Any tips on getting rid of the dummy?

[peapod987]

My 5 month old is waking 8 - 12 times a night and settles when we put the dummy back in. Uses it for daytime sleeps too. know have to ditch it, but read and advised by GP can't do controlled crying until over 6 months. Any tips?

our son didnt have a dummy to start with but he kept waking during the night so we swaddled him and it worked he slept right through. When he got to about five months he was to big and we gave him a dummy but when he was about seven months old we were told he would have to give it up as he was having an operation on his month. We took it off him and he cried for a few nights but we just left him. The problem is it only worked for a while and he found something else to suck - his cot sheet. He is now five and five and we still have trouble getting him not to suck his bed sheets. Personally I think that at that age if he is used to it you should let him have it but only for sleeping - not during the day whilst he is awake. When he get a little older and understands a little more you could accidentally loose it or make a big deal of him giving it up for something else because a big boy/girl now.

We went cold turkey on the dummy when DD was 3 or 4 months - can't remember exactly... Same reasons.

We had one bad night where she cried whenever she woke up but we went in and comforted her till she fell asleep again - I think patting on the back and making shushing noises (I was into the babywhisperer a the time). It was much easier than I was expecting and she never replaced the dummy habit with anything else. Same thing when we stopped swaddling her - one bad night and then OK.

Yes, I gave it up when baby 5 mths for the same reason, advice I read said do it before 6 mths if possible. First night he was awake for several hours, lots of shushing, patting etc, second night lots better, fine by end of the weekend. No controlled crying needed if you are going to comfort them. You can read advice in Tracey Hoggs baby whisperer the toddler years book. I went cold turkey and binned the dummies after that weekend -so there would be no going back on bad day. Good to do it on the weekend so sleep deprivation less of a problem/ working partner can share in duties!
He now sucks his toys ears but at least he can get this back in his mouth on his own at night (most of the time!). If you are up 8-12 times anyway you've got nothing to lose by trying to get rid of it - go for it, good luck.

Cold turkey. My dd didn't give hers up until 6 (?) yrs old. She only used it at night, and because we didn't go cold turkey in the beginning, and she was that bit older and aware, we decided it would be best to wait until she decided to give it up for herself. Little did I know it would take years! Even now when I check on her before I go to bed I can hear her occasionally sucking a 'ghost dummy'!