Cold turkey with the dummy tonight

[flowerlover1990]

I've gone cold turkey with the dummy today. My 5 month old has it for nap times and bed time to get him to sleep. I'm fed up with replacing it during the night, I want him to get some undisturbed sleep (as well as me!) He cried for 45 minutes earlier before his nap and his most recent nap about 5 minutes. Any tips to get me through the night? I held him close as he cried and then when he stopped (still awake) I put him down in his cot and he fell asleep. TIA

They're learning a new skill so consistency and perseverance as well as acceptance that it might be a difficult few nights BUT it will be worth it. Maybe keep notes on how long it takes each time to settle so you can visually see the improvements to keep you on track.

You might need to do lots of cuddles/rocking even if you didn't before, it will be a rough night but you will get through it and it's amazing how quickly they adjust to being without it! Mine had completely forgotten it by day 3!

Also going cold turkey tonight - good luck!!

Maybe I’m soft, but I couldn’t let mine cry for a dummy and not give it. It was worth its wait in gold during that first 16 months, too!

DS took his out one morning and never wanted it again; at around 17 months old. Absolutely pain free, no issues.

He didn’t sleep better as a result, though. Where he’d settle for the dummy before, he needed cuddles afterwards. Losing the dummy won’t mean he doesn’t wake.

I'd say partly that he's shown he can do it without a soother so don't compromise and stick with it... but he is still five months, which is very little.

If crying is getting very hard to manage, don't deny him the soother and save your mental health. Generally if they're weaned off it by 24 months there'll be no problems with teeth or dependency.

Why? I didn't give my baby a dummy so she never had to miss it, but surely tearing one away rather than letting the baby grow out of it naturally is just unkind?

Because he wakes hourly for it throughout the whole night if it falls out of his mouth. This isn't letting him or us have any good quality sleep. First night and he slept for 4 hours without it! Definitely the right thing for our family!

How did you get on?!

@flowerlover1990 it was good thanks, only woke once and went back to sleep after rubbing his back! How did it go for you?

Great news! Mine woke twice. He did his longest stretch of sleep in ages though, so I'm feeling much better today! He was still a bit upset, but hopefully that will get better in the next day or so.

Well done!