Pacifiers, dummies , binkys what ever you call them

absentgrana .. regarding sucking thumbs in womb, my second granddaughter was born with a sore on the back of her hand, Doctor said she had obviously been sucking it for some time.

Interesting thread. Your opinion depends on the age of your children as dummies were frowned upon in the 70's. Nowadays most babies use them and as long as they are used mainly for sleeping they are ok. I hate to see toddlers running around all day with a dummy in their mouths.

Agreed, g.tunnocks. the advantage of thumbs is that they come out when the child is doing anything — usually!

My ds had a pacifier until about 1yr old. MIL hated it and took every opportunity to make a snide remark about it. She never told me her reasons so I just ignored it.

I have no problem with dummies but my children and gd did not have them. GD spit hers out when offered - would rather be nursed! However she is still having a bottle before bed at 2.5 and during the night if she wakes. Daughter complains that she never wants breakfast - I wonder why?

Neither of my girls had dummies after the first one had thrush and my doctor advised me to throw away her dummy (it worked). Both sucked - one thumb, the other two fingers. Both had to have orthodontic treatment as teenagers, but I am certain that their crooked second teeth resulted from heredity, not digit-sucking.

Two of my grandchilden had dummies; the other two did not (mainly because the elder one wanted the real thing). Both the two that had dummies gave them up relatively painlessly.

My youngest grandson (2 and a half) has a "babba boy" or "blanket" - it is one of those useful muslins. He looks so cute dragging it around. Like Linus from Peanuts.

Children always seem to need comforters of some kind. It doesn't seem to me to matter very much what it is. If a child really needs a comforter well past the usual age for them, then maybe there is something else wrong. On the other hand, "Pink Teddy" still travels everywhere with my elder daughter!

I do not think thumb or finger sucking mis-shapes teeth. I sucked my thumb and needed major orthodontic treatment. My son didnt - and still needed just as much OD treatment. As I understand it the reason we had buck teeth was because our jaws were small, we both had very high palates and as a result our teeth were overcrowded. In both cases OD treatment started with two teeth being extracted, one each side at the top, and then everything was pulled back. We both had to have all our wisdom teeth out for the same reason.

My daughter put her middle fingers in her mouth, hand palm side up with the two middle fingers hooked behind the front teeth and her first and last fingers braced the other side, if anything should have distorted her teeth that should, yet her teeth are perfect and she has had no problem with her wisdom teeth.

No experience of dummies as neither my mother, myself or DL used them

My sister sucked her thumb when she was little and it pushed her front teeth out of alignment. She had to wear a brace for a while to correct the damage caused by the thumb sucking. Modern dummies are orthodontically designed to do no harm, provided the correct age group is chosen for the dummy. They start at 0 to 3 months, and progress from there. Dummies do far less damage to teeth than thumbs! Health visitors and other medical professionals will encourage the use of a dummy up to the age of 6 months. When the baby has fallen asleep and the dummy has fallen out of the mouth naturally, DO NOT REPLACE IT. The baby only needs it usually to fall asleep, as a soother/pacifier.

I am so glad to read these views. I too hate dummys. I have two grand daughters, one from each of my sons, one had a dummy and wouldn't give it up until she was about 4 the other one didn't have one, and I must say never needed one. Now I have another GC on the way and my DIL is adament the baby will have a dummy! Her mother says it should so it will!! I find it difficult to keep my mouth shut but I agree with what many have said, dummies impede speech and cause problems with teeth. But what can I do, anything I say falls on deaf ears.

My DSs didn't have dummies because neither I nor my ExH liked them and our families never used them. However, one pair of GC had them and the other pair didn't. I don't think it has made one scrap of difference to their development in any way. I still think they look a bit naff, but each to their own, as long as they are dispensed with before the kids get too big, same goes, in my opinion, for bottles which I never used either.

Neither of my children, born in the 1970's had dummies but they both sucked their middle two fingers - which looked most uncomfortable and certainly damaged my daughter's teeth. Fortunately we had a lovely dentist who helped sort out her teeth and persuaded her to stop. So I have changed my opinion which is just as well as my new granddaughter is occasionally given a dummy. I still hate to see older children with dummies but I'm confident my daughter will wean the baby off hers before it can do any harm.

I always hated dummies and would not use them for my children who both then sucked their two middle fingers - which looked very uncomfortable! This damaged my daugher's teeth but we were lucky to have a lovely dentist who sorted them out and persuaded her to break the habit when she was about 7.
So I have changed my opinion as long as the dummies are withdrawn at a young age. My daughter has reluctantly given her new baby a dummy to help; with sleep and I am sure she will not over use it.