A Mothers Opinion On The Advantages And Drawbacks Of A Dummy

Mothers are often opinionated on everything to do with children and this opinion is generally influenced by their own experiences. Because babies are all different and act or respond in varying ways, these opinions are mainly subjective and often vary greatly from the opinions of other parents. This is why the title of this article clarifies that this is one mothers opinion and is not necessarily based on fact.

Often, the mother whose child does not get the dummy is opposed to using it and the mother whose child got it and took to it, both praises and complains about it in the same sentence. This writer is in the latter category and this article delves into the advantages and disadvantages in this mothers experience.

The benefits of the dummy are considered as follows:

1. The sucking action greatly calms the baby, keeping both baby and mother happy and calm.


2. A calm baby means more restful sleep for baby and parents at night.


3. Dummies give reassurance to a parent at times when baby must be kept calm, such as when making an important telephone call or when doing errands.


4. There are claims that the dummy can prevent SIDS. While there are no definite reasons cited, one theory is simply that baby is less inclined to get objects into the mouth such as bedclothes or toys.


5. Dummies help to ease teething gums as baby can chew on them.


6. A baby with a dummy in their mouth while awake, is less likely to put objects into their mouth.


7. The daunting task of weaning a child off of the dummy is actually not so difficult. Sometimes the parent is more psychologically dependent on it than the child. It is merely a habit which the child gets into, which only takes a few days to break.

The drawbacks of the dummy are as follows:

1. If baby wakes at night, they may cry if the dummy has fallen out and mom must go in and reposition it. Even a baby who is old enough to find the dummy themselves, may still wake and cry because having to search for it disrupts their sleep.


2. Dummies look silly, especially in older kids.


3. Baby can become dependent on the dummy so it is another thing to remember to pack when leaving the house.


4. Dummies need to be sterilized for baby up to 6 months of age.


5. With toddlers, dummies are unhygienic as they fall on the ground and are automatically picked up and replaced in the mouth, regardless of what foreign material it falls onto.


6. Permanent withdrawal of the dummy can be difficult for the child. The older the child, the more difficult withdrawal can be.


7. Dummies must be withdrawn by three years of age or they can affect the development of the permanent teeth, according to one dentist.

As is clear from the above points, dummies can be both a blessing and a curse for parents and it is up to the individual parent to decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa. Some babies do not like the dummy and thus the decision is made for the parent. In this mothers opinion, it was worth using it as baby was generally more content, slept better, had less discomfort while teething and gave peace of mind during the day and at night.

Noelle Leahy is proprietor of Snug Baby Shop, a leading Online Retailer of Baby and Children's Accessories in the UK. The best selling products are Childrens Waterproofs.