Let's talk Dummies - Are they really that bad?

I remember when I first became a mother and offered a dummy (aka pacifier) to my baby it was such an oddly controversial thing. Different opinions flew at me with the main ones being 'if you want her to sleep, you will want to get rid of that' and 'once she becomes attached you will never be able to take it off her'.

I now have two children and the eldest used a dummy up until 3 years old and the youngest used one in her first 3 months and that was it.

So, as a certified infant and toddler Sleep Consultant, how do I feel about dummies?

I think they can be a great tool.

Did you know:

Sucking triggers a calming reflex in newborn babies, so sucking on a dummy can actually help to calm your newborn baby and help them settle, which is so important in that 4th trimester and can help with sleep in those early days.

There is also a lot of evidence suggesting that dummies can reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) when used consistently: (https://rednose.org.au/article/using-a-dummy-or-pacifier).

When to ditch the dummy?

Dummies can be great in the first few months of life however once your baby is 3-4 months old they can cause some disruption to sleep as your baby is likely no longer being swaddled and they can easily knock their dummy out now without the ability to find it and put it back in their mouth.

They will need support in learning how to find and replace their dummy and this can last until around 6 months of age.

After 6 months it is likely the dummy has become a deep rooted sleep association for your baby so removing it after this age can be difficult.

My advice is to either remove it 'cold turkey' at 3 months of age or keep it until they are a toddler and are old enough to understand that the 'dummy fairy' has taken them.

Things to be aware of with dummy use:

• It is recommended that for breastfeeding mothers, dummies are not introduced until breastfeeding has been established (after 4-6 weeks) as it can interfere with your babies latch.

• Long term dummy use can impact on dental development.

• Don't force the dummy, if your baby doesn't like it then leave it. I do recommend trying a few different types first though.

• Dummies should always be clean and sterile before offering to your baby.

• Dummies should never be used to replace a milk feed.