When should you introduce a dummy?
- youmeandbabiee
- Jan 13, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 8
Ideally dummies and bottles should be introduced after 6 weeks to fully establish breastfeeding. This allows your body to build and maintain the volume of breastmilk it is going to make, doesn't interfere with that bonding and feeding time in the first precious weeks of life and also doesn't confuse bub with different sucking skills in that time period, as babies use different facial muscles to feed on a bottle compared to the breast.
Sometimes if a dummy is introduced early it can lead to feeds being missed which in turn can affect your milk supply. Dummies can also cause dental malocclusion if used for longer than the recommended time frame. Ideally removed by 1 but definitely between the ages of 2-4.
There are times when a dummy is introduced for example with premature babies as this helps them learn suck skills earlier and helps them strengthen those muscles faster. It can help with faster weight gain and also helps babies associate sucking on a dummy whilst getting a tube feed.
There is also evidence that dummies can help reduce SIDS when used consistently.
If you are formula feeding or giving breastmilk via a bottle from birth, then you can use dummies from birth.
