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Stuck in a sleeping rut!

4 replies

carolinexiao · 03/04/2017 16:32

Hi all, DD is 10 mo and is sleeping really badly. Cot for a bit then won't settle so we move her to our bed where she usually manages a bit better. However the main issue we have now is how she settles - she decided when she was about 4 months that she didn't want a dummy anymore but would suck one of our fingers. Now that is literally the only way she'll settle. It's quite tiring to be holding your arm across the cot at 2am while she sucks it for half an hour but she's so used to it that if you remove it she cries, and she even starts grabbing for it to settle herself if she half wakes. Anyone else had this issue? Thanks! X

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WheresTheEvidence · 03/04/2017 16:33

I'd be removing that crux pronto encourage her chucking her fingers or remove ginger ducking completely.

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carolinexiao · 03/04/2017 20:28

Thanks, yes I agree but I'm scared! - did you have the same issue?

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FATEdestiny · 03/04/2017 20:55

I know it's too late now, but why swap the dummy for your finger in the first place?!

If she is less satisfied sucking her own fingers, it's probably because they are smaller and thinner than yours. It's easier to get a vaccume when sucking something larger. Her smaller fingers may well not produce the same air-locked vaccume.

She maybe will like sucking two or three of her fingers together? Or her whole fist. In your position though I would go about reintroducing the dummy. It might not be accepted, 10 months is late for staring a dummy. But you won't be starting using it, so maybe it will work? I know I'd be trying damn hard in your situation.

If you have something against dummies though, maybe she'll suck the corner of a muslin or a part of her teddy comforter? Not as hygienic, but will meet her need to suck.

I know of a little boy who started sucking at the neck of every top her wore, once he no longer had a dummy. This was much harder to wean off, but he clearly had a need to comfort suck. He was still ruining his tops doing past being 10 years old.

I mention this by way of not under estimating the need for comfort sucking in many children. You may be tempted to not provide an alternate for comfort sucking. It may work, but be prepared for baby to adopt something you wouldn't choose for sucking instead.

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carolinexiao · 04/04/2017 08:01

Thanks FATE, trust me, I didn't want her to stop using a dummy - she just refused it full stop one day and wouldn't have it back again. The finger was supposed to a stop gap... Will give it another go. X

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