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Dummy - cold turkey?!

My LO is 10.5 weeks old and, luckily, a good sleeper.

OH or I put her down to bed at around 7pm. She's dreamfed at 10/10.30 and goes back to sleep until around 7am. After her dreamfeed, she tends to settle herself and is asleep within a couple of minutes (no dummy). However, getting her to settle at 7pm and for any daytime naps in her cot is hard work unless we use a dummy. She literally has a few 'nom noms' of it, puts her head to the side and closes her eyes. Once she's asleep, it usually drops out or I'll go into her room and remove it. It's great that it works so well, but I don't want her to get so dependent that we can't ever get rid of it! image If we don't use it, she cries from the moment she's put down and won't stop unless she's picked up :\(

Napping in the carseat or pram when we're out and about is much easier and we don't take a dummy - she just drops off.

I feel a bit mean suddenly changing the habit and not letting her have something which obviously soothes her, especially given it was me that gave it to her in the first place, but before she starts teething I'd like her to learn to self-settle if possible.

Any ideas / advice much appreciated!

Replies

  • Hi hun,

    My daughter was very similar to yours, she would just have a few sucks then spit it out again. She is now 6 months and since yesterday, hasn't used her dummy at all! Like you, i didn't want her to be dependant on it but i wanted to wait until she was a bit older so that if she did have a whinge before going to sleep she wasn't a teeny baby - iyswim?

    It doesn't seem like your dd is too dependant on it just now so i would just take her lead and let her have it if she needs it just now and get rid of it when she is a little older? I posted exactly the same question as you when my dd was a similar age! lol

    Lx
  • Hi **Ladybird**,

    Thanks for the reply. Like you, I was hoping that by around 6 months she'd be able to go without it, without too much hysteria!

    Did your LO protest?! I think Maya is just so *awake* that the dummy distracts her from kicking around and playing enough for her to stop and realise she's tired! Maybe when the times comes to ditch the dummy, I'll just have think of some other techniques to help her wind down before we put her to bed!! :lol:

  • Hey hun

    I wouldnt worry abut it at the mo, its fine to use for naps and if theyre upset etc, she doesnt sound like she is dependent at all.
    Our paed told us there is no harm in dummies at all until 6 months, but just keep watching for attachments. You will prob fine that like Ladybird your daughter will just decide when she doesnt want it

  • My son was very similar, and I got rid of his dummy at around 17ish weeks. ~I just went cold turkey. He has had learnt to self settle though, with a little help and some c.c. To be honest most days we don't miss it, he is such a happy boy.
    there are days when I wish I had waited a little longer, like when he gets over tired and won't sleep. My lo is 22 weeks now.
    As all the above have said, she isn't that dependant on it, so don't worry!
    x
  • Hi - my LO is just over 7 months and is self-weaning off his dummy. He just bats it away when I give it to him!! I still offer it to him when he's upset but he's starting to refuse it more and more so I am just following his lead. It won't be long before he doesn't use it at all but I don't want to force anything.

    We have only ever used it in his cot or wherever he is sleeping (ie if he has a nap in his pram he might have it but usually just drops off) so it's not like he was particularly attached to dummies in the first place - which sounds like your LO. So I wouldn't worry about it at all at this stage - I never thought I would use a dummy but like you have found it really helpful for settling to sleep and I will def use again with future LOs!

    C image
  • Thanks for the advice, ladies.

    Think I'll leave it a little longer and see if she manages to lose interest in it by herself before braving bedtime without it image



  • My boys have both been different. They have both had a dummy from about 1m to help them settle. DS1 then started refusing it at about 17w and has never had it since. He's 2 years 9m now.

    DS2 refused his at about 2m, he was a nightmare and cried all the time until 16w. However he still screamed when overtired and would not sleep anywhere but his cot, so if I was out all hell broke loose. I was shopping in toys r us one day and he was screaming, so I bought the cheapst pack of dummys ever and he started sucking it! He's now had it for naps ever since. He is 10m now and I was worried about teeth/attachment etc however HV told me not to worry as he is only a baby and needs the comfort. She recommended around 2 years to get rid as that is when they can get REALLY attached and it can affect their teeth/speech etc.

    So as he's 2 just before xmas 2011 it will remain for naps until then!

    Good luck with what ever you decide.

    xxx
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