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Waking up for dummy at night

7 replies

yourlittleswampduck · 30/08/2005 16:39

Hi, can anyone help please? My 4 month DD has slept through for several weeks now but has started to wake up at 3 am. She calls out and when we go into her room she is wide awake and smiling at us. We have had problems with wind before so have helped her pass wind (trump), but generally if we pop her dummy back in her mouth she drops off to sleep again almost immediately. Unfortunately she wakes again at regular intervals for the next few hours and only goes back to sleep when we go in and put her dummy back in. I've tried to leave her to cry for a few minutes but she doesn't stop and try not to have any lights on or smile back, etc. but not sure what else we can do to either help her or break this new pattern? Has anyone else experienced this?

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GillLevey · 01/09/2005 12:04

Have you tried increasing her feed? I've done this every time dd has started waking early.

Mirage · 01/09/2005 14:17

Snap,we are having the same problem with our 15wk old dd.She was down to 1 night feed at about 4-5am & has now started waking at 1.30,3 & 6am!She too will go back to sleep if we give her a dummy {which I don't like doing),but then will constantly wake up for it for the rest of the night.

She only takes 4oz at the most during the day & won't take anymore,we have tried giving her water at one of her early wakings,but she seems to like it & after a week,is still waking for it.

The little monkey also thinks that 4am is a good time to play,despite us not smiling talking to her ect at this time.

I'll watch this thread with interest,if I can stay awake long enough!

homemama · 01/09/2005 14:21

Hi, my DS was exactly the same. Neither DH nor I were able to cope with CC so we just persevered until he got to 6.5mths when he started being able to find his dummy himself, pop it back in and fall back asleep. Occas. he has knocked it out the cot and we have to go in and give him the spare one but other than that, its fine.
Good luck

meggymoo · 01/09/2005 14:22

Message withdrawn

Mirage · 02/09/2005 20:33

Thanks Meggymoo & homemama,for the light at the end of the tunnel.Last night was one of the worst since she was a newborn,1am 3am 4am 5.40am arghhhhhhhhhh!We relented & gave her the dummy which she then kept losing,until it was time for us to get up.Then she went back to sleep without it.

Every nap today has been fine,shes gone to sleep sucking her fist so I'm hoping that she will do the same tonight.I'm also going to put her in the travel cot instead of her moses basket,as I think that when she thrashes about in her sleep,hitting the sides of the basket wakes her up.

I can but hope!

girrafey · 03/09/2005 08:40

hey i had this problem when my dd was distressed over her jabs. I had always been strong and she had only had her dummy in the day before.
( naps, or in car etc)

she kept waking up everytime it fell out or every time she entered a light rem.

i was adviced to put it in and wait, you can see them sucking it as the sucks become less and less and have breaks in between gently but firmly and quickly whip it out.

it is very cute as their mouths still suck!!!

you do have to get the timing right, sleepy enough not to wake up but not in a deep enough sleep that they dont recognise it has gone.

it works as the last little bit they fall asleep without it so therefore when they light rem they will just do the sucking motion.

it took a couple of attempts on the first night to get the timing right, and over a couple of nights for her to not wake for it again.

she doesnt have her dummy hardly at all now.
( only when in a car seat or first put in a pushchair, wonder if it might be mild travel sickness coming )

it is a god send when they master this art!
hope that helps.

yourlittleswampduck · 03/09/2005 16:25

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I have started to leave her without the dummy on occasion and she has coped - and when she is DESPERATE for it I have let her have it and taken it away when she's settled... both worked so I guess I need to find consistency now. I have also started to increase the feed - I give her a 'dream feed' and depending on how much and how late her last feed was she will take between 2 and 6 fl oz and that has helped also. It's not stopped completely as she wakes with trapped wind quite often too, but things are looking up! Thank you thank you :-) fingers crossed!

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