Ditching the dummy for sleep at 12 weeks - best methods...?

[TravelMama12345]

So we (reluctantly) gave our very gassy baby a dummy to help sleep at night and nap times from 4 weeks. Now at 12 weeks he’s become pretty dependent on it to get some shut-eye and I’m at my wits end getting little sleep having to pop it back in for the eleventy-billionth time at night.

What’s your experience and advice at getting rid of the dummy? Going cold turkey or gradually weaning it at certain times?

At the moment he’s co-sleeping next to me in cot and swaddled with white noise playing. He’ll go down with the dummy quickly and sleep 4 hours until he wants feeding. Once fed (EBF) will settle again ok till his dummy pops out at about 3-4am and won’t settle again with me constantly reinserting it every 20 mins until 6 or so.

Would really appreciate any advice or tips thanks! X

Sorry, no tricks just cold turkey here. We took DD's at 6 months, 2 bad nights then fine. We took DS' at 5 months, again 2 bad nights but sleeps great now. Still cries a little when going off but best thing we did. Good luck!

Jeez, just let him have it. In the grand scheme of things it is a small price to pay for a child's comforter.

I left my two with a dummy until they were 18 months as it saved my sanity.... My two at 12 months apart in age. Now teenagers and all fine... No thumb sucking and great sleepers.... Well late nights and long lie ins nowadays!! :)

I think 12 weeks is much too young.

I just forgot to give it to her at 6 months and she didn't ask for it so that was it.

I think 12 weeks is much too young.

I agree 100%

12 weeks?! Let them keep it! You’ll be thankful (and this is from a parent who wouldn’t dare give her parent a dummy, and lived to regret it!)
It’s really not recommended at this age anyway as it’s another SIDS risk. If a baby has been sleeping with a dummy and it’s removed at an early age the risk of SIDS is increased, and as the risk already around peaks around 12 weeks I’d be reluctant.
I know it’s probably only a tiny risk but it’s worth reading up on properly.

*baby, I don’t think many parents consider using dummies themselves

Your baby will shortly be able to pop it back in if you hand it to him... and not much longer till he will pick one up himself. I wish mine liked dummies.

I think mine stopped quite easily at around 6 months because I never got the next size up from newborn, so as his mouth grew it wasn’t as satisfying -and in the day time by that point he could have cucumber sticks etc instead, though obviously that doesn’t help with using it to fall asleep so sorry if that isn’t much help. Good luck.

we went cold turkey at 6 months and it was fine. We had all the problems of him playing with it/having to put it back in 3 million times a night, but we waited til 6 months as I think I read somewhere that that’s when the natural reflex to suck goes, and it becomes habit rather than properly soothing the need to suck?! That may be rubbish but that’s what we did and it was all fine.