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Original poster

Should I take away the dummy? If so how??

20 replies

SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 10:27

DD2 just turned 3 months. I gave her a dummy as it worked pretty well for her older sister, who was a good sleeper overall.

Last night she was up so many times but would settle when I put the dummy back in. I'm exhausted and I'm sure she must be too, she only had one long stretch of sleep at the start of the night and after that was awake every hour at least. I'm starting to wonder if I've "created a rod for my own back" as the old saying goes.

Is this only going to get worse, should I take it away now? Or could it be something else, it seems a bit early for this to start happening - I thought it became a problem around 4 months. And if I take it away, what do I do next? I can rock her to sleep but that doesn't seem a very sustainable option. And it seems too early to let her cry it out.

I'm sure this wasn't an issue with her older sister...yes I did have to get up to replace the dummy every now and again but never as bad as this!

OP posts:
Embracelife · 19/05/2020 11:06

She s 3 months. Leave her the dummy. Some babies need ....for your sanity.

When she is three years old come back for advice on getting rid

QuestionableMouse · 19/05/2020 11:07

Oh God leave her with it. My nephew gave his up quite happily at about 18mo. He's four now and has perfect teeth. He also never shuts up so it didn't harm his speech. 😂😂😂

ParkheadParadise · 19/05/2020 11:09

Dd2 had her dummy until she was 3 years.
I wouldn't have gave my kids a dummy to take it away at 3 months.

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Original poster
SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 11:09

I have no problem with dummies - my eldest DD had hers until she was 2.5 and gave it to the dummy fairy with no real issue.

I'm just worried that it isn't helping her to sleep anymore, but actually becoming a hindrance...

OP posts:
Original poster
SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 13:47

Anyone else? I am just worried it's affecting her sleep for the worse. But I don't know how I'd get her to sleep without it anyway so maybe I've answered my own question...

OP posts:
rottiemum88 · 19/05/2020 13:49

Wouldn't take it away personally, but it you want to then I think you'll just need to go cold turkey and take it away, then stick to your guns

Original poster
SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 13:50

So am I supposed to just keep giving it to her every hour through the night? For how long?

OP posts:
BeingATwatItsABingThing · 19/05/2020 13:52

I took my DD’s away at 3. The Easter Bunny and the Dummy Fairy took it and left her some presents. I wouldn’t try and take it from a 3mo. I would say it’s not the dummy that’s causing the poor sleep. Maybe she’s hungry...

Sunnydaysrock · 19/05/2020 13:52

Have you tried different shape teats on the dummies? It's a while since mine had them, but I used to get the larger shape as they seemed to prefer it and it didn't pop out as easy. No idea if they're still available. I do remember similar situations to yours, going in countless times to put it back in, and totally understand your thinking that it might not be helping.

LoadsaBlusher · 19/05/2020 14:11

Is she waking up every hour because she’s hungry ?

I think that’s too young to just wake up for a dummy

Original poster
SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 14:13

Hmmm. So the comments about her being hungry are interesting.

I'm bottle feeding and I think possibly I've been so worried about over feeding her that maybe I haven't been feeding her enough. She was on one feed a night but maybe she's trying to tell me that she would like to go back up to two for a bit...

OP posts:
LoadsaBlusher · 19/05/2020 14:14

One feed through the night at 3 months is not a lot

( I bottle fed my three DC and all had more than one night feed at that age )

Original poster
SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 14:37

I wonder if you are right...

My elder daughter only ever cut down night feeds i.e. she went from 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 to 0 but maybe this baby is not the same.

Feel a bit stupid now.

OP posts:
LoadsaBlusher · 19/05/2020 15:16

Every baby is different but at that age , I generally found them to only wake if they were hungry

If They are warm , comfortable , etc then I would say hunger at that age , 3 months is still tiny

LoadsaBlusher · 19/05/2020 15:19

Just noticed you said she only had one long stretch of sleep at start of night ... Did she have a feed before this sleep then nothing at all for rest of night ?
Was the one feed before being put down or do u mean one bedtime feed then one night time feed ?

Original poster
SunlightBaby · 19/05/2020 15:31

She has a night time feed as well. Don't worry I'm not leaving her all night without a feed!

OP posts:
SunKissed89 · 19/05/2020 15:37

Hi OP. I'm an SLT and from our perspective, leave her with dummy until she's approx 6 months...then start weaning her off it by only giving it to her when she's tired or upset. Best of luck!

LoadsaBlusher · 19/05/2020 15:42

Every baby is different, all you can do is try something different and see if it works

Good luck , broken sleep is the worst Flowers

nokia3210567 · 19/05/2020 15:43

Hi

I took my babies dummy away at four months for this exact reason. That combined with a gradual retreat and he finally started sleeping for longer stretches!

Rubyduby26 · 19/05/2020 15:48

My DS had a dummy when he was born up until about 4 months as he kept crying when he knocked it out so I just tried him without one and he was fine and slept better than he did with a dummy!

It took ages for him to sleep through though, once he hit 8 months he was up wanting to play for hours every night.

He didn't sleep through until he dropped his naps at 18 months, now at 2 he doesn't sleep through everynight and we bed share still!

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