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
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
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Replies
Will be keeping my eye on this thread in the hope that you get some useful tips soon!
BB xx
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
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
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...
B x
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
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