Self settling without dummy

[Dreemagurl]

My 21 week DD has had a dummy to settle her to sleep pretty much since birth. Lately it's just been keeping her awake - getting her down in the evenings is a nightmare as her flailing arms knock the dummy out and she can't get it back in again, and then this continues throughout the night. We've gone cold turkey so far today with her naps and it's got progressively worse each nap, none lasting more than 30 mins. Last nap (3 pm) I had to feed to sleep but I don't want to replace one bad habit with another. Has anyone had experience of this and how long it might be till she can self settle without it? I know she can because I didn't replace the dummy once last night after her first feed and she was able to sleep until her next feed and then morning without it. She has a comforter to sleep with which I carried around with me previously to give it my smell but she doesn't seem to know what to do with it. She sucks her fingers during the day but doesn't seem able to do this when trying to get to sleep. I'm sure I'm doing the right thing but looking for words of wisdom and support from the oracle of MN before I keel over from sleep deprivation... :( TIA

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No advice but some solidarity :)
My 20 week old son does the exact same things. Even down to sucking fingers in daytime but never to self-soothe.
I was looking forward to him being able to grab his own dummy and replace it but he can now do that (sort of, it goes in at funny angles often though) and it hasn't helped at all really. He seems to only find his dummy comforting when me or his dad puts it in and holds it there for a while. Sometimes a lonnnng while. =deep sigh=

Thanks Wiggins. Just put her down for bed - fed to sleep but she woke 5 mins later. DP is now trying shush pat.... Don't know if I'm doing the right thing now, she was so overtired as she hadn't napped properly and it's going to be an evening from hell.... And I just know she'll go straight down if we pop the dummy in... But then it starts over again. Aargh. Have had 3 hours sleep in 2 nights and not thinking clearly. Getting to end of tether. Thanks for the solidarity anyway :)

How is it going Dreemagurl? I am currently going through the exact same thing.....

Hi there, I have a finger/clothes/anything thats near sucker too! I have been trying to get her to settle by herself during the day and have just managed it without too much fuss. Don't know how long she will remain asleep but some of the things I did might help.
I put a colour changing soft night light beside her cot to give her one thing to focus on and gave her a comfort blanket to suck, it is a fine muslin one with satin edges as I'm always really scared she will pull these things over her face and not be able to breathe.
I put some very low instrumental nursery music on in the background & left her to it!
I went & sat on the floor on the other side of the room so she couldn't see me & so I could do PU/PD if she got distressed.
She did have a little moan for a minute or two and then went to sleep!

Some good ideas, thanks. The night light sounds good - where did you get it from?

A quick update, she slept for approx 11/2 hrs! Pretty out of character! It also worked later in the day but she only slept for 45mins, still 45mins longer than normal!
The night light is from IKEA www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00150985 it's a great little soft one that doesn't get hot.