Is it a bad habit for my newborn to use a dummy to get to sleep?

My 10-week-old son has a lot of trouble falling asleep on his own. We used to rock him or hold him until he fell asleep. Lately we've been trying to put him down when he's drowsy, but he requires a dummy before he'll fall asleep. Is this a bad habit for him to get into?

First, I applaud you for your concern about this sleep pattern at just 10 weeks. Many parents don't realise they've got a problem until the baby is 10 months old or older. It's best for your baby to learn to fall asleep on his own. I (and many other health care professionals) don't think the dummy is a bad thing. If it comforts your baby, that's great. Many babies voluntarily give up the dummy as they get older. Some do get quite attached to it, and if yours does, you may have to intervene. But for now, if it allows him to fall asleep on his own, there's no harm in using it. As he gets older (after six months), you can start to limit the use of the dummy so he doesn't get into the habit of needing it all the time.