he was doing it for comfort and that a dummy might comfort him.

 

[KatysMummy]

Katy has a dummy & I first gave it to her at around 3 weeks I think. It didn't interfere with her BFing at all, probably because she had it quite early!

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Hi Gemz

I was so against dummies because of all the bad press they receive really but I introduced one to Gabriella from about 3 or 4 weeks because she has a strong sucking need and was using me as a human dummy.

I only offered it to her when she couldn't settle and didn't put it back in once she had spat it out. She now only has it once a day (if that) when she is overtired and is struggling to sleep and it hasn't affected the breastfeeding.

I think it's advised not to use them until baby is 3 weeks as breastfeeding is more established then. It's only the first 3 months of their life that they need them really; when the sucking relfex is stronger but they shoudln't be used past a year as this can interfere with speech and teeth. Hth

 

[skatty]

I gave Leorah a dummy the day she was born She really wanted to suck so the midwife advised me to give her one after the breast so I wouldn't end up with painful nipples that would intefere with feeding. She has never been confused and definitely knows where her dinner comes from

 

[skatty]

Gemz I would also give her a bottle of EBM soon if I were you because when babies are young they adapt to different feeding techniques well but as they get older they may refuse one or the other. Leorah had her first bottle after a couple of days. She still doesn't like a bottle from me but is bottle fed EBM by DH every night, so handy if I am not going to be around at a feeding time

Like Tina said babies can usually go without a dummy after 3 months. Leorah already prefers to suck her fingers and only has a dummy when she naps in her pram because she is in a snowsuit so her hands are covered

 

[littlebump]

I used breast, bottle and dummy with Maddie - dummy from around 2 weeks and bottle from around 5 weeks. She was never confused. I weaned her off the dummy at 5 months without a problem, though she never found her thumb, she just took to sucking her teddies in bed instead!

LBxx

 

[Gemma & Jake]

I have given Jake a few bottles of EBM already which he took fine the first few times but then the other night me and OH both tried to give him it from a bottle and he wouldn't take it which was weird as he has before. I am hoping it is just a one off and that he will take it next time. I havn't tried him with a dummy yet but I probably will now as you all seem to think it will be fine.