Self-soothing strategies without a soother

[BlessednFavoured]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if you have any experience or strategies for not using a dummy/ soother/ pacifier with a newborn. What alternatives have worked for you?

[Seb9]

Neither of my children had a dummy, they always just made them gag so I never bothered. I would breastfeed and they used to take a bottle from their Dad and they never seemed to need one, we rocked then lots and same lots of nursery rhymes. If you choose not to use them, you just find other ways to soothe them that work for you x

[BlessednFavoured in reply to Seb9]

Thank you Seb9 x

[Twiglet2]

we didn’t use a dummy, they can’t self soothe as a newborn so we just comforted him with cuddles and talking/singing but I refused to have anyone walk about and rock him either (my sister in law particularly kept starting to do this even if he wasn’t crying?!!) as I had a displaced pelvis and didn’t want him used to that from others and me left not being able to do it when they went away…so cuddles, rocking Moses basket or his wee swing chair it was. At night time we had white noise on and a wee heartbeat sound teddy and I patted his tummy if he stirred. We didn’t feed to sleep either just until drowsy so put him down sleepy but still awake. If not a nap time but was a bit unsettled then he liked over the shoulder with some patting and rubbing. I honestly didn’t ever once think ‘oh I wish I had a dummy’ but maybe we were lucky as he slept through the night from 4 months but as a newborn they mostly just need fed, burped or changed to be ‘soothed’ I genuinely don’t know what I did ‘instead’ of a dummy as I don’t know when I would have used it as if he was sucking his hand etc it was cos he was hungry so an empty dummy would have frustrated him probably 🤣 xx

[PenguinBlue]

hello, I agree with the above - you’ll find a way that will suit you, whether rocking, cuddles, singing or boob / bottle. Newborns don’t know how to self soothe - my two had a combo of the above that kept them happy the first few months x