Ditching the Dummy - I need help/support/advice

**twitch** · 06-02-2008 09:50

Hi ladies. Up til a month ago, I was bf'ing DD (9 months) to sleep. She was waking 3+ times a night to be bf'd back to sleep so I decided I'd just give her the dummy. She was great at self settling, it got to the point where I could put the dummy in and walk out and she'd be asleep within 5 minutes.

The only problem - she still woke up 4+ times a night to have the dummy put back in.

2 weeks ago I tried to teach her to do it herself but she just plays with the dummy, looks at it or completely ignores it. So, after 5 months of sleep deprivation, I decided on Monday the dummy had to go.

I have been rocking her to almost sleep, putting her in the cot and patting her bum and shushing her til she's asleep. She has had a few 20 minutes naps during the day. Yesterday she wouldn't sleep so I pushed her in the pram and she slept for 1.5hrs.

At night though, she is awake for 2 hours at a time, either crying, grizzling or kicking and scratching when I try to comfort her. I end up bf'ing her back to sleep. I don't know what to do. DH doesn't help and I feel like I am doing it on my own. It is so hard.

Does anyone have any advice on how they coped with the night wakings when trying to get rid of the dummy? How did you do it and how long before it got better?

**justmum** · 06-02-2008 10:03

Bump.

**RmumR** · 06-02-2008 10:05

Hi, i've got rid of my DD (7mths) dummy about a month ago now for the same reason.

There are two threads you should look at that i think might help you. I have no idea how to put the links in but if you search for the following:

1. dummy dependant 6mth old - lollydove
2. all our sleep problems are over - katiemummy2b

have a look at those two and let me know if you want to know anything else, being through it recently myself i know how hard it is but i also know that it does get better and my DD sleeps much better now without her dummy and i think she has forgotten she even had one now.

**twitch** · 06-02-2008 10:12

Thanks Rach (and jm

)

I have read those 2 threads and tried a lot of the things suggested in them. There are a lot of suggestions to pick bubs up and rock etc but if I pick DD up she cries even more. She kicks my face, arms, belly and screams. When I put her in the cot she is calmer but still crying and even if I shush her and pat her, she pushes or kicks my hands away. How do I comfort a baby who doesn't want to be comforted? If I leave her and walk out of the room she will just lay there crying. The longest I am willing to let her cry like that is about 10 minutes, so I go back in and she goes berserk again. I just don't know what to do.

**justmum** · 06-02-2008 10:19

Lollydove talks about having a toy in the cot - but then says this might end up being just as bad?

I just realised Twitch that my DS probably gave up the dummy fairly easily because he swapped his sleep association to ducky (you know Twitch, his pink duck!!). Hmm, I may have done the wrong thing! Oh well, it is working for us at the moment.

**SalTheGal** · 06-02-2008 10:23

Hi twitch, we weaned DS off the dummy when he was about 7mnths old through the help of a sleep clinic.

We went through a semi type of CC to achieve it and it worked brilliantly.

I have written out the instructions and passed them onto lots of other Bhubbers....I will PM you with them now (too long to post!)

**twitch** · 06-02-2008 10:28

Sal, thank you. I got your pm

Thank you so much.

JM I have done the same thing, Anna now has "Cuddly", he wears a hat wth a pom pom on the end and she sucks on this now.

**twitch** · 06-02-2008 15:21

Anyone else have any words of wisdom for me? I tried rocking her for this afternoon's nap but she cracked it big time. She is defintely tired, she woke up at 10am, it's now 2pm