Has anyone managed to get an older baby to take a dummy?

[TheNoiseHurts]

Say 12/13 months old?

Or is it a total impossibility?

Why would you want to, surely it's an age where you'd like to remove a dummy.

I do want to remove the current dummy.
The current dummy being me and my nipple.

He relies heavily on my boob getting him to sleep despite paying hundreds for a sleep consultant.

At this point, the issue or taking a dummy away is very far from my mind when I'm as tired and fraught as this.

But thanks for your help.

Yes! I did my boy was 11.5 months, he then had the dummy till he was 3.

It was the beat thing I could
Do. My nipple was also a dummy and I started to get sleep Deprived.

He gave up his dummy very easily when he turned 3.

I would
Just breast feed as normal before bed, then put the dummy in his mouth as he was falling asleep, slowly he got used to it, then after a few weeks I stopped breast feeding.

Breast feed as normal, wait till falling asleep replace with dummy. If that fails try a different type of dummy. He might not take to it though, some kids don’t.

Yes! A whopping 18 month old. I knew it would be frowned upon but for exactly the same reason as you. He became obsessed with it a bit, and I planned to have him give it up at 3, but he suddenly gave it up of his own accord at 2.5. The year of dummy use I have zero regrets over, had him sleeping through the night instead of constant boobing.

Now... How to get him to take it? I can't tell you for sure. I'd tried before with no success, but the time he took it one of his older siblings was going through a Boss Baby (movie) watching phase, and I'm sure he copied it from that after finding one in a toy box. We only ever had success with MAM brand dummies. Try making a game of it by dipping it in things maybe? Trying to put one in his mouth when he is just asleep but still on the breast? Good luck!

Mine did at 11 months-ish! Only from her dad though as she is similarly breastfeeding obsessed and it was killing me. She still takes it at nearly 2 but isn't as obsessed as my eldest non breasted baby was.

Wow!! Ok so all of you who succeeded, what dummy did you use?

I have tried the 'falling asleep put the dummy in' but it failed spectacularly however, he was very little.

Perhaps I would try again?

I dont understand how he will want to suck a dummy when asleep though when I'm sticking something plastic in his mouth.
I feel like he would need to establish it himself out of choice before I tried that.

I just dusted off two MAM dummies and he keeps putting them in my mouth and asking for a boob

We did, we used Tommee Tippee sleep dummies.

We introduced it at 18 months due to adopted DS very severe head banging.

It took a while and he didn’t used to keep it in when asleep but would help self-soothe to sleep which is what I guess you want too.

Stopped the head banging almost instantly.

I got them! I saw your post while I was in town.
He kind of holds them between his teeth, and I'm pretty sure that's the wrong size but it had nighttime written on it and I figured that's what I needed it for??

Mine used to chew then first too but now if she's really tired she'll use it properly. Good luck!

Thanks, did you just keep handing them to her?

I must admit he holds these in his mouth for a good minute or two which he has never done with a dummy before (we have several MAM ones)

This is obviously very outting but I'm a prolific name changer so it doesn't matter

No

Yes although we only use them at night time as she doesn't nap much these days unfortunately, so she's normally very tired and puts up less of a fight. She still feeds just as much though, it just helped my husband being able to soothe her too.

Yes. None of mine took a dummy as tiny babies.
I weaned them off my nipple as dummy as follows:
#1 was 8 months
#2 was 5 months
#3 was 11 months
#4 was 23 months!! Before we were successful. Still so incredibly helpful for sleeping through the night. They use to have a clip on their shoulder with the dummy on and would find it and self soothe at night
All weaned off again easily at 3. No teeth problems, no trauma.

I can absolutely see why you want to, but I honestly think you'd be better off spending the time getting him to learn to self-settle. Don't replace one prop for another.

Have you been doing sleep training, is that what the sleep consultant was meant to be helping with?

My DD was the same until she went to nursery and then she just got used to falling asleep without me. I still breast feed her before bed but I put her down while she is tired but awake. There is usually 5-10 mins of yelling then she conks out.

@callimanco, please wise woman tell me all your secrets!

What dummy did you use? Did you just keep putting it in their mouth over and over?

Did you just lay the 11 month old in the cot with a dummy and hope they put it in themselves?
Did they fall asleep on the breast? Did you put a dummy in when they were asleep?

@TheNoiseHurts

They are the same ones. I just kept giving it to him and repeating no banging dummy instead and he got it.

Very cute btw

theNoisehurts
Well it's all a while ago now. I found the older they were, the less they liked silicon years and more comfortable they were with latex. They liked different shapes. My youngest it was a latex cherry soother that finally persuaded her, whereas my 3rd child liked the orthodontic shaped ones. Once they love their dummies they get much more flexible about what type they will use.

So if you can still get them, try latex tests in a few different shapes, and check religiously for holes or tears.

And the way I did it was when they were drowsy, and doing that sleep suckle where they go suck suck suck, pause, I put it in beside my nipple and edged the boob out, leaving the dummy attached to them.

I'm going to try it. Thank you!

My DD started taking one at 8 months and then when she got older it was hell to get her off it. I don’t regret it as it was the only thing that helped with her sleep but For an older child I’d probably use a soft toy or similar rather than a dummy

I've tried soft toys and blankets. He has favourites which he loves but it makes so difference, he needs to suck.