Hey, Dummy!

An Ode to My Kid’s Dummy

And in this corner we have the lightweight champion of soothing, the king of the kings, the one thing that almost always work; that which by name sounds stupid but really isn’t, Theeeeeeee Dummy!

What more can I say except Little Lioness’s little dummy is a lifesaver.

I started her with a pacifier around the three month mark. That was when we were trying to get her to sleep, sleep for more than ten minutes and/or start sleeping in her crib rather than on/with me, especially for day naps.

It worked and continues to do so, even today, as a sleep cue for her. And thank God it does! I don’t know what we would have done without it. When she often wakes up at night, sometimes crying, I just have to find the dummy and pop it in LL’s waiting mouth for her to settle (for the most part).

We literally don’t go anywhere without this staple in the baby bag. Which is why, I was very surprised to see a dummy that I didn’t recognize in the baby bag post my trip ‘home’.

Yup, right there in the middle of the bag, in all it’s plastic glory was a pacifier that didn’t belong to Little Lioness. It was very similar — same brand, same size! — and I was actually this close to using it when I noticed that it was a different color.

Oh no! That baby is out there missing his dummy, maybe even crying for it (I really hope not!) and his parents possibly feeling frustrated. Poor bubba! I still can’t understand how it might have gotten in our bag though (no baby was near us). Every time I see it, I always wonder and feel a little upset too, imagining an upset family. Because dummies are important.

Take Little Lioness’s example. It has helped us through reflux and split nights, sleep regressions and teething, crying bouts in the car seat, crying bouts in the stroller, crying bouts during air travel, crying bouts when we’re out — you get the gist.

So much so that even the thought of having to break this habit (need?) terrifies me. At these times I often wonder if I made a mistake in deciding to use one? How will I ever teach her not to need one, especially by one year?

But it is only a very fleeting thought. Mostly, I’m very okay with this decision. I certainly don’t believe that dummies ruin teeth. Yes, they can be a hotbed for germs but then, aren’t most things? You can be careful (and not be germophobic!) in using and your baby would be fine.

For now, putting aside the worries and popping it in as and when needed.

Image source: http://www.simpsoncrazy.com/pictures/maggie