Have been trying to encourage Baby to use a dummy and am getting nowhere. He’s really ‘sucky’ and loves to feed to sleep. This isn’t ideal for a number of reasons and so I thought a dummy would be a good alternative.
Sadly Baby has other ideas. He’s usually happy to have the dummy in his mouth. But will he suck it? He mostly chews on it, looking like a baby who’s swallowed a wasp. He also moves it round his mouth and pushes it out repeatedly with his tongue. And occasionally gags on it. I’ve tried holding it in and it doesn’t help.
The same thing happened with his brother when I tried to introduce one at around six months. I thought that was maybe cos I left it too late. Baby is only eleven weeks but it seems like maybe that’s too late too. Official advice if breast feeding is to wait till at least six weeks when feeding is well established. And it was only when we had a bit more of a routine that I felt I could judge the difference between hunger and tiredness (he wants to feed to sleep so for ages it was hard to tell.)
I’ve now bought and tried five different brands of dummy. He seems to slightly prefer the flat non-orthodontic ones. Avent get the least resistance and he’s once (once!) sucked one for a minute or so. Buying all these dummies is proving rather expensive and of course once they are used I can’t return them. I wish you could trial them somehow – maybe an idea for a new local NCT service? Not that many others seem to have any issues. All my new mum friends use dummies and no-one had a problem introducing one. They also all have babies who drop off to sleep all by themselves at the drop of a hat. No rocking or feeding required. Am quite jealous.
Neither me nor my sisters had dummies as babies as my parents don’t like them. I think the fact my parents disapprove does put me off a bit and is maybe another reason we were slow to introduce one.
Not sure if I can bear to persevere with this dummy headache much longer. Baby is getting better each day at controlling his hands and I’m sure in a few weeks he’ll be happily sucking away on them. Just got to wait a bit longer and maybe he’ll be able to soothe himself to sleep using them.
Anyone got any advice or tips before I consign this experiment to the dustbin?
A rare pic of Baby with dummy.
Tags: Avent, baby won't take dummy, Dummy, introducing a dummy, mam, paci, soother, sucking fingers, sucky baby, tommy tippee
Don't wake the baby! 
May 19, 2013 at 9:36 am |
Not sure I can help, but thought I’d try! Have you tried (in your array of dummies!) MAM silk teat from 0+? Both of mine took to those the best, though it should be pointed out my daughter was 3 weeks old and my son 2 days old! Both exclusively breastfed and no problems with that at all, and no issues weaning daughter off her dummy (son is only 8 mths so yet to cross that bridge with him!) I think from 4-8 weeks is the best time to get them used to bottles/dummies, though you’re right in saying they don’t recommend doing so until breast feeding recommended – can’t win!
May 29, 2013 at 9:32 am |
[…] armed with this knowledge I firstly tried to introduce a dummy. I hoped Baby could happily transition to falling asleep though sucking. But he wouldn’t take […]