Questions about dummies... your thoughts please

[BelindaBB]

Hi all

My DS is three months old and we gave him a dummy pretty much from birth and he seems to love it.

Anyhow, my questions are about his sleeping:

Will he learn to settle himself?
How do I know if he is waking to feed or just needs settling?
Are we better off taking away the dummy NOW before it creates bad habits and problems down the track? (I am aware of potential problems this may cause).

My DD never had a dummy and is now a wonderful sleeper and I dont want a baby who wakes me during the night to put the dummy back in (I always have problems getting myself back to sleep).

I would love to hear your experiences, thoughts and or ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Belinda

[pixiemum2]

HI Belinda

We took DD's dummy away at 5 months because I was having to get up about 20 times during the night to put it back in. She soon replaced the dummy with my breast.

I read somewhere or was told it is best to take it away before 4 months old.

It was hard work for us weaning her off the dummy. She had to learn to self settle and there was a lot of crying. She took about 3 weeks to get used to not having it.

One tip is to not replace the dummy with another thing that he will be reliant on to settle with (such as the breast or rocking).

It is hard going and be prepared for DS being pretty unsettled for a few days but I think it is worth it in the end. My DD settles really well to sleep now and only wakes for a feed at night (twice).

Good luck :hugs:

[poodysmum]

If you can get it off him before one year it would be a good idea. We left it too late- getting it off a 3yr old was torture! :hissy:
Goodluck:)

[SilverStarfish]

It depends entirely on the child. My eldest had a dummy right from the beginning. She loved it and it helped her to sleep. We didn't have too many dramas about her loosing it in the night etc.

I was completely prepared for her to have it for as long as she wanted - she only used it at night anyway. I have a favourite pillow that I HAVE to have when I go to bed. I'd be really annoyed at anyone who told me that I had to give it up because I'd become "too dependent" on it.

In anycase I need not have worried, she completely self-weaned from it at 2 :)

[LivinOnAPrayer]

DD was going to be no dummy, breast fed and cloth nappies....


:laughing: like that happened!!!

DD was given a dummy at 3 days old to try and get her sucking reflex happening. The nurses thought it was a good idea so we went along with it.

shes now 2 and tube fed (and in disposables lol) and she still has her bloody dummy. i hate the thing, it messes up her tube tape and if she wakes and cant find it look out!!!
I'd love to get it off her, but how??? We've tried cold turkey, but after 3 days we caved. :o

[Love is all you need]

Hi Belinda,

Is your DS okay with the dummy now or is he waking up a fair few times a night for it to be popped back in?
My DD has had a dummy since the day we got home and she is nearly 4 months, I find she loves it to fall asleep with but if she is asleep and it falls out it doesn't matter...also I find the dummy is great as she is starting to go through teething so a cool dummy helps her...
Mind you if she didn't have a dummy she will suck on anything, she does such on fingers or anything so I like the dummy as I can keep it clean....

But if he isn't waking up too many times a night for the dummy to be put back in then I think it's okay, I'm planning to take DDs away when she is 1....

As for the cry difference you'll know as if they suck the dummy so hard they'll then start crying again if they want a bottle......IYKWIM

[BelindaBB]

Hi Jessrabbit

In response to your question, currently he has only woken up twice to have the dummy put back in (but unfortunately it takes me at least an hour to fall back to sleep).

Last night he slept from 10.30pm to 8.10am which was absolutely lovely, however he normally sleeps from about 10.30pm to 5.30am and I assume that he is waking for a feed (and he takes a full feed).

Im just not sure if I should break the habit now and suffer the :fingerscrossed: minor consequences or let it go and potentially suffer larger consequences???

Its a tough one but I might be prepared to do it now in the hope that it creates a wonderful sleeper like my DD is!!!

Belinda

[jdsmummy]

My ds had a dummy form the start but I never gave it to him to help go to sleep at night as I wanted him to learn to settle himself to sleep.
I just gave it to him if he woke up in the night and couldnt settle.
He is now 19 months and only has it for is day nap and if he is poorly and wakes in the night.
Seems to have worked well for us and as soon as he drops his nap the dummy will be gone ( hopefully!)

[monkeytoes]

Well, DD2 is 4.5 months and was waking several times a night looking for her dummy (sometimes every half an hour:rolleyes:). Over the weekend we went cold turkey and ditched the dummies (yes......ALL of them in the bin:yes:).

Friday night was a bit rough. She woke 5 times and shed a few tears, but Saturday and Sunday nights she slept thru the night:yelclap: 8pm-7am.

It was the best thing we could have done. Everyone in the house is getting more sleep and we're all much happier for it.

I must say though if you're thinking of taking the dummy away be prepared that your son may become a thumb sucker instead.........since taking the dummy away DD2 has started sucking her fist to go to sleep, but that doesn't bother me. My 2 yr old has been a thumb sucker since we took her dummy away at 6 months, but she only does it when she's tired.

If you're going to take it away I'd do it befor 6 months as they forget about it quicker.