4mo old has become too reliant on dummy

[Scottishbump85]

Let me start by saying I never wanted my baby to have a dummy in the first place, but here we are!

Anyway, for the past 2 nights she has been waking through the night and the only thing that will settle her is her dummy. The problem is every time it falls out she wakes and cries for it. This is a new thing, it previously never bothered her through the night and would often go to bed without it. I’m aware this could be the 4mo sleep regression and it might pass, but I’m also worried this is her start of a bad habit.

Anyone got any success stories of getting rid of the dummy through the night?

Also, just to add that she’s definitely nor hungry. That’s not the issue. She stopped night feeds at 13 weeks and doesn’t take her morning bottle until an hour after she’s up for the day!

4 months is peak SIDS risk I believe, I really wouldn't move now

Some babies need a dummy. Has someone told you babies shouldn't have them? Mine gave them up no problem at about 2 years old. They needed them to settle. When they started chewing on them i took them away.

Feed her, 2 nights ago she might not have needed food but now she could well do. They have huge growth spurts and she's too little to definitely say she's not hungry. If she pushes the bottle away only then can you be sure she's not hungry. I wouldn't use a dummy.

You can either take it out and she will cry for a few days and get over it or you can continue doing what you are doing and she will get through this phase and continue having a dummy.

I hated giving my first a dummy but he needed one but having a cue that makes them sleepy is very helpful as a nap avoiding toddler. So much so that I took dummies into hospital when I had my second. He gave it up very easily when he was 2 and had finished taking naps.

Sounds like the 4 month sleep regression to me, are you putting baby down asleep or awake?

@mummyh2016 usually asleep as she falls asleep during her last feed, but last night I gently woke her and put her in her sleep suit and put her down awake to see if that made a difference, but nope!

4 month sleep regression, ours did the same. You've probably got a rough few weeks ahead but I'd stick with the dummy. Removing it might make things worse and they're helpful in the long term. Once they crack putting it back in themselves they're a god send! Sleep isn't linear, the fact she was sleeping through just means you got lucky for the first bit. There will be plenty of ups and downs, just try to go with it and stay consistent with your settling techniques.

@MGee123 thanks for your input. I was so hoping we’d avoided the regression! Forever reminding myself this isn’t forever, but it’s so draining when you’re in the thick of it!

Feed her. If this just started maybe she is hungry now. My baby stopped feeding in the night for a very short while - just as I was completely exhausted and about to lose my mind. Then she started again during the 4 month regression. Most babies do need food overnight. Please feed her and see.

It's horrendous, but it does end. As others say it might be worth feeding her as well, she could be having a growth spurt. I was still feeding twice a night at 4 months and then as the sleep regression nightmare ended around 6 months she dropped all night feeds with no bother at all. It will end, just try and hang in there.

My youngest is 10 months, he mostly sleeps through but sometimes he wakes because he is hungry. He also doesn’t want milk first thing, even after going all night. Needs an hour or so then he is starving! Especially if going through a growth spurt. I think at 13 weeks I would always offer milk, they are so tiny things like sleep and food are changing and developing all the time. I would hate to think he was hungry so while so small would rather rule it out than risk it.