To have or not to have… a dummy, is a question most parents face, particularly first-time parents. I remember throwing around this very question when my little girl was born. The more people I spoke to the more uncertain I became. Our resident blogger, Jacqueline de Robillard has highlighted some very good questions and guidelines when toying with the question “to have or not to have… a dummy”.
Just about every decision made on behalf of a newborn baby has the potential for intergalactic warfare. Well inter-family-warfare, at the very least. If you already have children you will know instantly what I am talking about. If you are still to have your first baby then reading this may save you a lot of trouble.
Let’s take one tiny thing, measure it against its potential for trouble and look at how collateral damage can be avoided.
That innocuous little thing, of course, is the dummy. Should your baby have one?
Picture the discussion
- Janet: I had a dummy. My Mother says they pacify, that babies need to suck and they do no harm at all. I am certainly fine.
- Jason: My Mother says they cause infection, tooth decay and dependency. They should be banned. I never had one and I am certainly fine.
Choosing whose Mother was right is an arena no-one wants to enter. To make your own decision and feel comfortable and confident is not as hard as you might think either.
Make your decision an informed one
As I was thinking about this topic I asked a few Mothers whether their babies had had dummies. The response that I thought best expressed my message, came from Julia who has three children. Of those only the middle child had been given a dummy. With the first she was determined that she would not resort to a dummy. By the second she thought they should be compulsory and the third “didn’t need one”.
Do babies benefit from extra sucking?
Some do. All babies need sucking but the amount varies. In babies sucking is a reflex so putting a dummy in their mouths and noting that they suck on it is not an indication that they actually need extra sucking. This can be something to bear in mind when considering milk flow either from a breast or a bottle. Slower may be better.
Does it actually calm them?
Very often, yes. Obviously not if the problem is hunger or pain. However if the intention is to sooth mild discomfort following a feed, or to buy a few minutes before a feed, or if the baby is sleepy but seems to be resisting actually going to sleep, a dummy can work wonders.
Do babies become dependent on dummies?
Actually this can happen and can be a very real problem. With continued use, it is not uncommon for the child to become so used to having a dummy in their mouth that they will wake when it falls out during sleep.
Are there health risks associated with the use of dummies?
The short answer to this is yes. The longer answer is not necessarily. All of the health risks shown to be associated with dummy use are associated with prolonged and/or frequent use or the addition of sweetness to the dummy.
In Summary
A rule of thumb would be to use when necessary not as a matter of habit. It is less important whether your baby uses a dummy than how it is used.
Discretionary use of a dummy can be a great help to parents and a comfort to babies.
Not all babies need one. Does yours?
A little about our resident blogger Jacqueline…
Jacqueline has years of passion and experience as a midwife. She has run many a parenting class and has a Masters degree in Education, majoring in Developmental Psychology. Jacqueline’s passion for people and traveling has served her well having spent many years living and working around the world.
Jacqueline and her husband Jean-Michel recently returned to Australia after saying good-bye to their gorgeous vineyard in France, the place they called home for 15 years (something we can only dream of). Jacqueline has met some wonderfully interesting and inspiring people throughout her life journey, she brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience and we are proud to welcome her to our team. We look forward to many more interesting and informative Blogs from Jacqueline and encourage you to send us your questions or topics you’d like to read about.