Dummy cold turkey?!

[bobbygeorge]

Hoping somebody can offer some advice as I'm at the end of my tether with sleep deprivation. I've recently been diagnosed with PND and really need to sleep!

I have a beautiful 16 week old daughter who is a delight during the day, but at night often wakes every 45mins to an hour to have dummy reinserted. I am finding it really difficult to cope and have decided that something must be done. She is definitely not hungry, in pain or too hot or cold when she wakes.

I am considering going cold turkey with the dummy and I'd love to hear from anyone who's done it. Do I let her fall asleep with dummy and just not put it in when she wakes in the night or do I just get rid of it altogether? Can anyone share their experience with me? I would be really grateful.

BG x

Personally I would keep the dummy and keep putting it back in, she's very young and still needs a comfort and she's probably going through the 4 month growth spurt/sleep regression which is making her more unsettled at night time, it should pass in a few days. Is she having night feed/dream feed? She may also need a top up of milk especially if having growth spurt :)

Hi Buffy
Thanks for the response. I don't have the energy to keep getting up every hour to put the dummy in. I am literally not sleeping at all. I don't think it is related to the 4 month growth spurt as it has been a problem for a number of weeks now. She is certainly not hungry at night. Just crying for her dummy! I think I need to throw them in the bin.
Has anyone else out there take dummy away at so young an age?

Of course its your decision, just bear in mind that if you remove the dummy she may start to suck thumb or fingers instead which can cause more problems than dummies in the future :-) good luck whatever you decide to do!

I would love if she started sucking her thumb! She would then be able to soothe herself when she wakes in the night. I just don't think I can go on with such little sleep :(

Have you got a clip for the dummy, my dd1 used a dummy until she was almost 3 and I had the problem that she kept losing the dummy at night, so got a clip for it in the chemist and attaqched it to her nightclothes, she soon learnt to find the thread/ribbon and re-insert it herself. You could try cold turkey, but at this age it's hard as she can't tell you what she's thinking. My eldest went cold turkey but not 'til she was almost 3 and with the huge bribe of using the new trampoline I was getting for myself if she gave up. We threw the dummy away and she only mentioned it once. I reminded her she had swapped the dummy for trampolining rights and she never mentioned it again! Dd2 never used a dummy, wasn't as sucky a baby as her sister and if she wakes in the night we just check her for wind and thirstyness etc.. and she usually goes back down. She is 14 months now, but around 4 months she was waking alot we would just leave her to cry herself back to sleep. Drove me and dh potty for about a week, but mostly seems to sleep through now. Best of luck

Thank you BBPs. I have a clip for the dummy and I'm hoping she'll soon figure out how to put it in herself, although at 4 months, it's wishful thinking! Last night I tried not putting it in, but after an hour of crying (during which I managed to calm her down briefly a few times without dummy) I gave in, it was just too painful!! What age was your DD when she figured out how to stick the dummy back in herself?

i did this with dd1 at 6.5mo, as she was waking up to 10 times nightly to be replugged, and i was back at work.
she cried for about 40mins the first night, and for another 90mins in the night. the subsequent night we had brief (no more than 10 minutes) crying at bedtime. she'd forgotten she ever had one by the third night - no more tears. she did not go on to suck her fingers/thumb.

Thanks Charlotte
Great to hear from someone who's done this. You've given me hope!! Did you comfort her in any other way in the night or just leave her? Not sure if Ihave the strength for that at the mo! xx

we did controlled crying - going in every few minutes and stroking her in the cot. i am sure it would still work if you cuddled her though.
if you are decided, it might be worth rounding up and chucking all the dummies before you start. no point in putting both of you through the upset if you think you might cave in. i hope things improve whatever you decide to do.

Thanks! I'm prepared to do the controlled crying but think I might leave it for a couple of weeks while I read up on it and psyche myself up! Having said that, the little angel fell asleep 1hr 15 mins ago without the dummy and made no fuss at all!! I am in shock! Will try not to relent and shove dummy in when she wakes tonight.

Sorry, not sure what age dd1 was when she could put it in herself as it was over 3 years ago, but it was probably sometime between 4 & 6 months. Whenever they start putting everything into their mouths. She had it clipped on all day as well once I discovered the clips, so it didn't seem to take her long at all, Not much help I know.

Thanks BBP22! :)

Hi - resurrecting this post as have decided the time has come to get rid of DD's dummy. Tonight's the night! Just one more question if I may, Charlotte - did you stop dummy use for nap times as well as night time or does DD still have dummy for daytime naps? Not sure if it would cause confusion to let her have it for naps... x

Hi good luck
we had the same nightmare with ds.
at the time using a dummy was gr8 to get him togo to sleep but at the age of 2yrs things were getting a bit much because he was still waking for it and started asking for it constantly during the day - hes a bit older than ur little one but she went cold turkey with dummy 1wk ago. it took 1 day for him to realise he wasnt getting it... he still asks for it but stops after we ignore the question the first time. hes a much happier baby without the dummy - eats better,sleeps better, and better when hes awake,.... if ur going cold turkey dont offer it at all - will get confusing for your little one