Dummies! Yes or No?

Well, I didn't exactly know which section to put this is, but their's no way I`m going to a Johnson & Johnson message board and asking the same question

Since Jonas popped out, I`ve had to bite my tongue, I`m a person that doesn't really see a problem with the good ol'e dummy.. My intention to use it isn't just to put it in my sons mouth whenever he starts crying or what have you like I`ve seen some people do, I only want to use it when he doesn't want the... how do I say it.. teets?... or a bottle, and all other avenue's are checked out and he just wants to have that motion in his mouth! without filling himself up!

But my parents ripped into me when they found out I bought one, My GF doesn't like them, and my GF old bag doesn't like anything, but dummies included!

Whats so bad about them? personally my opinion is the bad comes from the way the parents use them! Aswell as the good!

But I would like to know others opinions!

Whats your take? or am I just spitting the dummy?

 

They can be overused, but I look at them as entertainment for the wee set. After a while you learn to read a cry, there is emotional content to them.

It is easy to use pacifiers and sweet water (fruit juices, etc) as an answer to all crying, which is bad. Other than that I don't see the harm. The time will come, when the opposable teeth are in place, they bite into them and suck the jelly out, this is usually a clue to stop.

Everyone talks about the terrible twos like that is the worst. Personally I LIKE my family car.

 

I dunno about the terrible 2's, this is my first time! and although at that moment just before he popped out I said NO WAY to this again, after that I soon changed my mind! I would like a girl later on down the track....

I have more respect than ever for the female race, I wasn't one of these people that didn't respect them, I just have alot more added to what I did! their is no way in hell I would be able to push a golfball thru a straw! or let a doctor attack down their with a pair of scissors!

Call me a wuss, but I had to grip onto something at the climax moment of it all, everything started spinning, going ultra fast, just plain right out scary! But it was worth it!

Anyway, Im getting a bit off topic, I`d have to agree with your stance on dummies, sure I`ve seen some people overdose their babies on them, or even 4 years olds have them in their mouth, but thats their choice I think, to me thats a bit ridiculouse! But at times I think a dummy when their still under 1, their useful, like when were out shopping, and he wants a feed, we can give him his dummy for a little bit to take his mind off it a bit, until we get home..

I dunno about USA, but here its becoming illegal to breast feed a baby just about anywhere other than a toilet in public! Pathetic

 

Congratulations Daddy.

We used a pacifier with our son, as did most everyone else. That was around 1980; have times changed things so much, or are your relatives more opposed than most?

They CAN be overused, and overdone, but babies WILL find something to stuff in their mouths, it seems to be instinctive. A pacifier/dummy is far better than SOME of the things that end up in babies' mouths.

As far as breast feeding in public, I'm way out of the loop on that, but restrictions on where it's acceptable seem to be a problem over here too. Germy public restroom always seemed to me to be the WORST possible place to feed a baby.

 

Well when I was a kid mum and dad said they didn't give us boys dummy's, which maybe is the reason why im lacking something these days... hehe /joke

But your right about times changing, everything you do as a choice in parenting is under complete scrutiny! its a case of your damned if you do and damned if you dont! I noticed that way before my GF got pregnant!

We have a weekday morning breakfast show here on Channel 7 (Southern Cross for me in Darwin) called Sunrise, it's technically like your equivelant of the TODAY show on msnbc, or We have the TODAY SHOW on Channel 9, which is like your GMA show, but every morning their is something about Children, shoulds and shouldn'ts, which I think is one of the reasons why I am so 'Informational' at the moment, Since he was born, the moment he came out, my world turned upside down, and everything is about him for me! the best only! maybe this is a bad thing, but in my eye's I mean only good from it!

I guess I'm scared of making an regrettable mistake, something that may harm Jonas, at the moment I hardly sleep, I`m afraid I may miss something, I get roughly 2 hours sleep max a night! I hardly go out becuase I am afraid I won't get back in time if something happens or I`m not around and needed ASAP!

I dunno if this is normal or not, but these things only started at 9:40am Wednesday on the 12th July last month when he was born!

I personally didn't think I was ready to be a father, I was and still am scared (censored) that I will make a boo boo somewhere along the lines! its a bad case of fear!

Anyway back on topic, with things in his mouth, well he has already started that, when he gets hungry he gobbles on his hand/fingers, or sometimes when we think he is hungry he does it, but he wont eat, so maybe it is instinctive of babies! I`ve heard a few stories about anything and everything that a baby can grab and fit in their mouth, ends up their! hehe

Maybe you could also help me on another problem, he has this problem of grabbing at his face all the time, particularly when he is hungry, but he really rips at his face, and for a baby, he has quite a tough grip, and leaves marks on his face, we try our best to move his has away instantly when he does it, but he still continues to do it next time, etc

Any idea's other than putting mittens on his hands to stop it?

 

This is my son Jonas by the way!

http://forum.majorgeeks.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=39936&stc=1&d=1154892693

http://forum.majorgeeks.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=39936&stc=1&d=1154892693

 

Much like everything else medical, they go in and out of vogue with doctors about every 8-10 years. Just about the same time you're suppoed to lay them down to sleep on their stomachs...or their backs...or their stomachs again.

They wouldn't still make them if you weren't supposed to use them. Now, if he was three years old and still using one, that'd be a problem...and when he starts getting teeth you'll want to start phasing it out so his teeth don't grow in crooked. But he's newborn. If it keeps him quiet, go for it.

 

Regarding the dummy or soother or pacifier, whatever you want to call it, they work great. I don't know what you mean by overuse, but I used them on all our kids. Sometimes they just want to suck and if it stops the crying then use it. Be sure to use the ergonomic shape to reduce the strain on teeth. And if the kid is 3 or 4 and still using it, it's a lot easier to ween them from it, than their thumb.

 

I used dummies with both my youngest sons,on a limited basis. They had them as tiny babies when nothing else would soothe them, after all other options had been eliminated. As they got 6 months plus, they had them for naps and sleep only, unless we were out shopping, and they just wouldn't quit screaming, then they had the dummy.

I don;t see it as an issue as long as you aren't RELYING on them. Sometimes a baby wants cuddles, entertaining, or just diaper-free time rolling on a towel on the floor.

 

Cute baby Luthius.

As far as worrying about making mistakes, as Tim noted, none of us are perfect, we all make some "mistakes", and generally worry about them and fret over them later on. All we can do is the best we can, but if we DO the best we can, the kids generally turn out OK and appreciate the effort we put into them. Kids, even babies, are generally tougher than we give them credit for. They've been surviving parents' mistakes far longer then the "experts" have been around telling us how to raise them.