To introduce a dummy at 9 months?

[sittingonacornflake]

So DS doesn't sleep well. Like reeeeally doesn't sleep well. Wakes multiple times (I'd say about a third of the time his wakings are so frequent I don't even have time for a cup of tea downstairs so just give up and come to bed with him). Sometimes shush and pat can get him back off but this is unusual. Mostly he just wants to breastfeed.

This isn't the end of the world except that twice since DS was born I've gone out for a meal in the evening leaving my mum to babysit and it's really not very fair on her because she has to (what feels like endlessly) rock and comfort him to get him back to sleep. And he cries so much

Not interested in any type of CC or CIO techniques and he has a set routine, white noise etc so am now wondering whether it would be crazy to introduce a dummy at this age? I did try once when DS was 6 weeks old but he just thrust it back out his mouth and I never tried again.

Does anyone have any experience or tips they could share please?

I would give it a go, it is important for babies to be able to self soothe. He may not take it at this stage, but I would definitely try.

My ds is 11months and only likes his dummy for bed. Spits it out any other time and always has. So he may do well with it just for bedtime x

I've been wondering the same thing about 10mo ds2. His preference is to be permanently latched. We have started to break it by DH going in to lie with him but we're still on hourly wakeups.

Try it and let me know if it works!

Dummy at nap times and bedtimes worked a dream for us. Saved our sanity. We introduced at 2 months. My sibling introduced a dummy at 1 year 3 months for a totally no sleep child, on the recommendation of a sleep therapist. They wish they’d done it sooner.

Our idea was that they doesn’t have it any other time in the day, I figure at the moment it’s the same as if they’d learnt how to suck their thumb. If they don’t have it in the day, it won’t impact speech.

And phased it out at 18 months which was fine. A bit of adjustment, nothing too dramatic.

Try it. Sleep is important!

If you have avoided these horrid things for this long I would vote for continuing. Some children cling to it and it looks so dreadful to see toddlers and older children with dummies stuck in their mouths.

My son is 10 months and after giving up his dummy at 4 months has had a dummy back last weekend whilst unwell in hospital. My god I wish I’d done it months ago once he could replace himself. He’s now sleeping through and for 12-13 hours a night! We only have it in his cot so sleep only.

I took mine off my daughter at 6 months as she was waking up
In the night and I kept putting it back in. I gave it back to her at 7.5months as she wouldn't settle anymore. Maybe the 8 month sleep regression.
It really really helped!!!

Better than constant crying percheron67. It is really not good for him to be getting that upset. Or the OP. Dummies really are not horrid things, they have many benefits.

I think I'm sold - I'm going to try and introduce one tomorrow night. @AlpineButterfly - I'll let you know how it goes!

V unlikely he'll take to it, he's probably too old to get used to it, but go for it anyway, it might work and they're inexpensive. Just don't pin your hopes on it...

My horror story dd started taking a doodie to bed at 19 months and it saved our collective sanity. Coincided with stopping nursing.
Worth a try, go for it x

@sittingonacornflake pp said don't pin your hopes on it but I'm pinning my hopes on your success! I'm absolutely shattered and hoping you see progress!!!

Sorry but I think they are dreadful things. It seems rather late in the day to introduce one too.
They are addictive and bloody hard to phase out.
They also have a terrible effect on teeth!

I’m wondering about this. My 9mo had one until around 4 months when she suddenly stopped taking it. She wakes up several times a night and likes to be latched on to soothe to sleep. DH suggested it and I poo pooed it thinking she’ll never go for it but having read this, I might just give it a go....

I hate to say that we tried to introduce a dummy to our DD at about the same time, for the same reasons, and it didn't work. Our DD had no idea what it was and completely rejected it. I hope you manage to find a way through this difficult time, I know exactly what you are going through.

We actually ended up using CC at about 14 months, by that point we could count on one hand the amount of times she had slept through the night. Now at 18 months she sleeps through about 50% of the time, which is a huge improvement.

This too shall pass!

I did with my dd2 at 9 months and she took it fine.
I tried her with one at a few weeks but she just pushed it out.
She was the same, waking hourly for comfort feeding. I couldn't take it anymore. I was also going back to work full time and needed her to take something to settle when boob was not available.
She sleeps better now and can self settle to sleep with the dummy. If she does wake dh can pop it back in instead of her needing me to bf her which has done wonders for my sanity.

My dd1 had one from birth until 2, when I just explained that it was going to Santa and she would get a doll in return and that was that no crying, just done with. Easy.
I was in 2 minds giving one at a late stage and never expected her to take it but it worked. I think once she realised there was nothing else coming (breast) she took it.

I'd do it for you sanity.

@MummyFoxy oh no, feel less confident now....

I'm not even aiming for 'sleeping through' just to get him to a stage where he reliably sleeps for a couple of hours would be heaven. I can't even plan to watch something on an evening because sometimes he's waking every twenty minutes

There is nothing wrong with trying a dummy, you do whatever you have to to get them to sleep, my DS had a dummies tied to all the corners of a muslin until he was 5 & had a bottle at night till he was nearly 4, he had his cuddly toys from being 1 at night, he still has his family of cuddly dogs, including one he uses as a pillow now & he's 14. I'm not going to stop him, it's what makes him feel happy, safe & secure.

Good luck. My DD won't take one.

@sittingonacornflake don't let me put you off trying, children and their little quirks are all so different. My son is 4 and still has his lullaby seahorse from when he was newborn. Whatever works for a peaceful night!

Watching with interest and sympathy - am enduring similar circumstances with my 7mo. I honestly thought my baby was the only one who woke this frequently at this age. The internet gives the impression babies over 6 months are all sleeping for hours at a stretch. I’m relieved to find others! Does anyone have tips about introducing the dummy?

He could be teething aswell and need to sooth his self, which is why he's wanting to breastfeed. If the dummy dsnt work then u could try putting some dentinox teething gel on it. That's what I need to do when my boy is cutting a tooth works a treat x

Just at bedtime and nap time tho.

@loveskaka I've not seen any signs of teething yet (although he must surely start soon!) but his sleep has always been terrible so I'm not sure I can blame it on that. I'm just finally losing my sanity a bit so need to get this boy to sleep!!

I doubt your baby will take one now. It generally needs to be introduced at birth. But, it's worth a try.

We avoided dummies with dd1 - she is 16 now and still sucks her thumb 😫

Dc 2 & 3 had dummies from birth, slept so much better and don't suck their fingers at all.