Getting 7month old to self soothe / won’t take a dummy

[Norastroud]

Hello, does anyone have tips how to teach a baby to self settle without a dummy?

our 1st child took a dummy & we didn’t need to do any sleep training as he used his dummy to self soothe. I didn’t ever co sleep with him.

However our 2nd child won’t take a dummy & is relying on being breast fed back to sleep. She starts off in her cot but I’m so tired I just end up bringing her into our bed & cosleeping where she feeds multiple times a night.

It might sound a silly question but does anyone have advice on how to settle a baby without a dummy? Is it patting & stroking back to sleep & try to avoid picking up? I don’t really want to do cry it out.

thanks in advance

Not much you can do that doesn't involve crying really

Oh just co sleep. She’s a baby who needs comfort.

”self soothing” is a sleep training myth. Any form of sleep training is going to involve crying. Unfortunately you’re in a peak time for separation anxiety, too. Realistically a 7 month old is far too old to start taking a dummy, though

Do whatever gets you the most sleep - likely co-sleeping at this age - and remember that sleeping more and putting herself to sleep is developmental. Sleep training won’t teach her how to do it, it’ll just teach her not to cry out when she wakes. Sleep trained babies still wake as often as not trained babies; according to the limited studies. This too will pass.

Thank you so much for your replies - I’m trying to be consistent with day time naps & hopefully as she’s beginning to eat more her sleep will improve.

It gets better when they are old enough to safely have a teddy in bed with them (probably not yet) and they will start to cuddle and settle with their teddy rather than a dummy.

When is old enough to have a Teddy in the cot?

@Caipulli the guidance says after 12 months