Is it too late to try a dummy?

[Wrigglebum]

Ds2 has just turned 1 and is still waking numerous times. I try to soothe him without bf when I can but sometimes he just wants to suck. He'll often latch on, suck for a bit, fart a few times and then fall asleep again (repeat a couple of times in the night then every 20 minutes from 5am...). It's always worse when he's teething as that really affects his tummy- I can always tell when the teething is really bad as he vomits.

I was wondering if it's worth trying a dummy, if he'll take it. Neither of my boys have had a dummy or sucked their thumbs but ds1 slept ok. I didn't want to give a dummy as I didn't want to have to keep going in to pop it back in, but he needs a lot of help sleeping anyway.

I'm trying to give up bf (he's down to just night and morning now) but it's hard to imagine getting any sleep if I can't feed him back to sleep.

I'm guessing at this age I'd just wash them or do they still need sterilising?

No they don't need sterilising at that age. You can try but I doubt he'd take one!

Have you tried tummy sleeping?

my dd1 started at 19 months when I had stopped bf. My mil gave it to her.

I've been wondering about this for my 14 month old. I want to give up bf quite soon. But he needs the sucking for comfort.

Well, I dug one out (got it for ds1 but he just wasn't a sucky baby), cleaned it, let him have a play with it and he LOVED it. He will not be having it during the day as I don't like seeing toddlers with dummies walking around and I don't think he would have taken it out given the chance.

At bed time he screamed when put in the cot and threw the dummy out, but after a bit of cuddling he calmed down, I handed him the dummy and he popped it in his mouth and went to sleep. Will have to see what happens overnight! If it doesn't help after a few nights I'll pack it away, if it does then you'll see me on here in a year or so working out how to get him off the dummy!

He has always been really windy and so far we have tried and failed to help it with gripe water, fennel tea, camomile tea, cranial osteopathy, massage etc. He does mostly sleep on his tummy but wriggles and writhes a lot.

Marking my place, will you update OP on how it's going? I'm 9 weeks pregnant with dc2 but DD is still trying to feed to sleep despite my drop in supply, I had thought about a dummy but she's 16 months now. I'm reluctant to create a new habit but she's quite distressed and refuses to go to sleep with me any other way apart from by BFing, the last 3 nights DH had to come and take over :(

Well last night was a bit of a disaster so might try again but might not. Despite being obsessed interested in the dummy in the day he did not want it at all at night. He just threw it at me and it made him quite irate! He did have it in his mouth when he went to sleep but then spat it out and would not take it again.

I tried offering it again tonight but it just got thrown again. I think I might try going with the 'Pantley Pull off' instead- taking them off the boob as they start to fall asleep. That was working ok until bloody teething started again. The dummy might get tried again when I give up bf completely but I think he knows it's a poor substitute.

We've been co-sleeping a lot too but trying to wind that down as he's gone from a snuggly baby to a bed hogging strop monster! Pushes me away to get his own space but insists on having a hand on me (or preferably tweaking my nipple-ouch). Ds1 climbs in bed with DH so we both get to deal with a fidgeter. DH is away for the next couple of nights so I'll get the joy of both of them.

Oh dear, I feel your pain. DD woke last night after I'd gone out and refused to go back to sleep without me. She then tried to fall asleep on the boob but there just wasn't enough milk and she ended up biting me after going back and forth from side to side. But, she let me rock and sing to her and eventually we lay down and she let me cuddled her while she fell asleep so that is progress. She actually went to sleep a couple of times in my arms but woke when I put her in the cot so I waited until she was proper gone before I transferred her. If we can skip a dummy that would be fab.