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Help weaning off a dummy

Hiya

My DS is 7 & a half months and only has a dummy when he naps in his cot in the day and at bedtime.

He used to just spit it out when he had fallen asleep and he didnt wake up for it, but for the last week he has cried when it has fallen out in the night & we have had to get up to pop it back in for him to go back to sleep. This is now happening about 4 times every night.

I just wondered if that means its time to try and wean him off the dummy and if so how do I do it? Do I just go "cold turkey" and take it off him altogether, or is it ok for him to still have it and is it a phase he's going through waking up when he loses it?

Any help or advice would be very welcome!!

Thank you xxx

Replies

  • Sorry, no advice, but I am thinking exactly the same for my DS.

    Will be keeping my eye on this thread in the hope that you get some useful tips soon!

    BB xx
  • My LO is eight months and we're having exactly the same issue. I think it's related to teething for her. She's comforted by the sucking so I'm reluctant to go cold turkey, it just seems a bit mean to take it away when she needs it.

    I have always planned to wean her off her dummy by the time she is a year so we've got a few months left.

    Last night I left four dummies in her cot in the hope that she could find one and put it back in herself and I would get some sleep - and it worked! But I'm worried now that by doing that I'm making her more dependent on it, or maybe it doesn't make any difference if she cries and I wake up and give it back to her or if she wakes up and finds one herself.

    I don't know but I'll be doing the same thing tonight - I need some sleep!

    Sorry I can't be much help, will be very interested to see what other's have to say. I know lots of people say just go cold turkey, or also make a hole in the end of the dummy so it doesn't feel the same.

    My gut feeling is to let her have it because she likes it and it helps her, until she can understand more and then take it away because I can tell her to cuddle her teddy and explain. Or is it better to take it before they understand?

    Arghhhhh! I don't know!

    B x

  • Dylan was weaned from his dummy at about 7 months, but it wasn't for the same reasons. We were relying on it as a plug and so it was more for our benefit than his so we decided to get rid.

    We went cold turkey, the first days naps were hard but we perservered and haven't looked back! He honestly doesn't miss it and neither do I.

    We ditched it as it was right for us at the time, good luck if you decide the same

    xxxx
  • Lily is 3 months old and we ditched the dummy just over a week ago. I know some people say she's too young to have it taken away from her and blah, but I was doing the same as you, going in (every half an hour may I add) to stick the dummy in her mouth.
    We went completely cold turkey, bedtime and naptime was hell. Bedtime is easy now, but naptime is still a bit of a struggle.
    But the thing is... She's still waking in the night, so I think she may have been doing it due to teething...
  • We had another good night with dummies scattered all around the cot, so I'm going to continue with this until the teething has calmed down a bit.

    B x
  • Thank you ladies. Mrs Busby, that's a good suggestion leaving some in the cot, i hadn't thought of that but think i will give it a try & see how it goes.

    Otherwise i think i may be brave & see how he goes without it.

    Dylansmummy & Sammyham, what did you do to try & settle your lo if they cried for their dummy? I know different things work for different babies but not sure if my usual stroking his head would work in this case. Will try it but any tips are welcome.

    thanks ladies xxx
  • We had the same problem last week where he was waking a few times in the night for his dummy, so we tried him without he was so tired he didnt put up much of a fight and to be honest the first night it didnt make much difference but we are on our 3rd night tonight and it's getting better, he did shift a bit last night byt re-settled himself. so fingers crossed, Tried a few weeks ago but he was having none of it, i think they'll do it when they're ready. x
  • You just have to be real strong in the first couple of days.

    To settle her to sleep in the first few days we'd actually rock her to sleep, and I realise that's also a bad habit to get her into, so after she was used to being rocked to sleep and not having her dummy, we started "self soothing", we basically just put her in her cot when she's awake but sleepy, she would cry, we'd wait 5 - 10 minutes before going to her the first time, then 10 - 15 minutes the second time, and by then she's usually worn herself out.
    You have to give the baby a chance to put themselves to sleep, so you don't want to go in too often.

    Last night for us LO woke up 4 times, but I only went to her ONCE and that was on the first time she woke up, all the other times she just moaned for a bit then went back to sleep.
    So obviously it takes some time and a lot of patience.
    Just hang in there. It's all worth it in the long run.
    xxx
  • i ditched the dummy at the weekend - LO is 19 weeks old and I would have to go into her every hour or so to replace it. I was told to introduce a comforter at night and once that's established, to remove the dummy. She already had a comforter so we went cold turkey. She's done brilliantly and has slept through for the first time ever 3 nights now when she wakes she just settles herself back to sleep. Nap times are harder and it takes me lying next to her for her to drop off. I used to do this when i was teaching her to self settle so I am confident I can start to withdraw soon. Bedtime she just settles herself. She has taken a shine to a soft toy monkey and so she sleeps with him and her comforter now. I looked on the Mothercare website to see if i could get another in case anything happened to it and the damn thing is discontinued, gah! Good luck chick, best decision we made x
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