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Original poster

Tips for taking away a dummy

18 replies

mumbear · 01/12/2007 22:01

My DD is just gone 5 months. She has always had a dummy however she has only ever had it for going to sleep. Now i dont mind her having a dummy even with all the "does she really need that" comments ive had!! I dont see why so many people have a problem with it. However i do mind that she now needs it to go to sleep (I fully accept its my own fault). Her sleeping is great goes from 8pm-7am has 1.5 hours nap in the morning and 2.5 in the afternoon. Ill be looking to get rid of it pretty soon but I really dont want to mess up her sleeping pattern (as it works really well for both of us) and she can cry for a lot longer than I can ignore her! She then gets so worked up that she struggles to breathe. How does everyone who doesnt give their baby a dummy get them to sleep?? Would be very greatful for tips!
Thank you

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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ivykaty44 · 01/12/2007 22:03

Why do you want to take away her dummy?

PrisonerCellBlockAitch · 01/12/2007 22:05

my tip is to learn to tell people who comment that it's none of their business.

RubySlippers · 01/12/2007 22:06

keep the dummy if it works for you!

my baby certainly didn't sleep through at 5 months old!

Original poster

mumbear · 01/12/2007 22:08

Yeah prisoner I have started to snap at folks! I want to do it because if she wakes I have to go to her to give her the dummy back and its the only way to make her go to sleep. Am I wrong in thinking that with out it she will have to find another way to soothe herself or am I talkin utter crap?! Is it easier to take it away when theyre older?

OP posts:

PrisonerCellBlockAitch · 01/12/2007 22:19

well i don't know. i don't really like dummies but i did give one to dd in desperation. she only had it at naps or in the car (i liked her having it in the car, i always figured that if there was a car crash it might help her but i have no medical reason for thinking that).
anyway, she's nearly 2 now and she still has it, as i say only at naps or night.

part of me thinks oh god i'm going to have to get her to give it up, perhaps i should have done it when she was younger... but it's SUCH a handy tool to have in your armoury when they're wee. i remember one desperate and dreadful car journey when i had forgotten it... i could have killed us all with the stress.

we're giving it up soon, she's going to start nursery plus there's birthday and christmas so when we get that all out of the way they are going to be swapped for a new toy. fingers crossed.

ivykaty44 · 01/12/2007 22:21

My two dd's had a dummy, both slept through the night by the time they were two months old, both gave up there dummy at three years old.

Eldest dd only ever had a dummy at night and the younger mostly at night but sometimes in the day. I never let the youngest talk with a dummy in her mouth.

The oldest gave up her dummy at night as easy as pie. The youngest said goodbye to her dummy but really would have liked to keep them, but none the less said goodbye and went to sleep without it.

Saw a baby with a dummy the other day and commented what a wonderful device they are - the mother was so pleased at a positive comment.

If baby is happy why upset the apple cart? Plus if you take the dummy away and your dd starts to suck her thumb instead what are you going to do then?

multitasker · 01/12/2007 22:29

Don't panic about taking away a dummy at this early stage - be grateful she is sleeping through!! My 3dc all had a dummy for the first couple of years and came off it no problem. Ivy is right - it would be worse if she sucked her thumb.

Original poster

mumbear · 01/12/2007 22:32

True cant really chop her thumbs off can I! She went through the night from 9weeks and to be honest I cant go back to sleepless nights I work far better in the day when ive had an unbroken night. Thanks guys will leave her with it for now she is after all far less irritating with it in her chops!!

OP posts:

dd666 · 01/12/2007 22:37

dd is 18mo and if your dd is having it just to sleep thats great dd hides them so even when i take them away she goes and finds another she has them to sleep with so bedtime and her nap if she in foul mood or upset/hurt she often has it,
i didnt want her to have a dummy but when a cpl days old she started sucking her thumb and i know that is harder to stop (my friend is 23 and still sucks her thumb)
think christmas 08 she might have to leave it for santa
my mom said i had one as a baby and mine was thrown out to the birdies and every time we played in the garden i looed for it

puffling · 01/12/2007 22:47

I got panicked about this then dd gave it up at 4.5 months. It was a newborn one and it started to fall out which annoyed her plus she developed her first cold and couldn't breathe with it in.

scouserabroad · 02/12/2007 12:01

DD1 had a dummy from about 6 weeks, she needed it to get to sleep & kept it during the day too. She'd get grumpy if I took it away but when she learnt to walk she had so much to do that she didn't want the dummy anymore at all, unless she was tired/upset etc. She's 17 months now & only has the dummy to sleep. Hopefully she will give it up at some point!

ivykaty44 · 02/12/2007 12:19

Forgot to add - they are wonderful for take of and landing when flying. The sucking of the dummy stops the lo's ears hurting and is much more comfortable for them.

SantaKLAWs · 02/12/2007 12:26

Ds (now 14) had a dummy, also had a blankie. Sometime around 2 or 3, can't recall when exactly, I explained to him that when his dummy was damaged he'd have to throw it in the bin. We talked about it on and off for a while. Once I was sure that he understood I took a scalpel to it when he wasn't around and 'damaged' it. When I took it to him later (but not at bedtime!) I exclaimed 'look, ds, it's broken!' and he put it in the bin.

We never looked back! In fact, he also stopped cuddling his blankie as it was associated with the dummy. He would then take his favourite toy to bed, even if it was the huge fire engine he'd just got for birthday or whatever!!!

Not sure what to do with dd (now 2 and a half) as she very quickly found her fingers and sucks 2, along with cuddling her favourite doggy. It's much easier to get rid of a dummy than to get rid of fingers!!!

I'm thinking we're going to have to 'lose' doggy as the association will mean that she won't suck fingers without doggy. She doesn't often suck them when doggy's not around....

So that's my experience.

coldtits · 02/12/2007 12:31

You're not serious Klaws? You're not going to take away her cuddly toy because she sucks her fingers?

justaboutinonepiece · 02/12/2007 12:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SantaKLAWs · 02/12/2007 12:43

I'm not sure Coldtits, it's just that I worry about the effect on her teeth, I had braces as a teen and I'd rather she avoided that if possible... still recall crying myself to sleep because of the pain!....

She's already chewed his tail off, so perhaps we might talk about sending him somewhere special (like display shelf or something) to protect him... something that she can understand, like ds did. Involving them makes it so much easier. Will also talk with dp.

When doggy has to go in the wash she puts him in the washing machine, not me, and lately I've suggested she gets one of her other cuddly toys to cuddle till he's dry, and that's worked. So I'm sure I can get something figure out that will not traumatise her. I would never do that!

fizzbuzz · 02/12/2007 13:01

I was going to post about cot death thing, and not removing it before the age of 1.

Dd is 16 months old, and still sometimes have to go and shove dummy back in. It also acts as an off swithc when she is really tired and grizzly. I think they are marvellous inventions, but often feel guilty for dd having one, although don't know why

However I had a dummy until I was 6 so I am biased

fizzbuzz · 02/12/2007 13:26

And I have very straight teeth which never needed a brace

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