Here are my five reasons why you can use a dummy when breastfeeding your baby. Dummies are wonderful they can soothe your baby in an instant and it shouldn’t be something that you feel guilty about using and they most certainly are not going to ruin breastfeeding for you.
Should you feel guilty about giving you’re newborn a dummy? What about nipple confusion, isn’t this the easy option? What if your baby becomes “addicted to their dummy” and doesn’t want you anymore? Isn’t that the lazy option!
These were a few of the comments I received when I gave my newborn baby a dummy for the first time. I’m here to tell you as a mother of three that there are so many benefits to a dummy. And if used carefully then they can work side by side with breastfeeding. I exclusively breastfeed my babies and whilst pregnant with my first I was warned of the confusion a dummy could cause my newborn. So, I waited and established a good latch with my baby, read up on the pros and cons and then proceeded to give him a dummy once I felt comfortable.
As breastfeeding my babies was something I was passionate about I wanted to make sure It didn’t hinder this for us both. I went on to feed both my second and third child who also had a dummy from an early age.
Satisfy your babies sucking instincts
- Dummies help reduce the pressure on mums and her breasts as a sole source of comfort. They are perfect for when you know your baby has a belly full of milk but want to continue to suck. If they are a super hungry baby a dummy can help satisfy their sucking instincts and help you soothe them to sleep so they are not completely reliant on your breasts.
A teething baby
2. When your baby starts to teeth you will be more than happy that you choose to give them a dummy. It is an alternative to your breast and relieved me so many times from being bitten and chewed on, another fab reason why you can use a dummy when breastfeeding.
A mental and physical break for mum
3. Of course, you want to naturally hold and snuggle your baby, but a dummy is great when you want five minutes to take a quick shower or grab a hot drink. The option of a mental and physical break from your baby will be greatly appreciated at times. Having an option other than your own nipples to help your baby relax can go a long way toward helping you feel a little more human yourself.
Lots of dummies are widely available
4. Cherry and symmetrical teats are widely available, and these teats are very similar to the shape of a women’s breast and therefore are the perfect dummy for a breastfed baby. This makes it easy for mums to swap breastfeeding for a dummy in an instance and is another great reason why you can use a dummy when breastfeeding your baby. Find a dummy that suits you here we have multiple choice in our store.
Evidence to suggest otherwise
5. Fortunately, there is not sufficient evidence to suggest why you can’t use a dummy when breastfeeding. In fact, using a dummy may even be beneficial for so many different reasons mentioned above.
Ultimately, whether you offer your baby a dummy or not it is a personal decision to be made by you and your partner. Do your research and decide on what feels right for you and your baby. I hope my 5 reasons why you can use a dummy when breastfeeding has been helpful to you. Please feel free to reach out for any advice regarding dummies for your baby here.
