A baby's dummy is an essential attribute and companion of most newborns. Opinions about its use are different. Many parents give a dummy to a baby because it soothes him. It is important for them to know from what time the child needs it and how to use it correctly. When can I give a dummy to a newborn? Let's try to figure it out.
Does the baby need a nipple
Sucking is one of the first reflexes of a child who has just been born. Thus, he obtains food and calms down. The kid calmly falls asleep and satisfies his communication needs.
The question: “When do you need to give a dummy to a newborn and is it worth giving it at all?”, Causes a lot of debate. Pediatricians, experienced parents, grandparents provide different, and sometimes conflicting, information about the nipple. Young mothers are sometimes just lost in this stream of opinions and reviews.
Advantages and disadvantages
When can I give a dummy to a newborn when breastfeeding? Proponents of nipple training have the following arguments:
- a dummy distracts the baby from worries and health problems;
- the nipple satisfies the sucking reflex of the newborn;
- it has a calming effect, so that the baby sleeps longer and stronger;
- relieves the bad habit of sucking fingers;
- prevents the ingestion of excess air and helps the digestive system digest food;
- the baby needs non-nutritive sucking, especially when he is scared or tired: the nipple forms a feeling of security and confidence in the baby;
- give the baby a dummy while swimming so that he does not swallow water.
Many doctors and specialists note that the use of soothers does not affect the course of breastfeeding at all. And in some cases, it is simply necessary.
Opponents of accustoming to the nipple have their own opinion:
- the use of a dummy provokes infection with an incorrect care;
- with prolonged use, the child may form an incorrect bite;
- a dummy can lead to the failure of the baby from breastfeeding.
Parents must determine for themselves whether the baby needs a nipple. And with a positive decision, go on to accustoming.
Nipple and breastfeeding compatibility
When can I give a dummy to a newborn? Young mothers are initially concerned about the difference between the shape of the female breast and nipples. Therefore, to establish breastfeeding, pediatricians recommend not giving the baby a nipple in the first weeks after birth. After all, he needs to get used to the nipple, and not to the dummy.
If initially the mother accustoms the baby to the nipple, then he will not grab the breast properly, which will lead to cracks in it and problems with the baby’s tummy. In addition, he can completely abandon breastfeeding.
When a baby's dummy is sucked, only 2 jaw muscles are involved, and when feeding a milk - 24.
However, the mother should not completely abandon the nipple if the following difficult situations arise.
- Mom and baby are in a crowded place.
- If a woman is sick and cannot breastfeed for a while.
- Cracks appeared on the nipples, so longer breaks are needed between feedings.
- Mom needs to leave for a certain time, and the baby refuses to stay with dad or other loved ones.
Among other things, a dummy is needed if the baby overeats. The immature digestive system cannot cope with the amount of food eaten. Sucking movements soothe the baby, alleviating the feeling of discomfort.
Do you need a nipple in the hospital
Is it possible to give a dummy to a newborn in the hospital? Pediatricians do not recommend accustoming the baby to the nipple during the lactation process. It is to this time that the first days after birth are related.
The more often a young mother feeds the baby, the more milk is produced from her. If you abuse the pacifier, then lactation will stop altogether. Although dummies are sometimes taken just in case. After all, the baby can behave uneasily and constantly demand breasts. And she may not withstand such a load and will begin to hurt. In such a situation, the child can be reassured and given a pacifier.
Proper care for the dummy in the hospital
If parents still decided to take the pacifier to the hospital, then it must be constantly processed so as not to expose the newborn to infection while his immune system is very weak. Modern maternity hospitals have all the conditions to provide the necessary care for nipples and bottles.
You can ask the nurses to drop the nipple in a special disinfectant solution or place it in the sterilizer. You can dummy a dummy with boiling water, which is in the public domain.
Many mothers always try to disinfect a dummy. Sterilization is a useful procedure, but it is not recommended to go to extremes. After all, keeping a baby in greenhouse conditions is extremely harmful.
However, all nipples must be clean, because they are the place of accumulation of microbes. They are attracted to a nutritious milky environment, where they begin to multiply rapidly. Due to the fact that the baby’s immune system is weak, it can be negatively affected by bacteria and viruses.
Which dummy is better to choose for a newborn
The pharmacy has a huge selection of nipples. There are several criteria for their selection.
When can I give a dummy to a newborn? Before you begin to accustom a child to a nipple, a young mother needs to decide on her size, design and shape.
The materials from which the nipples are made are as follows:
- rubber: pacifiers wear out quickly and cause diathesis on the face;
- silicone: nipples are hypoallergenic and not subject to deformation, they are easy to process and dirt practically does not stick to them;
- latex: dummies are very soft, so they like newborns, but with constant boiling they quickly fail because they are deformed (and although latex is a natural material, it can cause allergies in infants).
When choosing a nipple, parents need to pay attention to its shape.
- Classical Narrow at the base, but expanding upward, the same on all sides. The pacifier can be given either side. Although experts warn that it can lead to the formation of a malocclusion.
- Anatomical The nipple is most suitable for the anatomy of the gums. It is similar to the maternal nipple and prevents the ingestion of air during feeding.
- Orthodontic form. It is designed to fit the baby's sky. The nipple has a beveled nipple, with one side flattened. Such a dummy is like a drop, and it is easiest for a baby to hold it in his mouth.
Since when can I give a dummy to a newborn? Nipples are distinguished by the age of the child, and they are divided as follows:
- size No. 1 - from several days and weeks after birth to six months;
- size 2 - from 6 months to 12-18 months;
- size 3 - for babies over one and a half years.
The size should increase with the age of the child and taking into account its special physiological or individual characteristics.
How to teach a baby a nipple
How much can you give a dummy to a newborn? This is best done from 5-6 weeks after the birth of the baby. Until this time, he should not be accustomed to the nipple, this is done so that he is used to the chest.
After the parents are convinced that the baby learned this, and the mother has no problems with lactation, you can give him a nipple.
It is necessary to train them carefully so as not to overdo it. You need to give a dummy in cases where you can not do without it. During walks on the street and sleeping, the nipple will become a necessary assistant for the baby.
A special accustoming to a dummy so that mom goes about her business is unacceptable. As a result, the baby will confuse the nipple and chest. The baby will become malnourished, and the mother will break lactation. After all, signals for milk production will come less and less.
If the parents decided that the baby needs a dummy, then before buying it is necessary to pay attention to the size of the product, shape and material.
At what age can you give a dummy to a newborn? If the baby is 4-5 weeks old, then he can be accustomed to the nipple as follows. They take the baby in their arms, as when feeding, but give a dummy. Do this when the baby is not hungry.
It is not recommended to abuse the dummy after the baby is 6 months old, this can lead to a delay in development.
The opinion of the pediatrician
From what day can a baby be given a dummy? The famous pediatrician Komarovsky does not prohibit the use of a pacifier. After all, it is necessary to satisfy the sucking reflex. The most natural form of this is breastfeeding. If the mother can feed the baby on demand, then the need for a dummy will disappear. If the child did not have time to satisfy the instinct of sucking, then a dummy will come to his aid.
According to the doctor, the use of a pacifier is thoughtlessly not recommended. If the baby does without her, and he has a normal, and not excessive sucking reflex, then in this case a dummy is not needed.
Useful Tips
When can I give a dummy to a newborn? So that accustoming to it does not become a nightmare for parents and the child, you must remember the following.
- A dummy must not be given in all cases, but only if necessary.
- Offer a pacifier every time a baby cries, should not be. Find out the cause of the tears.
- The dummy should be abandoned if the child does not want to take it. It is best to postpone training for a while.
- If parents use the dummy only for sleep, then you need to choose a special model.
- In the case when the baby sucks the breast like a dummy, you should make sure that it grips the breast nipple correctly. If he does everything right and eats up, and does not come off his mother to satisfy his instincts, then in this case it is best to take his nipple.
You should never accustom to the nipple of an irritated or hungry baby.
Conclusion
Since how many months can you give a dummy to a newborn? To accustom or not to accustom to a dummy is a private affair of parents. After all, many children grew up without a nipple. If a newborn stubbornly refuses a dummy, then there is no need to insist, focusing on other people's children. But if the baby is worried, and the nipple allows him to fall asleep, then in this case she is needed. At the same time, it is better to give it from the second month of the baby's life.