Giving up the dummy....worth it? And how?

[JimJammum]

My ds (18 weeks) is waking several times a night approx every 1 & 1/2 hours after feed at approx 2am ish. I refuse to feed until 3 hours have passed as I don't believe he's hungry so give him his dummy. He sometimes settles back off again and sometimes I have to go into him several times to get him off to sleep again. He's always been a sucky baby, but only feeds quickly (8-10 mins max) so isn't getting his sucking quota through feeding.
Today my HV has advised to wean him off the dummy as it is preventing him self-settling. However, I am worried about this because I don't have the energy for huge night time battles, but I recognise the importance of him learning to get back off to sleep himself. However, if he finds his fingers and uses them instead, how can I prevent him sucking his thumb when he's older? Mum says he will give up the dummy when he's ready and I should live with the getting up for the time being. What do you all think?

Sod the health visitor. He is still getting himself off to sleep, using dummy as comfert, will she suggest we remove confort blakets next!!
You need sleep and so does he, listen to your own feelings, and if it works for you, do it
Good luck

here here lisa!!

Sometimes I wonder if HV's are really on the same planet as new mothers!! FGS, let him have a dummy! If it works for you, then it has to be right. You need your sleep otherwise you will be fit for nothing and you are as important as he is. You can worry about the dummy whe he's two, for now concentrate on being in a fit state to care for him.

stick with the dummy - they can be lifesaverse! Eventually he will find it himself and put it back in his mouth. I used to leave about 6 of hte things in my dd's cot! But.... I never let her have it in the day unless she was going to sleep. Hate the image of lo's running around with a dummy stuffed in their faces.

but.......if it is bothering you that he wakes constantly to have his dummy replaced then maybe you should consider weaning frm it. Only you know what you would prefer really . hth

I just posted on previous thread that removing the dummy (at 6 months) was stressful and only solved the sleeping problem temporarily. Now ds at 10 months is waking a lot again, having a lot of trouble going to sleep unless bf and I am thinking about reintroducing the dummy.

if the dummy works then go for it. Our dd1 was not a dummy taker - she wanted her thumb - much harder to get rid of.

Dd2 took to the dummy no problems - we took it away from her a few weeks ago at 2 1/2. She only used the dummy for going to sleep at nap time and at bed time now - when she was much younger - it was used to help make her feel better when she hurt herself. She quite happily gave up her dummy - to the dummy fairies and we bought her a little stuffed dog to cuddle at bed time. We had one bout of crying and she was over it.

I really do wonder about some health visitors you know!

Don't worry about the dummy, thumb suckers are much more difficult to deal with!