How to wean my 5month old off her dummy!!!

youngmum21 · 2007-03-27T16:23:41+00:00

My dd is 5months and has a dummy more or less since she was born, the thing is the last few weeks she is constantly waking thru out the nite for it and as i am going back to work next would really like to get rid of it!!! Any advice would be great!!!

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Fleecy · 27/03/2007 19:48

I did this with my DD about a month ago - she was five months then too.

Rather than take it away at night, we started in the morning so when she started to get tired and grizzly, I bounced her in her bouncy chair until she was on the verge of dropping off then put her in the cot. Did this for all of her day naps.

When it came to bedtime, did her bath, massage, feed as normal then just put her in the cot, kissed her good night and left. She grizzled on and off for a few minutes but didn't get as far as proper crying which really surprised me. Sometimes she does cry when I put her down so I cuddle her until she's calm then try again. She's usually asleep in 5-10 mins.

My friend also did this with her lo around the same time. She had one awful night where her dd really did cry for the dummy and she spent a lot of time cuddling her DD until she stopped crying, putting her down then picking her back up if she got upset again. Neither of them got much sleep that night but after that, her dd slept through.

My DD has also been sleeping well since we ditched the dummy - now she knows how to go back to sleep she doesn't need me to help her in the night and we've even been able to reduce and drop her dream feed. As a former poster on 'Sleep is for the weak' (I still read it, recognised your name!) I can tell you getting rid of the dummy was the best thing we could have done.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

Fleecy · 27/03/2007 19:48

I did this with my DD about a month ago - she was five months then too.

Rather than take it away at night, we started in the morning so when she started to get tired and grizzly, I bounced her in her bouncy chair until she was on the verge of dropping off then put her in the cot. Did this for all of her day naps.

When it came to bedtime, did her bath, massage, feed as normal then just put her in the cot, kissed her good night and left. She grizzled on and off for a few minutes but didn't get as far as proper crying which really surprised me. Sometimes she does cry when I put her down so I cuddle her until she's calm then try again. She's usually asleep in 5-10 mins.

My friend also did this with her lo around the same time. She had one awful night where her dd really did cry for the dummy and she spent a lot of time cuddling her DD until she stopped crying, putting her down then picking her back up if she got upset again. Neither of them got much sleep that night but after that, her dd slept through.

My DD has also been sleeping well since we ditched the dummy - now she knows how to go back to sleep she doesn't need me to help her in the night and we've even been able to reduce and drop her dream feed. As a former poster on 'Sleep is for the weak' (I still read it, recognised your name!) I can tell you getting rid of the dummy was the best thing we could have done.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

Fleecy · 27/03/2007 19:48

Dammit - sorry, computer froze so I didn't think my post had gone. Clearly it had!

Original poster

youngmum21 · 27/03/2007 20:11

Thanks fleecy!!! well i didnt give it too her gave her lots of cuddles put music on and when hwe eyes were dropping i put her down patted her and shhhhed for a few mins and she was gone so far so gud she been sleep for an hour so fingers crossed

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Fleecy · 28/03/2007 09:59

Yay! What a good start. Hope you had a good rest of the night as well!

SydneyB · 28/03/2007 13:35

I've been wondering about the whole dummy thing myself. DD is 4 months and we use a dummy to get to sleep or at least to sooth her and then get her to sleep. I don't really have an issue with that and we won't use it at other times as I don't want to use it to plug a hole if you like. But reading these posts it seems it becomes a problem when they are older - is this so? Out of curiosity I just tried to remove it to get her down for one of her naps and she screamed solidly for 10 mins before I gave up and gave it back... What I'm asking really is whether people have positive stories of using dummies long term?!

Original poster

youngmum21 · 28/03/2007 14:44

Well it wasnt the bestof nights after my first sucess, i normally give her a dream fedat 10 this seemed to disturb her and it too me 4 attempts to get her to settle with out her dummy she then woke at 1.30 and i cudnt resettle her so in went the dummy she then woke at 4 for a feed again she wudnt settle so in went the dummy, i suppose it want to bad for the first note will be trying again tonite but may cut out the dream feed and see how that goes!!

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fizzbuzz · 28/03/2007 15:09

Always watch these threads with avid interest...wish I'd never ever given dd a sodding dummy.

Am too cowardly to take it away, but am offering lots of cybersupport to anyone with dummy problems.

SydneyB · 28/03/2007 19:34

Fizzbuzz, did you give yours a dummy at other times apart from naps and bedtime? Just curious as to whether they necessarily become a problem if you only do that?

fizzbuzz · 28/03/2007 20:50

No, only at bedtime and naps, and have to say she wasn't interested as a newborn, but I, in my foolishness, forced it on her, and now she is a dummy junkie

Ds had a dummy, but never woke up at night looking for it

Original poster

youngmum21 · 29/03/2007 08:30

well nite too was more of a sucess it did take me 30mins to settle her though, she woke up for her dream feed and after a bit of a winge he settled her self back to sleep with out it she then slept till 3.15 decided she cud have her dummy think i got up once at 5 to put it bak in then she got up at 7.15!!! So no nite feed either which for us was a brill nite

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SydneyB · 30/03/2007 09:53

Ok, so after fretting that it might become a problem long term I 'accidentally' took away DD's dummy. Was on the phone and she started grizzling and I was having a good chat so left her a bit and she settled herself so decided that if she could do it once, she could do it again so its gone. And although there have been a few bumpy naps, I swear she is actually sleeping better. This am, up at 530 and back down at 6 and stayed down until 8 which i swear is down to her being able to resettle without the dummy. Who knows but today it feels like a breakthrough so keep persisting youngmum as am convinced if you can get through this tricky bit you'll be glad you did.

Original poster

youngmum21 · 30/03/2007 19:18

wow thats great sydney!!!!

Well last nite was hardwork it took ages to get her to bed but we finally managed with a lot of shssssing and bum patting she woke up a coupl of time but managed with out her dummy all nite which is great news

To nite dp manged to get her settled in 10 mins so we will have to see how tonite goes!!

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Swizzler · 30/03/2007 19:23

Well done on a whole night without the dummy . Hope you have another good night tonight

SydneyB · 30/03/2007 19:44

Youngmum, that's brilliant! You're definitely getting there. Someone told me that at this age it only takes 3 days for a baby to adopt a new habit/behaviour so well worth persevering. Its those first few times that are awful aren't they? When they're crying all you want to do is to give in to what they want although in your heart of hearts you know its not the right thing in the long run! Just imagine how great it will be to have babies that can go to sleep unaided!

Original poster

youngmum21 · 31/03/2007 08:33

well she only managed to sleep till two without it and i gave in and gave in luckly though she didnt wake till 7 which was great and i think she has dropped her nite feed too which is great news

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Original poster

youngmum21 · 12/04/2007 13:32

rite i need help again it was going ok down to one wake a nite which we did tend to give her a dummy and then she wud sleep ok till 7 -7.30 but this waking for the dummy has gone from 4 in the morning to 12 at nite so thought we wud let her have a little cry as she normally falls asleep wothin 5mins when we put her to bed but this didnt happen she got herself into a rite state mme and dp kept going in and calming then puting her down and patting to no avail in the end we had to give her the dummy i am back atr work now and can not cope with everything i am exhausted

Any ideas?

Thanks for reading if you got to the end of this post!! sorry it so long needed to rant

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mower · 12/04/2007 20:23

My recent experience with ds 5 months has been a very positive one with giving up dummy, you may have read my other thread. Ds not had dummy now for over a week and sucks his thumb instead.

Totally feel for you my ds was waking every hour at times for dummy, must be a very sucky baby. Does your DD suck her thumb at all?

SydneyB · 12/04/2007 20:31

Youngmum, I've lost the battle again.. we did fine for 4/5 days or so but then MIL was around and I just couldn't settle DD for her nap and gave her a dummy (DD, not MIL) and then we went away for a week and so I didn't try and take it away then.. And now we're fully back in dummy land and I can't decide what to do. So far, DD doesn't wake for her dummy but she's still 4 months and I'm worried that this will come as she gets older. Not sure what to do as she will and does suck EVERYTHING and is a very sucky baby. So all ideas welcome!

Original poster

youngmum21 · 13/04/2007 08:21

well we had a full nites sleep last nite , typical think she must of heard me say im going to get rid of it all together lol!!!

She does suck her thumb sumetimes but i take it out i wud preferher to have a dummy then suck her thumb as getting a small child to stop sucking there thumb i wud imagine to be harder as you cant take it away!!!

sydney- i know lots of babies the same age as mine and they manage tosleep thru with out waking so it up to you it prop easier to get rid now if that wot you want to do x

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SydneyB · 13/04/2007 14:02

Youngmum, I would love it if DD would suck her thumb or fingers - instant soothing without having to intervene - why don't you want yours to suck hers? Just curious.

I've decided to do nothing for now which I may regret later down the line but if it aint broke... and she's slept through last 2 nights so don't want to risk doing anything to disrupt that!

pulapula · 13/04/2007 14:20

Youngmum,

We stopped DDs dummy at 5 months when she started waking at night for it. She would only have it to settle at naps and bedtime and it was BRILLIANT.

BUT we decided enough was enough, and you need to be tough if you really want them to stop, because if you keep giving in, they will keep crying for it, as they don't know understand what's happening. You need to give it a few days. It was really hard when she was rooting for it at nap time, but in the long-run, it was the right decision. Our DD found her thumb, and sucks it to sleep and doesn't suck at other times, so we're not too worried about her getting goofy teeth, or her being picked on when she got older- she's 2.4 now.

Original poster

youngmum21 · 13/04/2007 20:43

sydney- it is alot harder to get a baby to stop sucking thier thumb then to stop them wanting a dummy, her thumb will be there always and cud turn in to a worse habit then the dummy, it can cause problems with teeth if they do it alot this is just my view if it works for others thats up too them !!!

Well she hasnt had her dummy at all today apart from at naptime and has gone to bed with out it so am hoping we can wean her gently mite not work but will try, she does get really upset if she doesnt have it but tomorrow will be trying her at nap time with out it

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