Talk to me about dummy weaning

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

So the dummy was once a miracle cure for getting our refluxy and sleep fighting DS to calm down and even soothe himself to sleep...not anymore. It's fast becoming the bane of my life and I'm up anywhere from 3 to 8 times a night replacing the bloody thing. Basically until I cave and pull him in with me.

I've realised that we need to go cold turkey, but I'm nervous and dreading the battle I have visions of him desperately trying to settle himself like some kind of addict and I'm surely going to wind up rocking and cuddling to get him through creating another sleep crutch

I wondered if anyone could share any positive experiences of dummy weaning to give me hope? or any tips perhaps? words of encouragement needed!

[FlatAsSantasSacks]

I'm resurrecting this, I did say as per my above post my sister used to put 3 in her sons cot. I've been doing this with my baby as she's still waking a lot during the night (upto 16!) and I'm finding it really hard now.

She's 14months. We've co slept, bed shared etc. Last 4 months she's been in a big cot by the side of us and we had given her a dummy at 3/4m for awful reflux / colic. Now I'm waking to slot my hand through the cot sides and pop her dummy back in. I don't know if she is just a wakeful baby or just needs the dummy. Or both but I need to start eradicating the dummy for my own sanity. I work shifts so often very sleep deprived.

Any tips. I weaned my other 2 when they were old enough to understand. I'm thinking maybe the sleepy tot?

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Ok I think it was the porridge..trying that again tonight. Sleepytot is def helping I think though and it was only his 3rd night after all. .

[Flatasawitchestit]

I may check these things out.

Baby is now 13 months and I'm finding the dummy both irritating and useful. I have to sometimes lass it back to her 12+ times during the night! she sleeps next to us so it's not full on getting out of bed but still. Yet when I work a night shift my other half says he doesn't wake at all for her so she must whine slightly then nod back off. I sometimes sleep on the other side an don't hear her so I'm the problem maybe.

Also now she's older and starting to talk I want to cut her having the dummy back, if not completely get rid.

But when she's Whiney I just give in and hand it to her.


Any tips on getting rid? I've done it with my other two but they were older and did the dummy fairy thing.

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Good work am slightly apprehensive about tonight. ..keeping my fingers crossed!

[forgetmenots]

Aww I'm delighted indecisive. Hope it continues to go so well. Whatever works!

My DS had an unsettled few nights, but after pushing his bedtime back he slept like a wee dream last night. all round.

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Ok so we picked up our Sleepytot on Sat, last night was his second night with it and we didn't have to get up til 5am!! we had one wake up at half 9 before we went to bed too which is a HUGE improvement!

Not sure if it was sleepytot, being in his own room or his first experience of porridge but we're very happy today

Now we just have to try not to wake up at 430 to check on him. ...!

[angel24711]

Cuskis are either made or muslin or toweling. We found them better than just using a muslin as they have a ball inside them so they seem to be easier to find in the night and don't get lost in the bed. Their also approved by the NHS as safe to have in the cot too www.cuski.com

[forgetmenots]

Not sure about age OP, my DS was maybe 19/20 weeks when he got his. Suffocation - not sure about the material, my DS is able to turn, push things off etc and we have a sensor mat so I wasn't too worried but I can see how on a much younger baby it would be a concern.

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Does it matter how old they are with these sleepytots? is there a suffocation risk? mine arrived when I was out and us at the bloody depot

[googietheegg]

Deffo get a sleepytot (we have a spare couple too!!!). You hug it for a bit first so it's got your scent on it. Changed my life!!!!

[forgetmenots]

Like your approach loveroflife - when it comes to weaning DS off his dummy bunny I may follow you if he struggles...!

[loveroflife]

oh and I bought a cuski - it was £15 and not worth it imo..muslin, cheaper and softer and less chance of losing them.

[loveroflife]

OP - I am now the happiest mother in the world after getting rid of the dummy.

I kid you not, I was going in EVERY HOUR to put the dummy in for 6mo ds - he had it since birth and it was a godsend in the early days as he would feed and suck for hours.

However, it was actually having the adverse effect - keeping him awake! We were in a cycle of him needing it to go to sleep then waking up as soon as it fell out - he was literally in 1 hour sleep cycles all night and for naps.

I also gave him a very soft muslin cloth as well and he loved that so had both.

After yet another horrendous nights sleep I had enough and decided a month ago, that would be it. I binned all the dummies so I wouldn't give in and took him out for the day as I knew it would be hell to listen to him cry when I put him down.

This was a brilliant idea. We walked into town and when it was time for the nap, reclined the buggy and gave him his muslin. Yes, he did cry but it was less painful listening to it with the sound of traffic, wind etc and I think that also distracted him.

Same thing for the next nap - reclined buggy and we were walking in and out of shops, he cried again but snuggled into the muslin and fell asleep.

For his last nap of the day I literally just drove around = again, the car noise and radio distracted him and he had his muslin to hold against his face.

So, that's how I weaned him - he had his three naps but out and about, so less distress for us both. I promise you that night after crying for 10mins (I kept going back in and stroking his face and the muslin against his face) he fell asleep and slept through.

His sleep has improved 100% - he sleeps though and still has a comforter in the form of his muslin - safe, soft and breathable.

Also, they're better than a special toy as you can never lose a pack of 10 of them (the M and S ones are soooo soft!)

Good luck - it was the best thing I ever did. Sometimes he sucks the muslin, sometimes just snuggles up to it - it may help to wear it first in your top or sleep with it so when you take away the dummy and give him the cloth, it will smell of you.

reflux: ask the gp to give you ranitidine - don't leave until you have a prescription for it!!!

[MrFranklyShankly]

Oh your poor ds and you, my dd has reflu as well, but yeah you have bigger things to sort for him first before getting rid of the dody. Yeah what is a cuski angel???? Very interested to hear more

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

What's a Cuski?

More disaster but not (exclusively) dummy related this time he projectiled up what seemed like most of his 8oz bottle when I was trying to burp him, cleaned up, finished bottle and a cuddle when he started coughing/choking but couldn't get anything up for a while until he was sick again.

Tbh, dummies are now the least of my worries! Just come from Drs and the best advice they have is 'feed him smaller bottles more often' as if that was the answer to all our reflux woes

So at the mo, I'm allowing him his dummy but I still need the answer to getting rid when the reflux is sorted!

[angel24711]

We went cold turkey at 20 weeks. We replaced the dummy with two Cuskis. Worked a treat. We had a little bit of crying the first night and by the second night he didn't seem to miss the dummy. Previously he'd been waking 3 or 4 times a night because he had lost his dummy.
He's now 9 months and he now has 3 Cuskis which he loves to cuddle and suck.

[ZebraZeebra]

DS is almost 13 months - we've completely weaned daytime use but I still offer them to him at night because - frankly - there's so many other issues, the use of dummy for sleep is the least of my problems.

For daytime weaning - I literally just stopped handing them to him. This was around nine months. He was interested in other things so it was easy to distract him. To be honest, it was more effort for me to remember not to hand them to him! I had to wean myself

I might check out the bunny thing - the thing likely to induce irrational bedtime rage in me is seeing him chuck multiple dummies down the back of the cot, where they are completely unreachable!

[MrFranklyShankly]

How did you get on indecisive ??? My dd is the same age as your ds,19 weeks, and we are having same probs, was up last night so less than 11 times putting in her dummy, I got more sleep when she was getting two feeds at night, am so tired I just can't function, so really hoping to see a miracle cure to this on this thread. Feel she is too young to wean off her dummy but really at breaking point with the lack of sleep ( all over a dummy)

Frankly

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Will try again tonight and hopefully the bunny will arrive tmw and won't take him too long to learn. I dread bedtime these days, and don't get to catch up during the day because he won't sleep more than 45mins on his own.

[forgetmenots]

Awww poor wee guy. That sounds like a (quite scary for you both) one off, don't lose heart! Btw the four dummies don't work for my DS either, too small for him to find and put in his mouth correctly! Only the bloody bunny has worked. I really hope it helps you cut down the runs :(

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

I have lower hopes for that bunny now!

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Well that was a complete effing disaster..back in bed with me by 1am after a massive clean up operation involving sick in his eyes/nose left him too awake to go tp sleep in his moses basket. 4 dummies definitely did not help.

Honestly, he's worse now than he was newborn. It's doing our heads in

[forgetmenots]

I was ready to chuck it out after a couple of days as I was still doing all the dummy runs but give it a few days and see. Doesn't work for all, but I haven't yet met someone who says it didn't help at all. Fingers crossed for you! :)

[IndecisivePramBuyer81]

Ok, ordered and on its way! am glad I signed up for the free trial of Amazon Prime now! I have high hopes