Taking the dummy away at 3 - 6 months?

[lovinmybub]

I never planned on giving my baby a dummy but after being told he was a very sucky baby and the chn recommending it I gave in. I was told the best time to take it away is between 3 and 6 months because they lose that natural need to suck and it just becomes more 'habit'. My baby will be 3 months tomorrow... I don't want to end up with a 2 year old with a dummy but it seems taking it away will make my life so much harder! When he wakes at night its so easy to just stick the dummy in and he goes to sleep, he doesn't settle with just patting and rocking.:eek: I'm really at a loss to know what to do.... I think it'll be hard whenever I decide to take the dummy... Does anyone have any advice?

[SilverStarfish]

i've given up listening to everyones advice and just go with what works.
:yelclap: That is the best advice.

Why do you want to take it away? Because you're worried for you own reasons or about what other people are going to think?

Chances are your baby will reject the dummy in his own time anyway and you will have spent countless time stressing and worrying instead of enjoying your baby while he's still tiny. It doesn't last long, believe me!

Lots of older babies have dummies. For what it's worth, my $0.02 would be to let your son have the dummy now if it helps you all get a better nights sleep. If he hasn't stopped using it by the time he's two, then deal with it then. At least by that age you'll be able to explain why your taking it away and reason (bribe!!) with him about it.

[threepigs]

I got rid of the dummy at about 4 months. I was just sick to death of having to go in to her every minute or so when she was trying to go to sleep. I got so frustrated putting it in, she'd suck and spit it out etc etc, at one point I just picked it up, threw it across the room and it went under a chair and there it stayed.

Short term pain for long term gain was my experience.

Perhaps try and cut it out of the day sleeps first and then the night ones after that.

Personally I think it's a good idea to do it before 6 months but that's only because it's what worked for me.

Good luck...

[august79]

i was told that if you take away dummy before 12months old you decide when it happens. if you take it away after 12 months old then bub decides when to give it up ... which could be years. i think you should relax, take you time, plan to do it within the next 4months or so. Your baby will cry giving it up, but it should only last 3 nights. Apparently it takes babies 3 days to give up a habit. Wait til you aren't under any other pressures, pick a long weekend, invite a girlfriend to stay over for support, watch great movies to distract you from the cries. If you start, don't give in or it'll take another 3 days on top. anyway its just my suggestion.
another thought: is it really a fear of your bub being 2year old with a dummy or the judgement of other people?
- All the best

[mum2peanut]

I took my DD's dummy away at 6 months. My main reason was that I was supposed to go back to work when she was 7 months and I didn't want her to have a dummy at daycare.
My DD was never a dummy addict. She only had it for day sleeps, not at night, cause like you I didn't want to get up to put a dummy back in. I decided since she didn't need it at night she didn't need it during the day. And I found that as soon as she fell asleep the dummy fell out anyway.
So one morning I just put her down without it. I gave her a toy to cuddle, and in all honesty she didn't even care or seem to notice. Saying that, the toy I gave her, she now sleeps with everytime she goes to bed. I'm kind of glad that she has her bunny tho, cause I go back to work in two wks, and I think it will be good for her to have something from home when she gets farmed out.
But as someone says, if you decide to do it, I think you need to stick with it. It would be easy to give in. My DD now picks up her friend's dummies and has no idea what it is or what it's for.
Goodluck :thumbsup:

[our little treasures]

I can't stand when people say I was told or you have to do this.. I was also against getting bubs a dummy but I did and would do it again! My dd had hers until she was 23mnths old and we threw them in the bin she understood they were broken and she understood nobody else had one so she didn't need one.. I will do the same to ds soon.

I think it is up to you when you get rid of it. My children have straight teeth and talk clearly so dummy has no reflection on that. If it comforts your baby and makes you all happy why take it??

[monkeytoes]

My DD has always been a very 'sucky' baby also. She had a dummy until I took it away at 5 months. I took it away because she would wake up every time it fell out. About a month after I took away the dummy, she discovered her thumb and has been a thumbsucker ever since.

I agree that if you want to take away the dummy it is a good idea to do it before 6 months. With my DD she was a little unsettled for the first day without it, but she soon forgot about it.

I also agree with threepigs - cut it out for the day naps then work on night time.

[charlieangus]

My friend took her baby's dummy away at about 6 months and the baby substituted it with her thumb.

You cant take that away and it causes bucked teeth when you suck your thumb ( I should know sucked my thumb til I was 10, and have really bucked teeth)

stick with the dummy I say...and get rid of it when you can reason with them

[mum2anthony]

hey there. I reckon do what you think is right. It's seriously is up to you.

My son has a dummy and he's nearly 8 months. He normally spits it out at night and sleeps through the night without it. He doesn't normally wake during the night unless his teeth bother him and I just stick some bonjella in there and give him his blanky... :) But he's not a big dummy boy.

I dont reckon u should listen to other ppl when it comes to your children. There's a natural instinct that we as parents obtain and know what is right from wrong in our own minds. Do what you want with your child. If they are happy I say why disturb it but if u are unhappy with the dummy then do something about it.

My cousin gave her son a dummy and when he was old enough to understand she took the dummy from him and said that other babies need it because he's a big boy now and doesnt need it. IT worked for her but may not work for you.

Your children, YOUR choice..

[lovinmybub]

Why do you want to take it away? Because you're worried for you own reasons or about what other people are going to think?

Thanks everyone. I do want to take it for my own reasons. Personally I have never liked dummys or older children having them, I'm not worried about what other people think!

Threepigs , mumtopeanut, monkeytoes - Thanks! You've said just what I wanted to hear! I don't think it'll hurt him to give up the dummy soon at all. He spends more time upset because it's fallen out than happy because it's in anyway! I'm now more confident and I don't feel bad for wanting to get rid of it. He has a security blanket (cloth nappy!) he also loves to cuddle to he'll still have that.

I don't mind at all if he sucks his thumb instead, I sucked mine and my teeth are fine! At least he can put the thumb back in on his own!

Thanks again everyone for your help:hugs:

[jgirl77]

I just wanted to add that my DS is now 4 months old and he isn't interested in the dummy anymore. In the last 4 wks he has discovered his hands, sucks them all the time and is not interested in the dummy now so he solved it for me. I stopped offering it to him a couple weeks ago and we don't miss it. My mum tried to give it to him last week and he just spat it out. Hope this helps.