Hi all,
TlDR: I need some advice on weaning off a dummy at 4 months to help with night wakings.
My DD has just entered 4 months and has been in the sleep cycle changes for 3 weeks now. Classic 'regression': waking every 2h and every hour after 3am.
At 3 months we started putting her down sleepy but awake, sorting out a routine for bed and naps, putting her down for bed early before her cranky time (between 7 and 8pm depending on how her naps go), giving her the chance to settle herself (she could at night sometimes) etc.
Halfway through month 3 she did a nursing strike and it was horrible. I could only feed her at night and right after a nap.
I would normally settle her on the boob when she is upset but it would make her madder. We tried walking, rocking, changing rooms and people, hours of screaming, she was very upset. We had a dummy and gave it to her as a last resort and it seemed to settle her.
We started using it until breastfeeding gets back on track to settle her and at bedtime and naps.
Breastfeeding is now ok, she doesn't want to fall asleep with feeding most times during the day, she just feeds until full and then doesn't stay on the boob. During the night however is a different picture. She would cry every 2 hours, very upset cry, eyes closed, not sure if she is awake even. Just mouth open rooting for a boob. We tried giving her the dummy at that point but it doesn't do, she takes it out with her hands while furiously rubbing her face and it just doesn't settle her. Only boob will do at that time. Sometimes she feeds long sometimes just active sucks for 2-3 min and then is asleep again.
So I am pretty sure after observing her waking and stirring through the night that she feels like she needs to suck to fall back asleep. Weather we enforced that with the dummy or is just her instinct/need that the dummy was satisfying , I don't know. But it is what is preventing her from resetting through the night.
So looking for advice on weaning her off the suck to sleep thing. No CIO , not my cup of tea. Currently trying the No Cry Sleep Solution pull of technique with night breastfeeding and dummy at bedtime and naps (pulling out the mouth just before baby goes floppy and very asleep). But it feels like no progress and very disheartening. Anyone managed to wean off dummy at that age?