Ann the better than abuse thing is very offensive. My children have breastfed for >two years are smart loved and emotionally well developed. They also had dummies apart from my two year old who sucks her thumb. They all had a strong desire to suck and the dummy gave them comfort as well as the two and more hour feeding at the breastfed my children also have healthy teeth. I am not slack or abusive and it really annoys me when judgements are made about dummies thumbs to use or not based on what one does for ones own. Choices are choices based on what a woman feels is best for her child. Michel ODent wrote an article on transcendental objects and said that their use is actually a sign of emotional stability, feeling ok enough to form attachments to such things. I used to allow myself to be made to feel bad as a mother because of my eldest use of a dummy, then my close friends son died of a brain tumour at two years old and her older daughter who had never used a dummy (because she bought into the whole its such a bad mothering thing to do) started to use one and did so until she was nine years old. She now says there are more important things about mothering than stressing about what others think you should be doing. By the way her daughters teeth are fine.The whole I.Q. research needs to be closely looked at for methodology and socioeconomic status of participants, parenting styles etc for it to be worth generalising. I get really fed up with peoples discourses of good mother bad mother, it brings down the confidence of many a "good" mother. Belinda, mother ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ann green" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 10:10 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] thumb or dummy!?
> Dear List, > Research was suppose to have shown that the use of > dummies was associated with a lower I.Q.I have not > used a dummy but understand that for some parents it > might be a better choice than abuse.None of my 6 > children have sucked thumbs either!Ann --- Jo Slamen > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thumbs > allegedly don't affect teeth unless still in > > use at the age of permanent teeth coming through. > > My teeth are straight (no orthodontic work) and I > > was a thumb sucker - so much so that I had a callous > > on my thumb as a young child - stopped when I > > started primary school. > > > > My almost 4yo also a thumb child - his baby teeth > > are pretty ok looking and I find his thumb use is > > still useful for going to bed and getting him to > > sleep. > > > > Would also imagine trying to swap baby to a dummy > > probably won't work. I would relax about the thumb > > - does not indicate any emotional problems and it's > > likely to be in use for comfort rather than teething > > too, I believe. > > > > And just to add some personal bias I think thumbs > > look better than dummies too! > > > > Jo Slamen > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: J Stewart > > To: ozmid > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 12:12 AM > > Subject: [ozmidwifery] thumb or dummy!? > > > > > > Dear List(s)! > > > > Just looking for a little bit of general advice on > > an old debate! > > I have a six month old baby cousin [very cute!] > > she has taken to sucking her thumb as she is > > starting to get some toothy pegs! and her mum is not > > in favour of giving her a dummy. I was wondering > > what opinions are on this? I would think that > > sucking thumbs could effect tooth development and > > the direction/position in which they grow, as well > > as forming a hard to kick habbit in todlers, but > > have also heard interesting points against dummies. > > > > Any thoughts!? > > > > Thanks in advance! > > Jessica. > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Everything you'll ever need on one web page > from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts > http://uk.my.yahoo.com > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
