10 weeks, too young to lose the dummy??

[Parker23]

Hi, my DD is 10 weeks old and has suffered from reflux, but is now on Omeprazole and is generally a lot more settled.

My problem is that she have given her a dummy to sleep which has helped a lot during the refluxy times. But now she wakes when it falls out of her mouth. I'm not talking once or twice a night. It's more like every 5-10mins from 7pm (when she goes to bed) to around 8.30-9pm and then on and off throughout the night. She's very unsettled from 3am onwards and then it's none stop dummy in out in out! I'm knackered!

I think it's definitely disturbing her sleep so I'd like to stop er using it. The only thing is,

A. she's very wriggly and grunty, possibly de to the reflux. So the dummy is the only thing that will calm her when she's very unsettled. And...

B. She's only 10 weeks old so I wonder if she's too young to have the dummy taken away. She's very alert and seems older so I sometimes forget that she's still quite tiny and I'm guessing I'd have to get rid of it cold turkey?

Is it better to take a dummy away as early as possible if a baby is very dependent on it and is easily disturbed by it falling out??

If she is that little then I wouldn't have thought there would be much of a psychological aspect to taking it away (she won't remember it to want it, is kind of what i'm saying) and to be honest, if she's spitting it out, then it's not working for you!

IMO the purpose of a dummy is to pacify them to make life easier. if you are constantly shoving it back in then I really wouldn't bother.

I have no experience of reflux, so if i am being an uninformed idiot, feel free to ignore me and accept this bump :)

All three of my children had reflux, one didn't ever want a dummy, the other two kept spitting it out after a few weeks so I got rid of it. If it's not really doing its job, there's not much point holding onto it.

I think they get very unsettled because they can be so windy - mine were really difficult to wind but, if I could get a burp out of them, it did mean they would go down with a little more ease.

Yes I guess you're right!

The thing is, I can see how much she likes the dummy when she first has it in her mouth and she instantly calms and goes back to sleep. But once she falls asleep and her mouth relaxes, it drops out or if she's wiggling it gets pushed out. But she does want it back straight away.

I do agree though, it's hardly making life easier is it! I guess if she really wants to suck something she'll find her thumb ( I hope not though!!)

I think I'm apprehensive because it seems that she really wants/needs the dummy because she squeaks as soon as she loses it?? I hadn't thought of it from the point of view that she is losing it because she doesn't really want it...?

I know I've over used the dummy because of the reflux so I've probably pushed it on her a bit. I suppose I'm just worried that after all the pain and upset with the reflux, I'll be taking away her only comfort?

Look, with reflux do whatever it takes because it is bloody distressing and exhausting... but the dummy doesn't work so ditch it and don't worry about it. Reflux-y babies have difficulty settling anyway - dummy or not.

My ds had a dummy which we eventually got rid of at 6 months. Had similar problem to yours, in and out all night - he never made any attempt to find it or pop it back it, just lay there like a little bird with his mouth wide open!!! We left it til 6 months though on advice from the SIDS website - they say that if your little one has a dummy then should wait til then. I gave them ring they were helpful. For me, I took this advice as it was something I was worried about due to family history. May just be worth having a look. Once hit 6 months, we took it away during day time naps first for a few days, then nights. The nights went surprisingly well!!! Good luck

Hi Parker,

A lot of babies like sucking due to tension in their skulls, the sucking reflex can relieve this for them - have you thought of a cranial massage?

Also, with the dummy - it sounds like its a hinder more than a help. HOWEVER, remember that you can take dummies away and yes, cold turkey would be the best way - she is too young to remember that she is missing the dummy but she isn't too young to feel the need to "suck"... if she learns to suck her hands/fingers, these can never be removed so if you see this happening - it might be best to remove the dummy, see how it goes over at least 2 weeks!

Good Luck

Chelsea

The Nanny Tree
Where fabulous Nannies do grow on trees!

I know lalalonglegs!! Last night was terrible! The Omeprazole has been working great but I think it's now causing problems of it's own!

She's been getting increasingly wriggly and grunty in the night and keeps whining and squeaking. Last night she was really really bad. Crying out and writhing. At one point I was holding her and she was smiling away and suddenly her little face dropped, she squealed and her body contorted in pain. I read the leaflet with the Omeprazole and it said that a common side effect was stomach pain and wind. Seems that by getting rid of one pain you replace it with another! She's shattered and keeps getting woken up with the discomfort!

So I suppose is I'm getting disturbed anyway I guess I may as well take the dummy away? Ok, I'm seriously considering going cold turkey tonight...?

Possibly...sigh!

The only reason I wouldn't is because the FSID say that you shouldn't take away a dummy if a child is younger than 6 months I think as it increases the SIDS risk.

Ooo, just seen the more recent posts too! Thanks bluesmile10 I did know that dummies were good for preventing SID but I hadn't considered that when planning to remove the dummy. I'll look into it.

And ChelseaNannyTree I agree. I've always been against letting them suck their thumbs etc because I know quite a few older kids with wonky teeth and deformed thumbs due to sucking! But I think I'm at the point where I'm exhausted and I think she's formed a bad habit with the dummy. So I want to sort it, even if it means she ends up finding her thumb. I don't like her being so dependent on the dummy and it's disturbing her sleep anyway.

If she doesn't take to being dummy free then I'll consider bringing it back but I think once you've taken that step you shouldn't go back. Otherwise it's confusing for the baby...right?

Have any of you who have been through this got any tips on how to cope with settling her when she cries for the dummy too? Should I just do the usual stroking, patting and shh shhing whilst she's in her cot? Or do you think I should pick her up and put her back down? Oh and did it take long to break the habit?

parker we have exactly the same issue with grunting and writhing as you do. Also with the dummy, although bizarrely only for naps and not his night sleep so far...

I have wondered whether it's linked to my son's lansoprazole (nearly same stuff as omeprazole) but I think it predates the lansoprazole. In fact I think it started when he was still on ranitidine but I can't be sure.

Does she kind of do sit-ups in her sleep, crunching up and crying out?

WRT the dummy, I have also wondered whether my son is swallowing too much air because he's sucking on it all the bloody time. Trouble is he just will not settle without it, and even with it it's a massive struggle. Gah.

Thanks for your tips. I'm seriously thinking that I may need to just put up and shut up with dummy if it's recommended that you don't take them away from a baby under 6 months...ugh! Was revved up to go cold turkey but chickened out and had a terrible night's sleep anyway! Where's the justice!?

Oh Narmada, sending sympathy your way!! It's bloody exhausting isn't it! Had a little moment of weakness this morning as I was washing the pits and blubbed into the dishwater! DH had to give me a cuddle and persuade me that I could make it through another day without kip before he left for work!

I think the dummy has been a real help with the reflux because they produce saliva when they suck and it helps neutralize the acid. But now it's just another disturbance for her already broken sleep!

Do you think the wriggling could just be part of the reflux? We were over the moon when the Omeprazole worked and we had a couple of weeks of calm. But suddenly in the last few days she's started showing symptoms again. Sudden pain and arching back etc etc! Has this happened to you at all? You seem to have tried out more treatments than we have. We only used Baby Gaviscon and then Omeprazole. I've heard the meds stop working as the baby grows and need to be increased? Maybe we should compare notes on this? It sounds like you're little one is going through the same thing as mine?

Anyway!! Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a Reflux thread! Back to the dummy issue...

So far tonight only 4 dummy rescues in an hour...Oh...make that 5!

Oh and in answer to your question Narmada, no she doesn't crunch up. She arches her entire body into a 'C' shape and presses her head to the side so her cheek is on the mattress. She keeps doing this and straining/grunting until she suddenly squeals and crys out.

It's weird and distressing to watch! I just wish we could give her some peaceful sleep!

Oh I think that's called sandifer's syndrome, the arching and pushing head to one side. My DS does it too. They are kind of posturing to try and escape the discomfort.

I think the wriggling must be the reflux. My DS does it when he's trying to get off to sleep, and also every single time he comes into a light sleep cycle, until 11 pm, when strangely he seems to switch off.

It does sound a bit like the omeprazole is not controlling her symptoms. Maybe she needs her dosage increased if she's put on lots of weight.

I have been wondering about whether my DS needs a higher dose of meds too.

Whatever you decide about the dummy I wish you luck - and what do you mean you've only cried once??!! There were weeks and weeks when I was producing more water than the dishwasher!

Hahaha Narmada!! My god I have DEFINITELY cried more than once!!!!!!

I"ve been a soggy weepy mess since she was born! Which is not like me at all but the distress of not knowing what was wrong with her and all the sleep deprivation has ruined me!

Thank you so much for the mention of Sandifer's Syndrome! I've just looked it up and that is definitely what she's been doing!! I'm so happy to finally have found an explanation for this! My DH and I were going round in circles wondering what it could be and doubting our instincts. Which were that this behavior just wasn't normal!

Whenever I described what she was doing to people I could see them thinking, 'babies wriggle in their sleep! It's normal, you're being neurotic!' But I knew this was excessive and was causing her distress!

I am now going to go back to the doctors and ask to be referred to a Pediatrician. I think we'll video her in her cot so they can see it for themselves!

Thanks again! I feel like we're back in control of the situation! I'm off for a nice big now! x

Just seen that I wrote 'washing the pits' in one of my posts, instead of 'washing the pots' Hahaha!

Oh I am so glad to have helped, if only by giving it a name! I think a lot of people think it is some kind of seizure, it's such an odd movement. My DS does it mostly when he's tired and on his back.

Have you tried her on her tummy for sleep? It is totally contrary to current SIDS advice and doesn't work in my son's case, but our friend's little girl had severe reflux and would only sleep on her tum. They got a movement sensor for her cot and resingned themselves to the extra worry, as she wasn't sleeping at all any other way.

I did laugh at the pits thing - visions of someone weeping while performing underarm hygiene.

I would definitely video her doing the posturing, it's so hard to describe to someone who hasn't seen it happening. I hope you do get a paed referral.