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Polly2
27-03-2009, 08:45 AM
Have you all read that bit in the "who minds" mag about dummies?

It says that new research suggests that babies who use dummies before 6mths have a lower risk of cot death!

Makes interesting reading

lilsteff
27-03-2009, 08:46 AM
yeh i did read it and found it rather intresting!!

mandy moo
27-03-2009, 09:26 AM
prehaps weshould have a poll
For Dummies and Against? or something like that anyway.
That would be interesting to see others feelings on them.

When I 1st started working with children, 25+ ago, I thought they were horrible, germ ridden things,
Now I ve had my own, Well I personally would be without them, what a wonderfull invention:)

jellytot
27-03-2009, 09:33 AM
thing is with theese articles is that if we listen to everything they say we would be scared to breathe incase we did it the wrong way, I think its best to do what works for you and your baby.

rickysmiths
27-03-2009, 09:44 AM
I thought it wasn't PC to call them Dummies. I thought they had to be 'Pasifiers'?:panic: :rolleyes:

jellytot
27-03-2009, 09:45 AM
I thought it wasn't PC to call them Dummies. I thought they had to be 'Pasifiers'?:panic: :rolleyes:

:laughing: :laughing:

Cammie Doodle
27-03-2009, 09:55 AM
I thought it wasn't PC to call them Dummies. I thought they had to be 'Pasifiers'?:panic: :rolleyes:

My lot have various names for them Tooties , Num Nums, Nummy and as for blanket / comforters, they have been called snuffles, noo- noos, blankie, cuddly and Carolyn's son called his cecil !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:laughing:

Whilst my nephew was in Hospital when he was 2 being treated for cancer:eek: he had a "Tootie" in fact he had 2, one in his mouth and he twiddled the other one in his fingers. The nurses obviously did not want him to catch any infection whilst his resistance was so low, due to Chemotherapy , they were constantly serilising his Tooties , but bless him he kept saying I dont like this Tootie. I need another one. Bless him it was the sterilising fluid he did not like .

Helen79
27-03-2009, 10:31 AM
I've read that, it's interesting to read.

I think that they only decrease the risk if they have the dummy every time they're settled to sleep. If they usually have a dummy but then don't have one occasionally this increases the risk.

There's just too much conflicting info on things like this so I just go with what my kids want & need. Both mine have had dummies but if they didn't want one I wouldn't force them to have one.

Call me cynical but I 'think' Mam makers of dummies sponsored the study:rolleyes:

Chatterbox Childcare
27-03-2009, 10:34 AM
I hate the dam things. There is nothing worse than children aged 2+ wondering around with them in and their speech is so bad. When I get mine up from their nap (this is the only time they have them regardless of age 9mths+) I put my hand out and they push the dummy out and away it goes.

Saying that, they do have their uses when time appropriate - mine of course!!

Bushpig
27-03-2009, 10:42 AM
Two of mine use them and that's for sleepy time only. I am not a fan of them.. nor of sucking thumbs!

venus89
27-03-2009, 10:52 AM
I never used them for mine but all my mindees have/had them. I only give them to the 2 year olds for sleeps. One comes in and puts her dummy in her bag as soon as she gets here. Baby I usually only give it for sleeps but sometimes when he's very tired.
The 18 month old I have given it to him when we've been doing messy play or in the garden when he was younger to stop other things going in his mouth.

My nephew (3 months old, bless) has a dummy - Mum&Dad say it's until 6 months old and that they hate the things - they said about the cot death thing (they both work in hospitals) - but it will be interesting to see if thy actually stick to that!

For those that use them, why oh why do adults pick up a dropped dummy off the floor and suck it then give it to the baby? I've never got that. I imagine the floor is more dirty than a mouth?

Helen79
27-03-2009, 11:35 AM
I suck my son's dummy occasionally to get the grit or pocket fluff off before he pops it back in his mouth :blush:

I don't worry about germs, unless its dropped in something nasty, he's eaten far worse things.

Just read that back & it does sound pretty minging, promise I won't do it again lol :o

venus89
27-03-2009, 11:36 AM
I suck my son's dummy occasionally to get the grit or pocket fluff off before he pops it back in his mouth :blush:

I don't worry about germs, unless its dropped in something nasty, he's eaten far worse things.

Just read that back & it does sound pretty minging, promise I won't do it again lol :o

Lol - it wasn't a criticism, just something I never understood :laughing:

LOOPYLISA
27-03-2009, 11:37 AM
I hate them :angry: my dd never had one, but my neice did, she is quite behind with her speach, im not sure if the dummy was to blame .

venus89
27-03-2009, 11:42 AM
I hate them :angry: my dd never had one, but my neice did, she is quite behind with her speach, im not sure if the dummy was to blame .

My stepdaughter had a dummy constantly when she was lttle and her speech was delayed and kind of slurred for ages.... I always felt it was the dummy. She's OK now though. BUT she does need braces - whether this is because of the dummy or not I don't know but again, I think it may have been

madasahatter
27-03-2009, 12:07 PM
I don't mind dummies when they are used to settle a child, but I hate seeing children wandering around with them clamped in when they are 2, 3 (and more) years old. Before children I was never going to use a dummy but my son's almost constant colic and need to be attached to my bust put an end to that LOL.
Now, having two mindees (age 11 and 10) who still suck their thumb (and one of those still twiddles silkies/ribbons/labels) I infinitely prefer dummies. I only give them to children at sleep times, and have found (with parents) that they are not too difficult to get rid of at an appropriate time (we usually say 18months to 2 yrs), without the child then finding their thumb. Because the children only get their dummies at sleep times you don't tend to get the problem with them getting dirty or covered in fluff. Thumbs however are attached to hands and go in and out of mouths everywhere without being washed first (yuck!!)

sarah707
27-03-2009, 12:15 PM
I think I would have gone round the twist with my ds if he hadn't had a dummy...

I hated the things until about 2 days after he was born! :D

ORKSIE
27-03-2009, 12:23 PM
They are in my opinion better than a thumb.....you cant take a thumb away!!!:)
one of my 8m mindee has one, I lost it and there was not another in the bag:eek: what a flippin nightmare:panic: had to make a dash to local shop to buy another:D
So in that respect you cant lose a thumb!!:jump for joy:

katickles
27-03-2009, 12:47 PM
I was adamant that my dd wasn't having one as i hated them. Eventually I gave in when she was about 3/4 months old as she was sucking her thumb. My hubby brother's teeth are bucked because he did this & in fact still does, so hubby & I didn't want this for dd.

It also helped her loads with her teething to the point they didn't really cause her much discomfort.

However - We did manke sure that it was taken away from her at times not needed & it was compleatly gone by about 10 months.

I have read about the cot death & links to it being reduced with the use if a dummy.

http://newtickers.bump-and-beyond.com/29/2917/291765.png (http://www.bump-and-beyond.com/)

huggableshelly
27-03-2009, 01:01 PM
my dd didnt use one but used to suck her thumb which kept her airway open.

my ds .. I was recomended to give him one as he wasnt suckling and screamed the place down unless i nursed him. he was tiny so still looked ok using numnum when he was 3 but finally got rid of it when he was 3.5

new mindee I have is so funny she walks in turns around glares at Mum then turns back to me and hands over her dummy! Mum wants to know what the secret is ... wish I knew lol maybe I scared the poor little miss.

Polly2
27-03-2009, 01:08 PM
I personally found dummies really useful for 2 of my children, the other 2 wouldn't take to them at all! Even though I tried ha!

Although I do hate to see toddlers walking round with one - mine used them for bedtime. My daughter had one to sleep with until she was 4 :eek: :blush: :blush: I was constantly critisised by my mother in law!!

My mother used to dip mine in honey to stop me crying(back in the old days!!) and I didn't have a filling until I had baby number 4 at 30yrs old...:laughing:

I wonder how having a dummy can help cot death? Would it help keep the airways open?

One of my mindees calles it his plug!!

Helen79
27-03-2009, 01:52 PM
[QUOTE]new mindee I have is so funny she walks in turns around glares at Mum then turns back to me and hands over her dummy![/QU

One of my mindees always puts his on our dummy & drink shelf as soon as he arrives & doesn't have it at all when he's here but at home never has it out of his mouth. As soon as his mum arrives he runs straight for his dummy & plugs it back in before she's even through the door.

Demonjill
27-03-2009, 04:10 PM
My dd wouldnt take a dummy but opted for her thumb instead and was a nightmare to get her to stop sucking it. We tried nail biting solution on thumbs putting her to bed in gloves . She would often have a sneaky sook at school too. Eventually she stopped when she was about 7 or 8. Now she is going to need braces on her teeth.

Didnt make same mistake with ds. Gave him a dummy(dum dum) just at bed time or grumpy time then took it off him before he was a year old no probs! He has perfect teeth.:thumbsup:

I think you can be as strict as you like with dummies. But sometimes they stop you going round the bend too.:laughing:

I am not against them with little babies but dont like to see older ones with dummy in all day at the shops and things but thats just my personal opinion.:)

Princess Sara
27-03-2009, 05:05 PM
DS1 never had a dummy, or any other kind of comforter. He was a very independant baby and still is now at almost 5 years.

DS2 however needed a blankie, a special soft toy and a dummy for the first 3 months, then we got rid of the dummy, and now slowly removing the soft toy (harder to wash than a blankie) and he's left with just the blankie at 8 months. He use to refuse to sleep unless he was rocked/cuddled and is just a clingy baby. He's definatly a mummys boy.

IMO, all babies are different and should be treated as such. Although the research has shown a reduce in cot death for young babys, what about the research showing an increase in ear/throat/eye infections for older ones? And how many parents go through hell at 2, 3 and even 4 trying to get rid of them? Personally, dummys are for tiny babies and when they can start doing things for themselves at 3-6 months it should be taken away. Obviously this won't work for all babies, them being different and all, but it's my thoughts and all prospective parents will be made aware of this.

avril
27-03-2009, 05:12 PM
I hated dummies until I had my first child he wasn't having a dummy but he had colic the midwife give him a dummy to pacify him apparently the sucking action helps, so by 5wks old it was a dummy or give him back!:blush: Dummy won. By age 2 he only had for sleep at night time by 3 it had gone to the easter rabbit AND son number 2 who is just 3 is leaving his for the easter rabbit this year and has only had it at nighttime for the last 1.5yrs.

I must admit I am still not a great fan of the things

madasahatter
27-03-2009, 05:20 PM
Back onto thumbs, last year on the coach transfer from airport to holiday hotel the woman (mid twenties) sat opposite us on the coach spent the whole journey (best part of 2 hours) sucking her thumb. It looked wierd

balloon
27-03-2009, 05:52 PM
For those that use them, why oh why do adults pick up a dropped dummy off the floor and suck it then give it to the baby? I've never got that. I imagine the floor is more dirty than a mouth?

I hate this habit and it's something I've never done even though 5 of my 6 have had soothers (I physically couldn't do it for fear of throwing up, lol!) But all people who live in the same home and eat the same food, drink the same liquid etc etc have roughly the same bacteria in their mouths so although it looks disgusting it's actually far better for baby than wiping it on your sleeve and popping it back in. (Sorry that's my biologist's head rather than my childminder's one, lol!) I always used to carry a spare, lol!

Also hate seeing toddlers with them, but think they're marginally better than the toddlers I see with bottles hanging from their mouths constantly or thumbs constantly being shoved in...

PixiePetal
27-03-2009, 05:59 PM
DD had a dummy. When she was tiny she had really bad colic and it gave us all a bit of peace! Only for bed/nap times as she got bit older. Got rid of it totally when DS was born. I had been in hospital for nearly a week and DH had been taking the easy route and letting her have it whenever she wanted (or he wanted!) When I came home, I looked at it and it went into the bin - the end was almost dropping off, so dangerous. Tears for half hour that night, less each night for 5 nights then forgotten about. She was 2 1/2. Then went on to bite nails, pick her skin etc :(

Wanted DS to have a dummy. He kept losing it at night and because of problems I had giving birth (I was left with no movement in hip or shoulder on one side) I had to struggle out of bed each time it fell out to put it in - not easy at the time! He then found his thumb and I got sleep :) He stopped sucking his thumb (only at night by then) by the age of 9 :rolleyes:

Both spoke very well as I would not talk to a child who has one in.

2 sibling mindees have them now ( nearly 3 and 1 3/4) They arrive with bottles and dummies which go on the table straight away. Speach of older child is not that clear - coincidense? maybe :rolleyes:

mandy moo
28-03-2009, 02:49 PM
Both mine had dummy's, pacifiers, soothers or wot ever you want to call them:)
Never had any speech problems with either..
In fact my eldest has what my MIL calls lantern jaw (his dad has it also) his bottom teeth sit in front of the top slightly, pushing his bottom jaw out Iyswim.
Which until recently hasnt been a problem un till a few weeks ago he said they (crashing together, His words) so a trip to the dentist next week:(

charleyfarley
28-03-2009, 03:07 PM
[QUOTE]new mindee I have is so funny she walks in turns around glares at Mum then turns back to me and hands over her dummy![/QU

One of my mindees always puts his on our dummy & drink shelf as soon as he arrives & doesn't have it at all when he's here but at home never has it out of his mouth. As soon as his mum arrives he runs straight for his dummy & plugs it back in before she's even through the door.

One of my mindees is exactly the same, never has it here,hasn't done since before xmas, it just shows that he doesn't really need it but has it out of habit. Why do parents NOT follow up what they've asked you to do?????

Carol xxx

Hebs
28-03-2009, 05:01 PM
I wonder how having a dummy can help cot death? Would it help keep the airways open?



it's the sucking relflex, it stops them falling into too deep a sleep when most infants secumb to cot death :thumbsup:

both my kids had dummies, my 7 year old mindee sucks her thumb and it annoys the :censored: out of me :angry:

FussyElmo
29-03-2009, 02:43 PM
Apparantley having a dummy in effects the area of the tongue that you need to use to talk so that is why they say not to have a dummy...also my speech therpist also said that children learn to talk around them whereas a thumb has to be taken out to talk, eat, play etc but that can lead to dental problems.

My eldest ds was a nightmare for both dummies and sucking his thumb hes seven now and I swear he would have his dummy back and he hasnt has it for five years.

Bushpig
30-03-2009, 06:41 AM
I have 2 mindees that suck their thumbs all the time.... when with their parents... but not with me... as I have been doggedly saying 'thumbs!' whenever it happens, and they stop. Mum and dad have said dentist says it needs to stop as is affecting teeth... so they told me we should all try hard to get them to stop. Which I have. And they don't do it in front of me. But when mum arrives... thumb is in the mouth IMMEDIATELY. And mum says nothing!!!:angry:

The same thing happened with toilet training - I was far more successful with no accidents at mine, than they were at home... due to consistency. She even admitted it to me.

I actually wonder why I try so hard to help them when they are so inconsistant? Do I even bother with the kids sucking their thumbs when they are with me... as mum and dad are clearly not trying that hard to stop them doing this?

gegele
30-03-2009, 07:30 AM
DD had a dummy for sleep until she was 2 then one night she didn't ask for it and off it went, no drama. they were already saying that it was good against cotdeath 3yrs ago.

my niece is 7 and can't stop her thumb!!! her teeeth are going frontway now! when i confronted her on my last visite she said " But it's not me Tata it's my thump it keeps going into my mouth, i don't want him to but it does it alone!!":laughing:

DS refused to take, i tried different ones as he was nursing too much...!! no way. and he's always snotty and as soon as i put him in his bed he roll on his front!!!! so i spend my night checking on him, with monitor at maximum sensibility so much so that the other morning he nearly gave me a heart attack with a almighty manly morning fart!!!!!!!!:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

devoncm
30-03-2009, 09:00 AM
Both mine had them, dd2 from 2 wks as she went to stay with her dad then and he couldnt manage apparently- but my god it has effected her speech in no way, she NEVER shuts up talking, she didnt have it all the time tho whereas my step son constantly had his and now he has to have speech therapy, dont know if dummy is the cause tho as marc was a slow talker too