With our first (Little Q) I was adamant I didn't want to give her a dummy for a few reasons.
- I didn't like how they looked
- didn't want to have to wean her off them
- it seemed an added complication to an already overwhelming learning curve (which one?how do you clean them? will it mess up breastfeeding? etc)
Two weeks into new parenthood and uncounted hours awake in the early hours I tried gently but repeatedly to get little Q to take a dummy as all she wanted to do was suckle and sleep in my arms. Which is adorable, and lovely, and wonderful and so so sweet until its 3.30 something am AGAIN and you really really need to have some sleep. Sadly Little Q flatly refused to take a dummy and after a mini meltdown I realised I had to take sleep where I could get it and just enjoy the cuddles until the phase ended. This dummy refusal extended as far as bottle refusal so the litres of expressed breast milk I'd carefully stored so little Q's daddy could do a night feed and let me sleep never actually got that use and had to be gradually used up as milk for her porridge when weaning.
This time around I'd come to a few different conclusions.
- who cares how they look (just don't get one in a colour I didn't like!)
- weaning her off them might be difficult but (see next point...)
- I now have a 2.5 yr old AND a newborn. I CAN'T sleep when the newborn sleeps and make it up that way as Little Q gave up napping a year ago.
- I just spent 5 minutes googling and realised that dummy care really isn't that big of a deal. Being a second time around parent means that perspective is everything.
SO I decided that if Little S was a similar sucky, velcro baby (also adorable, wonderful and lovely) then I'd try a dummy again and if she took it great, if not.... we'd make a new survival plan!
Two nights ago I reached the point where I realised it was time to try. Little S had fed properly from both sides, had fallen asleep in my arms but everytime I put her down she stirred and would ask for more but then only suck a few times before falling asleep. I tried the Nuk 0-6m orthodontic dummy as back when I'd had Little Q this was highly recommended for breastfed babies to avoid nipple confusion etc. She just took to it straight away. Popped it in, she took a few uncertain sucks and then went at it with will, it took her about 5 mins of suckling and she was out for the count. She woke up just under 3 hours later perfectly on time for her next feed. The next night was a similar story and today I feel so great in comparison to getting 30 minute stints in between hour long feeds of which the last 20 mins is mostly comfort suckling!
I have no idea if this will continue, my current plan is to only use it at night or as I'm more than happy to cuddle her during the day but I'm prepared for that to change if necessary in order to be able to give proper attention to Little Q as well.
I am using these dummies and this portable steriliser as trying to clean a dropped dummy in the middle of the night is NO fun and this Milton steriliser makes things so much easier.