Similar to the swaddle question earlier..

[Tinkerisdead]

This is similar to crabby's swaddle question earlier on but i didnt want to hijack the thread.

My DD is 13 weeks and has been swaddled since day one as always thrashing about. Im BF and she was comfort feeding beyond belief and so after 3 weeks i started using a dummy. I hate them and so was heartened that many people on here found that their baby weaned themselves off the dummy when they found their own fists etc.

She sleeps like a dream at night but daytime naps are rare as she does into full meltdown thrashing around knocking her dummy out. Im getting paranoid that by being swaddled, she's not learning to suck her fists etc or find other ways to soothe herself. In the last few nights if the dummy fell out she's woken and cried whereas previously its fallen out and been ignored til morning.

Im wondering whether to carry on swaddling and she seems to get more dependant on the dummy (but sleeps great) or unswaddle and hope that she learns to soothe/settle herself without it now that she's found her hands!

i hope that all makes sense, ive only just been able to get back on MN after three months as i truly feel like im drifting through parenting so far! any advice..?

[nappyaddict]

I carried on swaddling DS until he was about 14/15 months but with his arms free.

[Tinkerisdead]

nappy did he still have a dummy til this point?

[nappyaddict]

No he's never had a dummy

[12341234]

My dd has been swaddled since 6 weeks (now 17 weeks). She also struggles to nap during the day but is getting a bit better (no longer have to hold her arms down EVERY time - but still most unless she;s in the sling/pram/car). She has learnt to suck her thumb though despite the swaddling - took it up a few weeks back! She has a dummy but never been that bothered for it - never has it unless I'm trying to get her to sleep. If she manages to get out of the swaddle (quite often in the morning) I find her gnawing on her fists.
Not sure whether that helps you - bit of a rambling pointless post - but I guess I'm saying, she has found her thumb despite the swaddle, but hasn't yet learnt to sleep using it!

[Tinkerisdead]

that does help 1234, DD has been sucking her fists and ignoring the dummy in day but when trying to sleep she screams and still seems soothed by it. im just worried that swaddling her is reinforcing the dummy rather then encouraging her to use her fists which is her growing skill.

[nappyaddict]

DS was hard to settle until he found his thumb. The dummy and his fists just weren't quite good enough!!

[Pearlnz]

hugs to you. I swaddled until my boy kept escaping. He had his dummy for sleeps/naps.. and I only took it with us if he was going to be due a nap in the car etc. So if it's a sleep cue, then don't stress.. you can wean it later. You said she's a dream sleeper at night... then I would leave her to it!!!
she is only little at this stage and things WILL get better... xxx
Once our boy kept getting out of the swaddle we put him into a Peke Moe sleep sack, this transitioned him well, we also attache dhis dummy to the front ofthe Peke Moe with a short peice of fabric (pinned to the sack) and for a couple of nights would go in and guide his hand to the dummy, then guide his hand to his mouth, and he was able to replace it himself within a few nights.. (he was about 6months then tho..)
all the best!!