How did you ditch the dummy for baby?

[glasshalffull0]

I'm typing this after literally fighting with my 3 month old to keep the dummy in her mouth! She wouldn't initially fall asleep without it and got really upset when I let her put her hand in her mouth to try and self soothe but whenever I put the dummy back in she will force my hand out the way to pull it out.

She hasn't gone through the 4 month regression yet so she doesn't yet have an association for the dummy through sleep cycles- currently when it falls out when she's in a deep sleep she sleeps long stretches without it

I've decided I want to ditch the dummy before she hits the regression - what is the best way to do it? She currently uses it for all naps too and will cry and become frustrated and overtired if she doesn't have her dummy to sleep

All help and tips are appreciated!

At 3 months I'd just stop using the dummy. She may be a bit more grizzly but I would have thought that is too young for any big issues, especially if she's refusing it now.

At that age cold turkey.

But they are very useful when teething so have a think about that

It really doesn't matter what you've decided, your DD likes her dummy. Just leave her alone and let her have it. Why upset her? And don't count on there even being a 4-month regression. Not all babies have one.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn I’m not sure she does like it, it’s 50/50 as to whether she’ll fall to sleep with it. Sometimes she won’t drift off until she doesn’t have it in her mouth, sometimes she won’t sleep unless it’s there. It’s driving us insane trying to figure it out every night and nap time

I suspect she won't be attached to it long term. My boys were both dummy fiends from early on, and are nearly 4 and still have them at night..... my eldest never showed any interest at all. My youngest was like yours at that age. At about 5 months she switched to preferring her thumb and then ditched that at 8 months and just likes to be on someone's shoulder to go to sleep. It's tricky when they can't seem to decide what they want, but I think itlk probably resolve itself.

This, let her have it. One of mine out of four had a dummy, he absolutely loved it. Maybe left it a bit late at 18 months to take it off him but it was so much easier than I thought. Then a week later he found one and just went and put it in the bin.

We just went cold turkey at 11 months, mine was so addicted to his! but literally forgot about it after a day. Now at 20 months some of his friends have the dummy in all day and it's affecting their speech, so I'd get rid before 1 if you can.

We didn't. DC1 swapped them for Xmas presents at about 3.5yrs old. DC1 had a severe infection that caused severe mouth and throat ulcers when he was 2.5 yrs old and couldn't have anything in his mouth without severe pain so he ditched them then.