Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Flip

Original poster

A bit of advice about this yoyo dummy!

10 replies

Parker23 · 26/02/2011 21:38

I just want a bit of advice from those of you who don't think dummies are the devil's creation!

My 8 week old baby girl is quite a good sleeper (these days) and we recently started putting her down in her crib upstairs at 7ish in the evenings. We wake her for a dream feed at about 10/11 and she wakes around 2am and 5am too.

She has a dummy which we gave her quite early on as she suffers with reflux and until we recently got some effective medication the dummy was her only comfort when she was woken up by the acid burn and tummy ache.

I don't mind her having the dummy and much prefer it to her sucking a thumb as I've seen friends children suck their thumbs well into school years and end up with shrunken thumbs and wonky teeth. I'm quite confident about weening her off the dummy in time but my problem at the moment is that when I put her down to sleep, she settles quite well but as soon as the dummy pops out she wakes up and squeaks for us to put it back in again. We can end up doing this every 10 minutes on bad evenings and it will usually go on for a couple of hours.

I realise that this is just one of the negatives of dummy use so I am prepared to have to face the fact that we'll be running up and downstairs a lot for the next few months. But I just wondered if anyone had experienced this and had any tips or methods to get her used to sleeping on, once the dummy has fallen out. I can't help thinking that her sleep is suffering and that she wouldn't wake if it wasn't for the dummy. But she is so comforted by it, so I don't think I want to take it away from her completely...or do I?

Also, a friend said their baby did the same until he could put the dummy back in himself...but I was just wondering what age would that be? (roughly of course!)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RitaMorgan · 26/02/2011 21:42

I got rid of the dummy at bedtime at 5 months for this very reason! I do let ds have it at other times (in the buggy/car etc) - almost 7 months now and still struggles to get it back himself if it falls out.

PurveyorOfWoo · 26/02/2011 21:44

We went cold turkey on the dummy at 10 months. It was actually pretty quickly forgotten (a few disturbed nights)

dycey · 26/02/2011 22:05

We got rid of it at 5 months too as our baby woke all night long for it. Feel for you. Better to take it away as young as you can if it does disturb their sleep. Some babies are fine with it staying in. Think they can't find it themselves til 9 months or more.

Original poster

Parker23 · 26/02/2011 22:15

Thanks! Just had to go upstairs again to pop it back in! So you reckon it's best to get rid asap? Oh dear, I was hoping there would be a way to help her sleep after it fell out but that would be too easy eh!

OP posts:

RitaMorgan · 26/02/2011 22:25

You could try letting her suck it to settle herself, but slip it out of her mouth when she's sleepy but still awake. It might take a few attempts though! But it should help her fall asleep without sucking.

Athrawes · 26/02/2011 22:31

Mine is 7 mo now and went through a patch, between about 4-6 mo, when he would sqwawk every couple of hours for the dummy. Tedious but you nip in, replug and go back to sleep. He now has them on beaded chains one either side of his head pinned to his sheet and can replug himself. We too had reflux and like you are sucking up the negatives as a balance against the soothing. I can't face going cold turkey quite yet!

Original poster

Parker23 · 27/02/2011 19:20

Ooo beaded chains!? Like the ones you clip to the buggy Athrawes? That's a good idea! I'll remember that when she's old enough! Has he been able to plug it back in himself for long?

I thought she may have decided to spit the dummy out (no pun intended) of her own accord last night as she kept sucking it for a few mins and then got rid of it. Unfortunately she was just really snotty and couldn't breath with it in. So she wanted her dummy and couldn't settle but couldn't keep it in either! Not a good night for sleep!

Thanks for the tip RitaMorgan I think I may need to dedicate a few hours a night to sitting over the crib and doing the suck it and remove it thing. I've heard about this method before and I can see how it might work so I'll give it a bash. I don't really mind popping up and downstairs to replace the dummy but it really is every 15-20mins instead of every couple of hours. I'm hoping she will be able to last longer between visits as she gets a bit older.

Thanks for the advice guys!

OP posts:

gummymum · 27/02/2011 19:42

Parker - my DD sounds just like yours when she was 8 weeks. I thought we were doing well when I put her down at 7ish, fed at 10-11, and she woke twice only. She had a dummy too (sorry HAS) and her sleep has, if anything, got worse. she is now 15 weeks and still wakes twice for feeding but also wakes 2 or 3 other times. I used to just plug the dummy back in with a hand over her crib but this no longer works quite so quickly.
I am now trying the technique you describe with varying results.
IMO you should get rid of it as soon as you can, however you can!

milkjetmum · 27/02/2011 19:58

I have read that you can train a baby to hold a dummy tighter. When they are relaxed and awake, give them a dummy and gently try to take it away for a few mins. This will make them suck harder to keep it in, and I think the idea is to make them always hold it tight in case you take it away!

We gave DD a dummy from 6 weeks, and also had a patch of having to give it back to her through the night. But it was just a phase and she stopped waking after it came out after a few weeks. In fact, eventually her spitting out the dummy was our sign that she was sound asleep and that it was safe to put her into her bed!

When we upgraded to the 3-9 month size dummies she was suddenly much less interested, and now we can't get her to take one at all, which is nice as she has not been bothered by it going, but does make it hard to keep her quiet in church now! But could just be a phase...I haven't thrown them out yet...

Original poster

Parker23 · 28/02/2011 21:38

Interesting idea milkjetmum! I'll give it a go!

Oh dear gummymummy! That doesn't bode well! I'm hoping she might gradually need the dummy less and less as she gets used to being in her crib. She's not that interested in the dummy in the day and sometimes I'll offer it to her and she'll spit it out or push it away with her tongue. It's only when she's going to bed or in the car seat where she always sleeps, that she wants it.

I read that before 3 months you should let the baby have whatever props it needs for comfort so I'm tempted to just try to influence how she uses the dummy by removing it when she's settled and try to get her used to sleeping without it. Instead of taking it away from her completely. Then I might see how she does and decide what to do once she's 3 months. I know some of you have suggested getting rid of it asap but she's still seems so small (spot the first time parent!) and she's been so out of sorts so I'll have to reassess the situ when she's not snotty and unsettled.

I'm going to try the method milkjetmum suggested too, of strengthening her desire to grip onto the dummy. Hopefully one of the methods will work. She'll either hang on to it for dear life and I'll never get it off her or she'll get used to it being taken away and won't wake up when it drops out...or she'll just run rings round us for months to come and we'll end up emotionally exhausted but extremely toned legs from running up and down stairs!

OP posts:

Flip