Dummy or Bottle for Settling: Which Is Better?

If your baby has recently fed and is showing a need to suck for comfort, a dummy is generally a better settling tool than a bottle. A bottle should mainly be used to provide breast milk or infant formula in response to hunger cues, rather than as a sleep prop. Regularly offering milk whenever your baby is unsettled may override fullness cues, contribute to overfeeding and make it harder to tell whether your baby needs food, comfort or another kind of care. However, feeding to sleep is normal, especially for young babies, and you do not need to stop a breast or bottle feed simply because your baby becomes sleepy. Responsive settling means noticing your baby's cues and meeting the need behind them. Sometimes that need is milk; at other times it may be sucking, closeness, movement, a clean nappy or help calming after stimulation. First, check whether your baby is hungry Before choosing a dummy or bottle, look for early hunger cues. These may include stirring, opening the mouth, turning the head in search of a feed, bringing hands to the mouth, licking the lips or becoming increasingly active. Crying is usually a later cue and can make it more difficult for a baby to organise themselves for feeding. If your baby shows hunger cues, offer a breastfeed or the usual bottle feed. Young babies often feed frequently and unpredictably, including in clusters. A recent feed does not automatically mean they cannot be hungry again, particularly during periods of rapid growth or in the early weeks. If your baby turns away, closes their mouth, relaxes their hands, slows or stops sucking, pushes the teat away or falls into a relaxed sleep, respect those signs of fullness. Do not encourage them to finish a bottle. If they appear well fed but still want to suck, a dummy or another settling method may be appropriate. Using a dummy for settling Sucking is calming for many babies. A dummy can meet this need without providing more milk and may be useful at naps, bedtime or during a difficult settling period. Some babies enjoy one; others repeatedly spit it out or become more upset. There is no need to insist. If breastfeeding, it can be helpful to establish comfortable, effective feeding and check that your baby is gaining weight appropriately before introducing a dummy. This is especially important if there has been nipple pain, difficulty attaching, low milk supply, jaundice, pre…