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Dummy falling out 11 weeks

7 replies

IssyM123 · 29/06/2023 21:13

Looking for any advice as to how best to proceed!

LO is almost 11 weeks and has slowly over the last few weeks become more and more reliant on dummy. I used to be able to put him down most of the time at night without it, at around 8 and then after the next feed at 11 and again at 2/3. Then once he started fussing around 4/5 I would use the dummy to help get him back off for another hour or so.

Over the last few days he is not settling at all without it, in the day and at night. I cannot rock, shush, white noise, pat to sleep, nothing works.

This wouldn’t be an issue at all if he kept it in. I had been able to take it out as he was falling asleep which would mean he did a solid chunk as usual. But recently even this hasn’t worked and he wakes as soon as I do it or wakes a couple of minutes later when he goes to suck. This means he is only sleeping for one sleep cycle at a time at most from the beginning of the night to the end.

Last night I was replacing it every 20 mins from around 2 in the morning.

I appreciate it is good there is something that helps him sleep but I’m not going to be able to deal with the putting it back until he can do it himself.

I think he is still too young to go cold turkey and when I’ve tried to soothe him without it, it feels like controlled crying(I’m not opposed to this). So I have just been giving it to him.

Does anyone have any experience of how/when they took the dummy away? I know it says it is easiest between 3/4 months which is soon but I don’t understand how people are taking it away at this stage without just letting baby cry? Is controlled crying leaving them without it on their own or staying and rocking etc until they get off to sleep?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated

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Jomummy1013 · 29/06/2023 21:23

My son had a dummy for the first couple of months until he was like your little one, and was waking up for it all the time. I took advice and went cold turkey on the dummy, basically did controlled crying. Well my husband did it. It was hard and my son was so angry.
By the third night he was sleeping without his dummy and settling himself down from awake. He did find his thumb shortly after that...but he could put his thumb in on his own. Good luck ❤️💕

Jomummy1013 · 29/06/2023 21:23

My son was 4 months when we took his dummy; forgot to add that. He started sleeping through for most the night too once the dummy was gone. X

IssyM123 · 29/06/2023 21:28

@Jomummy1013 that is very reassuring thank you!! I think waiting till around 4 months will be best and yes it definitely feels like that’s what’s getting in the way of those longer chunks. I’m glad you managed to get proper sleep after that! Will report back once we give it a go!x

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Jomummy1013 · 29/06/2023 21:29

And sorry. Controlled crying for us was making sure the baby is fed and clean and warm etc and then putting them to bed awake. They'll start crying when they realise you're not there to rock/put dummy in/feed to sleep etc and then you go in and reassure them at timed intervals which gradually extend but don't pick them up.
I know some people don't like the idea of controlled crying but it saved my sanity, my son was so much happier rested and dummy free and is a happy healthy 9 year old now!
It's not for everyone. Other parents may reply and have other ideas which are better but wanted to add to your thread what worked for me and my family ❤️

Jomummy1013 · 29/06/2023 21:32

IssyM123 · 29/06/2023 21:28

@Jomummy1013 that is very reassuring thank you!! I think waiting till around 4 months will be best and yes it definitely feels like that’s what’s getting in the way of those longer chunks. I’m glad you managed to get proper sleep after that! Will report back once we give it a go!x

Honestly feel free to PM me if you want any help or just to chat, I remember the days of being woken up every 45 minutes, it's torture! He only had a dummy to start with as he went into hospital with jaundice at 4 days and they gave him a dummy to suck while he was under the lights in the cot! Dummies can be a god send but I found it a pain in the end x

LegoLady95 · 29/06/2023 21:43

Best thing I ever did was sew dummies onto the feet and hands of a soft newborn type teddy to go in the cot. All my kids soon managed to grab it and get a dummy into their mouths. Often they would hold one of the other dummys meaning if the one in their mouth popped out, they had another one in their hand to put in. You can buy teddies with velcro straps if you prefer to sterilise dummies.
Put the whole thing in the washing machine every day.

IssyM123 · 04/07/2023 09:00

That’s a really good idea, I’ve seen some you can buy as I’m no good with a sewing machine but I might give it a go thank you!

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