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Dummy refusal ... now what!?

5 replies

Penellodix · 11/03/2024 19:08

Previously dummy obsessed 10 month old has been really poorly the last two weeks with tonsilitis as well as all of her top front teeth coming through at once. While shes been unwell she's been really unsettled at sleep times and would only be soothed by me/boob. If we offer the dummy she'd suck on it for a moment and then spit it out/pull it out and launch it across the room and scream.

Now shes getting better (finished her course of antibiotics and cut one top tooth) but she is still refusing her dummy, despite relying on it to settle previously. She would be rocked to sleep with her dummy in by my husband and resettle herself in her cot by popping her dummy back in, but now its boob or nothing and I have had to go back to feeding her to sleep (sometimes every 45 minutes ...). I'm at a bit of a loss and very reluctant to send her back to nursery - without a dummy I don't think they'd get her to sleep - but cant stay off work forever.

Does anybody have any experience of dummy refusal around illness/teething? Is it temporary and something we just have to ride out until her top teeth appear or is the dummy gone for good?

If this is her giving up the dummy, how on earth do I go about teaching her to fall asleep without it/me? She gets so distressed, even being rocked/cuddled by me or her Dad, I can't imagine her ever calming down, let alone drifting off to sleep.

TIA

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
CadyEastman · 11/03/2024 21:00

As she's getting over an illness I wouldn't be overly concerned about how you get her back to sleep right now, she's likely to settle more once she's feeling a little better.

As for Nursery I'd send her on when she's well enough. They'll have a lot of experience of getting them to sleep.

Jk987 · 11/03/2024 22:37

If she doesn't go to sleep without a dummy, why would she then refuse one? I think you'd be surprised at nursery - I bet they'll get her to sleep even if it's a bit rocky for a few days.

pambeesleyhalpert · 11/03/2024 22:46

I'd take the opportunity to get rid of the dummy now esp if she's really obsessed, it's going to be harder to remove it when she's older so if she's not fussed now get rid

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Penellodix · 12/03/2024 07:34

Jk987 · 11/03/2024 22:37

If she doesn't go to sleep without a dummy, why would she then refuse one? I think you'd be surprised at nursery - I bet they'll get her to sleep even if it's a bit rocky for a few days.

I wish I knew! She was so reliant on it for sleep a week ago and now doesn't want it anywhere near her, that's why I'm so thrown by it all

OP posts:
RadicalSoul · 19/07/2024 09:35

@Penellodix how did it go in the end? We have a similar situation with our 16 month old who would never sleep without his dummy (we tried getting him off it once and he’s never in his life been so distressed for hours) and now suddenly refuses it quite actively. He had a tummy bug and likely some teething as well! Before this he used to sleep super well and go down easy too. Now he really doesn’t want to go to bed and gets super overtired which then makes it even harder. He also wakes much earlier where previously I think he would have found his dummy and gone back to sleep.

Would be super interested to hear what happened for you. I’d assume they get used to it eventually, but not easy for them or us until then!

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