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Sleep

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Original poster

Day 1 of ditching the dummy - pls tell me this gets better

17 replies

BettyBoo246 · 01/04/2019 20:27

So dd is just over 5 months and I’ve decided today is the day as she had become so reliant on her dummy and needs it putting back every hour at night.

Her 1st nap - cried for 20 mins
2nd - cried for 10 mins
3rd - cried for 20 mins
Bedtime cried for 40 minutes and really cried

I know it’s the first day/night but is the nighttime normally the worse and the first day/night?

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Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 01/04/2019 21:19

Up again now and been crying for 30 minutes - dh thinks I should give in and give her the dummy

OP posts:

Chocolateisfab · 01/04/2019 21:21

I saw a fab hack yesterday of a dm who places ten dummies in her dd's cot. She hasn't had to go in and settle her for 8 months!! Try Google the story op!

Faffandahalf · 01/04/2019 21:26

Just give her the dummy. She’s 5 months. Why make life so hard for yourself.
I also did the 7 dummies in the cot trick. Too young to grab for it at 5 months though tbh. It took a while for DD to grab for herself

Faffandahalf · 01/04/2019 21:28

Sorry. I didn’t see the she needs it put back every hour. That is a pain. Although we just sleepily threw it back at her because she was in the room with us. (We didn’t really throw it at her )

Chocolateisfab · 01/04/2019 21:32

Ime you have months and months of teething to get through. Give her the dummy op!! Put a couple in her hands as she falls asleep. It works!

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 01/04/2019 21:33

It’s more like 2-3 times an hour too, I just felt really sorry for her that she’s not getting good quality sleep if waking so often for her dummy.

However not as sorry as I’m feeling right now for her!

OP posts:

Shelbybear · 01/04/2019 21:44

I see why you are stopping the dummy but don't torture yourself.

I had this when I moved her in to her own room at 6months I was up and down 8-10 times a night giving her a dummy.

I wished I had tried cold turkey but probably wld have just been in ur situation. I felt too bad coz she loved it, still does though 🙈

In a couple of months time she will be able to find it herself.

I also bought a sleepytot it's a teddy u can attach 4 dummy's to its hands and feet but she never really took to it.

SeaToSki · 01/04/2019 21:48

It will get better, but only if you stick to it. If you give in once, it will just get worse again. As long as she has ‘found her hands’ she will figure out how to stick her thumb or fingers in her mouth and self settle that way. Try encouraging her by holding her hand up to her mouth.

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 01/04/2019 21:56

Thanks Sea I have been trying that but I think as it’s her first night she’s just too inconsolable. I’ve not given in yet and I know if I do all her poor crying will have been for nothing.
As she is still next to me at night most nights I just have my hand held near her dummy so if it starts dropping I can quickly put it in that’s how bad it’s got, I’m totally exhausted as I’m one of those that can’t go back sleep once awake.

OP posts:

firsttimemummy11 · 01/04/2019 22:01

We tried to get rid of the dummy around the same time and for the same reasons and it was a nightmare - we didn't sleep for a month and after 4 weeks he was still crying for it (just at nap time or night time - he doesn't use it otherwise). We decided to give it back to him and from about 9 months he could put the dummy in himself (we scatter a few around the cot) and also settle himself to sleep if needs be but sleeps through most nights....

I would give it back to your bubs and take it away at a later stage - it's not worth the sleepless nights - it wasn't for us anyway! Good luck either way x

ginyogarepeat · 01/04/2019 22:05

I got rid of it at 4 months for the same reason - no one was getting any sleep. First day was by far the worst - stick with it and it will get easier soon, I promise. It's never going to be easy, regardless of age!

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 01/04/2019 22:37

My first dc had a dummy but didn’t need it putting back in at all however it took us till he was 4 years old to get them to give it up. I don’t want to be in the same situation with this one too.

I think I will give it a week and if no improvement I might rethink it.

Just upstairs now and she’s still sleeping for now but I’m not holding my breath, wish me luck

OP posts:

Haz1516 · 02/04/2019 09:37

It does get better but be consistent. Have you given a comforter or something to try and replace it?

In a few days without it then she will forget it even existed.

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 02/04/2019 09:46

Thanks Haz, I’ve put a comforter next to her and keep trying to encourage her to hold it but she’s not showing much interest yet

Last night she was generally stirring and awake between 2.00am and 4.00am no major crying but I was having to do a lot of patting and shushing and she was trying to grab anything and everything to suck.

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Haz1516 · 02/04/2019 10:00

Yes keep trying the comforter. My baby has a little dog one - he's super attached to it and couldn't get to sleep when it was in the wash the other day but at least it doesn't need me getting up to put it in all night. He often sucks on the ears of it now as well when he needs to.

Original poster

BettyBoo246 · 04/04/2019 10:41

Well on day 4 and she is getting better.

Nighttime’s she will go sleep around 7.30pm and wake anywhere between 6-7am, I have to resettle her maybe 2-3 times during the night but just with some shushing and patting, certainly a lot less times than I was having to put the dummy back in

Nap times are ok a bit harder to resettle if she wakes after 45mins-1hr but I’ll take that.
She is still crying/fussing when I put her down for 5-10 mins before dropping off, hopefully this will get better soon as I hate that she’s crying just before falling sleep

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MeadowHay · 05/04/2019 12:52

God the couple of times DD had a blocked nose and couldn't suck her dummy properly around that age she screamed hysterically for around 2 hours each time before she went to sleep at night, til she exhausted herself. I think your DD is doing amazing only crying for 10 minutes or so! If DD was crying for 10 minutes she would have got to the point of coughing, choking hysteria and definitely wouldn't be about to fall asleep, no matter how tired she was!

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