5 month old dummy and sleep problems

[Desperate2ndmum]

Hi mumsnetters,

Long time lurker, first time posting.

I have a 5 month old baby girl who is bottle fed. She took the dummy but around 4 months she went through awful sleep regression and started needing it all night long to stay asleep. I have tried to suck it up but after reading lots of threads on here and even paying for a sleep consultants course from instagram I decided to go cold turkey after a horrible night where I didn’t get any sleep - she’d wake up every 30 mins needing it back in and then move where it would fall out and she’d be up again. We co-sleep so I can always hear her before she goes into complete meltdown.

I took the dummy away and the first few days were rough but ok - I thought she was managing but the last two days/nights she has been inconsolable. Crying all the time, so miserable and unhappy- sucking on her sleeves and my shoulder. Impossible to make her nap and when she’s finally down 30 mins MAX. She goes to sleep every night around 7 and nighttime sleep is ok but wakes up SCREAMING with her eyes closed out of nowhere and have to comfort her back to sleep. Moves around in her sleep as well which is keeping me up. I’m very tempted to give the dummy back but I don’t think it’s the right thing to do and feels like all her tears were wasted.

I feel like the worlds worst mother and I just don’t know what to do anymore. She’s my second child so you’d think I’d have it together but I cannot ever remember my son being this much hard work!

Should I stick with no dummy? Should I speak to the gp maybe something is wrong with her and this failure of a mum hasn’t realised sooner? Or is this normal and she’ll get over it and calm down? Could it be teething? She tries to put everything in her mouth.

Any advice you can give me will be appreciated I am at the end of my rope and can’t stop crying. I just don’t know what to do, everyone around me has sweet little angels and my girl is so miserable and unhappy I can’t help but feel like this is all my fault! I just miss my happy baby and she really was the happiest little lady up until 4 month regression hit!

If you got this far- thank you.

Mine is 5.5 months and has just finished his regression (started just before 4 months), so I feel your pain. He now wakes me up because he gets stuck after rolling onto his front. There's a lot to battle at this age. Don't make life harder for yourself. Give her the dummy. Soon, she'll be able to put it in by herself, mine is just starting to do it sometimes. Good luck, stay sane.

Honestly, I'd give her the dummy back if she's miserable and unhappy without it; she's still so little.

We ditched the dummy at 5 months for the same reason in that as soon it would fall out she would wake up this went on all night every 30ish minutes, after a month enough was enough. Gave her a comforter (put some breast milk on it) hold it with her during every feed (sleep with it first so it has your scent) and give it to her to sleep. Pitch black room and white noise machine!