Hi ladies

Not sure what I'm after but no doubt your wise words and experiences will help!

Ciarán is now 4 weeks old and really thriving. He's getting weighed tomorrow and I can't wait to see how much he's put on! Breastfeeding is now going really well after a shaky start. He feeds every 2.5/3 hours and Mr P gives him a bottle of EBM at about 10pm which is a great help. Anyhow, he is a REALLY sucky baby and I have been toying with a dummy to see how he gets on. I like the idea of a dummy for:

- Settling him if we are out and about and I can't feed him
- Settling him if nothing else works (we try rocking then white noise first usually)
- Giving him something he associates with going to sleep

I have all the usual reservations about dummies (him still having it when he's three etc etc) but my main fear is nipple confusion and that he'll reject the breast.

Has anyone had any experience of using a dummy and breastfeeding? Do you have 'rules' around when to use the dummy? Could I pop it in for him to go to sleep and then pull it out when I know he's gone? We usually put him down half asleep rather than waiting til he's fully gone.

I started using a dummy when LO was just under 2 weeks old. I used a soothie. It was on doc's advice. It was a god send and I never looked back. It helped soooooo much as he had such a strong need to suck all the time. He eventually rejected it on his own when he found his thumb to suck on. And now he doesn't even do that as much.

It never caused nipple confusion for us.

I really think babies are smart enough to figure out the difference between a pacifier and nursing. I can see maybe where the bottle could get in the way because they get the food from both sources and a bottle can be easier to eat from. But they figure out they aren't getting anything from the pacifier so I personally dont really think that's an issue as long as it's not being given instead of nursing if that's really what they are needing. All 3 of my boys had one within a few days of birth and it never effected us nursing. A plus side of them having them is they have been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS too

I used one at two weeks too which is way earlier than they recommend, but we were despreate as she wanted to suck all the time even right after feeding! She does not always take it and I must admit we have not used it much but on the ocassions when it works it has really helped. I asked the HV about it as I felt so bad and she said it was fine.

This is the EXACT thing my doc said when I brought up nipple confusion concerns. He looked at me like and said, "There is no confusion -- one they get milk from the other they don't."

I read about a study that had been done (I think it was in Practical Parenting Magazine) and it said that it was proved that even giving a bbaby a dummy at 2 weeks did not cause nipple confusion.

We have one for Charlie which he uses occasionally - he will take it but we don't give it to him unless he is very upset at bedtime and has just fed (ie we don't give it to him just because its bedtime). Its a pain in the A to just give it to him because he drops it out of his mouth and you have to pkeep puytting it in again because it wajes him up so TBH I don't want him to associate it with every bedtime.

It took a while for him to take it and sometimes he gags on it when he doesn't want it (I sometimes think he does this on purpose!)

From what I have read dummies are now regarded as a good thing - reduction in SIDS risk and most are now orthodontic so don't harm teeth.

Thanks girls. Good to know about the nipple confusion study!

I started using one just before 2 weeks cos he loves to suckle. It was a really tough decision cos I was worried about nipple confusion / having one when he's 3 etc just like you, but we were desperate.

We give it to him when he's fed but can't settle himself at night. He seems to get bad wind and sucking a dummy seems to help him. We try and take it out as soon as he stops sucking on it or when he's really calmed down.

The first night we gave it to him, every time it fell out he woke up and cried so we had to keep putting it back in so we try and take it off him before that happens.

I mentioned it to my HV and she said if you're happy that your breastfeeding is established then it shouldn't cause confusion, and like the other ladies said, the HV pointed out that they don't get any milk from a dummy. Plus, if you're giving LO a bottle once a day, and they're still taking your boob then it shouldn't be a problem with a dummy?

I also started using one at around 1-2 weeks since he was wanting to comfort suck so much my nipples were really suffering and I was getting no sleep. I was certain I wouldn't use it, but omg it has helped us SO much!

I agree with the nipple confusion - I was concerned about a bottle because of the fast flow / ease of getting milk out in addition to the fake nipple. The pacifier is nothing like a nipple shape and doesn't provide milk!!! If Bun is hungry a pacifier doesn't help at all - he wants boob!
xx

we use one in the evenings and at night but only when he needs it. started from 2wks and did get some degree of poor latching from time to time, but i can't even say that that is a definite link to the dummy and he is totally fine with both now. if your lo is alreasdy taking to the bottle and breat, i would guess a dummy wouldnt cause asny problems.

reassuringly ours won't take it if he is hungry so we know if we misread his cry, he will soon put us straight!!!

on your point about taking it out when they've settled - after he's calmed down we sometimes take it out before he's fully asleep. in that way i hope he's learning that he can physically get himself to sleep without it - works sometimes but not others!!