Dropping the dummy

[user1496137417]

My son is now 3 months old and I am looking for advice on how to drop the dummy. From day 1 we have tried to put him down 'sleepy awake' with varying success, but always with the dummy. He recently started waking every hour after 2am so decided I needed to change something. I first started to stretch out his daytime feeds, which worked well and he started taking bigger feeds and lasting longer between them (up to 4hrs). He now has c900ml a day so I know he is getting enough milk.

I put him down at 7pmish, he wakes for a feed around 1.30am, then sleeps until 6ish. Sometimes he needs to be settled back to sleep between.

As a start I have started shushing and patting him in place of the dummy. I'll let him have the dummy at first to calm him down, then take it out of his mouth before he falls asleep. This upsets him hence the shushing and patting. I am now trying not to give him the dummy at all, but he can get quite worked up and hot and sweaty, and it's just so tempting to let him have the dummy because I know he will go straight off! I am only doing this for day naps and 7pm bedtime rather than through the night. Trying to tackle day sleep first!

This has worked well and the night waking has reduced. But then we have a few tough days, and so end up giving him the dummy a bit more, and he seems to start waking again. I am also worried that I am just replacing the dummy with the shushing and patting!

Any advice please on what to do? Thanks in advance x

Our little one is 10months and still has a dummy for naps/sleep (he never has it out of his cot). He really needed to suck to sleep as a tiny baby (came out sucking his thumb) and then camped at the boob and that was exhausting me. I was just thinking about dropping it before he is one but he had his first dentist appointment this week and he actually advised keeping it in the manner we are using it until he is 2ish to avoid him becoming a thumb sucker which is more damaging for teeth and apparently common for babies at this age to resort to if the dummy not is taken away. I know I've not answered your problem but I guess my answer may be it might be ok to keep it for now if it helps you all!

The sids recommendation is keep the dummy until 6 months once you've started using one I believe

I wouldn't get rid of the dummy. Dummies are fantastic sleep aides. At 3 months I would try feeding much more often than every 3 hours during the day. One night feed at 3 months is not very much over night feeding. To be honest at under 6 months I would try feeding on demand, dummy and co sleeping as sort of 'go to' sleep solutions. And the old chestnut of 'sleep when they sleep' obviously!

Why do you want to get rid of the dummy at 3 months old? If it keeps him asleep let him have it!! My son had one until he was 2 and had perfectly straight little teeth and chats non stop so it didn't do any harm - just let us all get some sleep!

Your completely over thinking of it .

Babies need comfort to sleep .
Let him have his dummy

Thanks for everyone's advice. Quite surprised at the resounding 'let him have the dummy' but I hear you loud and clear! Definitely a fair comment that I am over thinking this but my first son was such a terrible sleeper I'm trying to do everything differently this time around. Very interesting point about lullaby trust too.

I do feed my son on demand, and occasionally he does want a second night feed but not usually, he just wants to get back to sleep and goes off easily again. I just felt that the hourly waking was because he couldn't self soothe, any tips on helping a small baby self soothe? My 2yo still uses a dummy, I have no problems with them speech or teeth wise x