Bloody dummy..what to do?

[blissieblue]

DS2 has just accepted a dummy (in the last 4 days) He is 8 weeks old and I resisted as long as I could but eventually got desperate and tried a few different ones until I found one he likes.

The problem is now that after 1am this morning he woke every hour looking for it! He wasn't hungry all those times (only feeds when he is hungry) and yes I did bfeed him 3 times between 1am and 7am.

So what's better? Keep dummy and enjoy evenings of relative peace and calm when I can actually cook and eat a meal with DH but very little sleep when I do go to bed or ditch dummy and endure hours of screaming and trying to comfort an overtired baby. He just can't seem to switch off and go to sleep - even if rocked, cuddled, swaddled, fed or just left to cry in his cot - but when he eventually does pass out (about 11pm, midnight) he is so exhausted he only wakes when he is really hungry and i get some sleep!

I'm shattered and not coping at all with this and my sensitive 2yo DS1 - who is also disturbed by his brother's crying.

oh sweetie, no advice I am afraid, my dd never cried when dummy came out of mouth, she just needs it too fall asleep iyswim.

I do remember having evenings of hell until dd was about 12 weeks when she evenuatlly had a bedtime at 7pm, I could not even have a meal as she was always on the boob from about 7 till 11pm, I kept perservering putting her to bed at 7pm bath, breast bed, and evenutally it clicked into place at about 12 weeks.
hope someone else can come along with some help

Have you tried a cherry teat dummy?
They stay in the mouth better.

oh yes cherry dummys are the best!

Cherry teat was the first one I tried. He just wouldn't have it in his mouth.

Hi blissie blue,

Please let me know if you have any success as I am in the same boat (but backwards). Dummy falls out all evening (no dinner/Apprentice for me), but for some reason she hangs on better at night (wakes 11, 3, 5). DD is 12 weeks and has yet to jump on the self soothing train, so is always overtired. I don't have the balls for cold turkey myself, but would be interested to hear how you get on if you try.

Hi

is she not hungry on an evening hence why the dummy will not work, my dd used to cluster feed all evening and then only wake a few times during the night for a bf.

Hope this helps

hi, dd1 a total dummy addict, woke many times in night till 2 and a half - because the dummy had fallen out.
This may be harsh but imo ditch the dummy now and save yourself years of searching under the cot in the middle of the night.

The longer they have it the harder it will be to get over it, (dd1 was 4 and a half) when she gave it up and still (now 7) has trouble getting to sleep sometimes

IME once they get onto eating meals - bedtime gets earlier and you will have your evenings back. Good luck whatever you do

I had one of those clips that you attach to the dummy and then clip to their baby gro. I got mine in Tesco but you can get them in Boots etc. That way it might not disappear as far and he might be able to find it himself. I used the tomme tippe disc dummies that look quite huge but I found that they were the only ones that would stay in. They do look odd but they are good!!!

Those clips were great for day time and especially in the car. But always worried about using them at night, they have a warning not to let baby sleep with them attached,

my dd total dummy addict too but never wakes in the night for it. I Love the dummy, but agree it may be more difficult getting it off her at an older age.

Hmmmm yes ds was older than 8 weeks when we used it at night thinking about it. Sorry!!

If he doesn't have the dummy, does he like to feed all evening ? Or does he just cry ? If he will settle whilst feeding, what about using a sling so you can eat, etc, AND feed ? Or maybe a sling would help even if he doesn't want to feed....

Bagsundereyes - I know how you feel! He was better last night. Woke at midnight and then not again until 4am (though that was it for sleep for the night) I hung about his cot while he was going to sleep at bedtime (8pm) and removed the dummy just as he was dropping off and he didn't wake for it. However have just tried this again and he has just woken up so have popped it back in!

Hellish - DS1(2.2) is also a dummy addict and I don't want DS2 to go down the same road. We have spent many many nights crawling about under his cot and I so resent it (even though it's my fault for giving him the stupid thing in the first place) But the temptation is huge when it works a dream to send him off to sleep of an evening.

Theodoresmummy - he doesn't feed unless he's hungry and is a quick feeder too (i think he likes the dummy cos he can suck but not overfill his tummy) So in the evenings when he is up and overtired and unhappy i can't even use my boobs as a secret weapon - he won't have them. Have been using a sling but don't want to rely on it long term for lots of reasons - one of which is he's already pushing 14lbs at 8 weeks.

blissie - don't do it, step away from the dummy.

I was so determined not to give dd2 a dummy, and she never missed it, and always slept so much better.

My dd is 2 and still has a dummy to sleep at night, or if she has hurt herself (calms her down if she is crying). I have always said I didn't care how long she kept using it at night as long as she wasn't one of those kids who have it ALL day long.

Right from birth I used a muslin square threaded through the dummy to make sure we didn't lose it. Both my sisters (10 and 15 yrs older than me) had done that with their dc's - and I believe it was my mums idea in the first place.

We never had a problem with it falling out / not being able to find it as the 'raggy' (dd's word) makes it a bit heavier to keep it in, and as she got older she was always able to find it if it dropped out. I didn't like the clips and chain ideas as I worried the chain would wrap round her neck (the way I fold raggy means it's not big enough to go round her neck).