Dummies

One of my daughters had a dummy until she went to school - in fact i would pick her up in the car and she would pop it in her mouth and suck vigorously - she gave it up eventually - i think we "lost"it - she has perfect teeth, a 2:1 History degree, is a successful entrepreneur, has three children - all who have had dummies!! I rest my case

I’m amazed that so many gransnet feel so strongly about this that they “can’t stand to see it”! Really? You don’t know the health or circumstances of other people’s children. A dummy is harmless (and even protective when sleeping) comfort for babies and toddlers. Also, other people’s opinions that they are fine wherever, are just as valid as yours!

Two of my four children sucked their thumbs and neither had a tooth problem. I hated dummies as I had a friend whose child had it plugged in all the time until he was 4. Then she realised her error as his speech was so behind the others at school and he talked as if he still had the dummy in, making words that no-one could understand!
Used wisely I can see it would help comfort at bedtime, but not all day, as I so often see.

Can't understand why kids need dummies. I'm sure they are more for the parents than the children! OH used to say if babies are making a noise they're trying to tell you something, so why would you want to shut them up.

I have to admit that lots of lovely photos of my grandchildren have been spoiled by a huge dummy!
My own children were born in the late 70s/early 80s. All 3 of them had dummies - my health visitor said it was easier to stop them sucking a dummy than a thumb. But they never wanted their dummies when they were out in prams or buggies, there were other things to interest them. But I weaned all of them off their dummies at about 18 months to 2 years. My Mum once told me that when I was a baby in the 50s she dipped my dummy in gripe water or honey (and even brandy sometimes) to get me to sleep at night because we lived in a flat where children were not allowed and she couldn't risk me disturbing the neighbours. That probably explains why I've had so much trouble with my teeth all my life!
But I think all Mums should decide what works best for them and their baby, they are the one that have to listen to the ear splitting howling after all!

My gd has just had a baby I was unable to go and see due to illness so she put a photo of this lovely little 2 week old baby on Facebook for me to see and he had a dummy in his mouth. It was almost as big as his face. Horrible. But if it does no harm and baby is happy what does it matter. Just a shame she couldn’t have taken it out for a few seconds for the photo.

My son was born with a cleft palette in the seventies, the hospital gave him a dummy to encourage him to suck. He only got it at bedtime once he was feeding successfully. Later when they set a date for the repair, we thought we had better train him if it as thought the hospital wouldn't approve. It was a struggle for a few weeks before the repair took place. First thing the hospital did when he came out of surgery. Yes you've guessed it they gave him a dummy. The rest of my 4 children all had them at night to get of to sleep, but never to run around with during the day.
5 of my 9 grandchildren did the same 3 never had them and 1 seemed to have it permanently in. As she got a bit older she knew grandma didn't like her running around with it so would take it out and give it to her mum to hide it when she seen me coming. She knew I would take it from her unless it was bedtime

My two never had dummies not that I didn’t try they just spat them out. They do look awful those big dummies and they are bad for their teeth when they are coming through.
I had reins for both mine but round the shoulders and tum.
Don’t like the one that you clip round there wrist think they look awful.

When my daughter was born I was convinced dummies caused all sorts of stuff in children.... but she never never never slept . She would doze for 20 minutes then wake... doze and wake...doze and wake all through the first two months of her life. My husband refused to get up to her and told me to "get her sorted woman"... he was a shift worker so she also had to be kept quiet during the days as well sometimes!! I was at my wits end with no sleep.. no help... and no hope of any. Then my mum came to stay as I think she'd heard the desperation in my voice on the phone to her!! She charged in pulled a dummy from her pocket ... told my husband to bugger off to work... sent me to bed and there I stayed for 18 hours...while she coped with baby and my over demanding husband. Baby slept for 4 hours...then 5 hours... then 6 hours through the night. Mum saved my sanity that day and many after. My daughter has never in her life slept more than 6 hours even now at forty. I'm the same and manage on approx. 3/4 hours a night! She is not retarded ...she has not got crooked teeth ... she's never had a stomach infection... also she is a psychiatrist with a brain the size of a football! So despite all the twaddle that's talked about dummies they are a godsend. When I had my son 4 years later it was the first thing I bought. Although having said that he hardly used it, he slept from day one and always needed waking! my mum had six of us kids and knew a thing or two , some of us needed dummies some didn't. She was a wise woman.... a belated thanks mum, I'm sure ididnt say it at the time!!

I hated dummies in the 70's when my daughter was born, never gave her one. She ended up sucking her thumb until she was 9, her teeth were pushed out of alignment and she needed braces to correct them . I wish I'd given her the dummy !

My twins had ‘diddies’ As we called them - they voluntarily gave them up when they started nursery school at 3 years by sending them to the Diddy Fairy with thank you notes!

At almost 14 they are bright, articulate and, unlike many of their peers, have never had a filling.

To be fair, they only really had them at bedtime, as ‘soothers’.

I don’t really have an opinion as to their use today - some babies need them more than others - as do their parents!

None of my 4 had a dummy & granddaughters only until about 18 months for getting to sleep. I hate them & have often heard children trying to have a conversation with one stuck in their mouth & wonder why the parents don't remove it!!

When I gave my only child a dummy for the first and only time I put it in his mouth and it went flying across the room!

My mother was very anti dummies. So, I did not use them for Nos. 1 or 2. However that second one - a girl, found her thumb, and continued to suck that for the next 16 years causing her teeth to be pushed out of shape. Only when she had a brace did she actually stop sucking that thumb.
As I fostered small babies, besides my own I soon discovered that some small babies really have such a strong sucking instinct that they are not happy unless they have something to suck. I happily used dummies (not those which could be filled with sugary drinks as even back then it was obvious that would cause early tooth decay). So, sometime the baby I had around would have a dummy and sometimes not. Once they were a year old I would encourage them only to have the dummy to go to sleep at night, and somewhere round 2 or 3 yrs it would be 'be donated' to a nursery!!!!
Do think it is so easy to be judgemental. As long as bubs and Mum are happy and well looked after what difference does it make if they do or do not have a dummy.

One grandson was so dummy orintated that he used to find spares like a pig snuffling for truffles and would then have one in each hand plus his sisters when his mum helped him post his dummy for another baby as he was such a big grown up boy he was fine but the thumb went in the mouth and stayed there she tried everything from star charts to nasty tasting stuff (he liked the taste) sonetimes, night times upset times kids just need to comfort themselves, his teeth are fine Is it such a bad thing in the scale of things all kids are different his sister had a dummy till she was about 2 gave it up automatically and never sucked a thumb finger or comforter they’re all different, go with the flow

This ?

To be quite honest, I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business what one chooses to do with one’s own child. In the old days, groups of nosey women would stand around commenting/offering opinions to young mums, undermining their confidence. The older I get, the more I think we should have moved on from that. Being a young parent is difficult enough without feeling disapproval from the older, so knowing, generation.

‘Dormal’ Storynanny - now that’s a word I haven’t seen for years and I recognised it immediately like an old friend .......

Until my newborn (adopted) son came home, I was adamantly anti-dummy. However he had colic (like Witzend's no. 2) and I discovered the only way to keep him less agitated was to give him a dummy. No. 2 baby was fine and didn't need one, but sucked her thumb until she was three. No. 3 had his ruggy to suck. No.4 came to us at six weeks and had had a bottle shoved in her mouth every time she cried so was overweight for her age. The solution was, you guessed it, a dummy. At about 11 months old, I stopped giving it to her and she didn't cry for it. About two weeks later, I offered it and she just laughed and spat it out.

My only objection now is seeing a parent picking up a dummy off the floor and putting it back in the child's mouth. Yeuch!! It's easy enough to have a spare clean one on hand.

My daughter was another baby given her dummy while in a special care unit. She went blue every time a feed was attempted, so the dummy was there to preserve the sucking reflex until medical problems were resolved. She now has a successful career and children of her own. Her teeth did not suffer, but would not have been a consideration at a time when survival was what was on our minds.

Aren’t dummies very outdated now? I hardly ever see a child with one, though this is a posh area so thumbs are more acceptable.

I was behind a young couple in a queue today; mum was holding the baby and when he turned round I smiled at him but he couldn't smile back because of the dummy in his mouth.
Of course, I could have frightened him and he needed the dummy for comfort

I was very "anti-dummy" when I had my daughter and she never needed one. However, when I had my son, he used to feed until he made himself sick (I breastfed both) and my health visitor said he was sucking for the comfort after he was actually full, and to try a dummy instead. I was reluctant, but it did the trick. He now has a baby of his own and he is just the same. I'm still not particularly keen on them - especially when they get a bit older - but sometimes they do the trick. Each baby is different and it's a question of what works for you...

I never used them but if you want a professional's opinion who is now a mum- read this.http://www.toothfairyblog.org/ditching-the-dummy-a-personal-journey/
It is harder than most people think and all babies are different

There’s a tradition around here that at a certain age the dummies are left at the local petting farm for the baby goats. They are placed on a designated wall by the children and collected each night by the staff.

Slightly batty I know but it works ?