MAM where's Dum Dum gone? (Mam Farmyard Counting Soothers)

Member Name: ButterBear

Product:	Mam Farmyard Counting Soothers
Date:	23/10/08 (185 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Helps soothe baby, orthodontic

Disadvantages: Handle requires special soother saver, no teat covers

Having barely used soothers with my previous 2 children I find it quite strange that I'm now quite a connoisseur of them, Avents, Tommee Tippees and now MAM's. I never set out to have so many for jack but as he's grown so has his dummy requirement, the newborn size no longer being suitable means that I have to upgrade every time he moves up an age bracket.

When I went to get him some 3-6 month dummies I initially wanted Tommee Tippee ones like he'd been used to, unfortunately all that was available in his size were MAM dummies so I picked up a pack, granted I could have waited until I could find the ones I wanted but Jack was having problems with his smaller dummies which was disrupting his naps. I paid £2.99 for my pack of soothers in my local Wilkinsons store which didn't seem too bad even if he would only use them a few times before I could find our usual brand.

The MAM Farmyard Counting Soothers are suitable for babies 4 months and over, admittedly Jack is only 3 months but being a large lad I knew the soothers would be ok for him. They come in a range of different colours suitable for both girls and boys, I chose the 2 pack of clear and blue, what with Jack being a boy and all, with horse designs on the "handle" The dummies are designed to be orthodontic and suitable for teething babies which was perfect as Jack had started teething quite early and while none have broken through yet it's only a matter of time, the large silicone teat is slightly flattened making it easier for little ones to keep in their mouths whilst preventing as little risk as possible to the development of their teeth.

The shield on the dummy is nicely contoured and will fit round baby's mouth comfortably, it is also shaped so that no matter which way you put it in baby's mouth it will still remain comfortable under their nose. It is well ventilated with 7 varying sized holes down either side of the dummies handle and has a textured, almost lumpy surface to the inside of the shield which will help prevent the development of uncomfortable dribble rash as a result of contact between the shield and your little ones skin.

Jack has taken to the new size dummy well and will happily nod off for his nap while sucking on one, he doesn't use dummies while he is awake though as he's too busy chatting baby gibberish to me. My major complaint in regards to the dummy though is it's handle, or lack of handle, I'm used to dummies having the traditional door knocker style handle but these dummies have more of a door knob style handle, it's harder for Jack to grab hold of and I am unable to use my regular soother saver/dummy clips with them, this restricts them to home use only as I don't want to risk ne falling on the floor and I'm not really happy to go out and spend yet more money on a MAM soother saver. Another complaint I have is that they do not come with teat covers, many dummies come with plastic covers which clip over the teat to keep them clean when not in use, I think these dummies would benefit from the covers as you can't simply throw a spare in your handbag in case one gets spat onto the floor.

The designs on the handle are said to help little one with learning to count and speak but I must be honest and say I'm hoping Jack will no longer need one by the time he starts to talk, the bold colours do make them easy to find though in the night or twilight hours after Jack has spat one out, his Tommee Tippee crystal shield soothers were always impossible to find and I'd end up fumbling around blindly.

If you're looking for a soother for home use or have a MAM soother saver then these are decent dummies, they are well designed to be as comfortable for your little one and as kind to their skin as possible and being designed to be kind on teeth means there is less panic over your child having tooth problems as they get older. The dummies can be sterilised and it is recommended that you do this regularly, I use a steam steriliser and the dummies have stood up to the extreme heat without the smallest amount of damage or change, they would also be suitable for microwave and cold water sterilising. While I have had to purchase dummies for use while we're out (they were cheaper then a MAM soother saver) we still use these for Jacks daily naps and he settles well with them, I would certainly recommend them to a parent looking for a stage 2 dummy just be careful they don't fall on the floor.


Check out the full MAM Farmyard soother range here- http://www.mamonlineshop.com/ acatalog/ 4__months_soothers.html


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Summary: A good dummy for home use