Ok, DS has always been a good sleeper until we went away long haul and that completely threw us when we got back. We are slowly getting back to how things used to be - bed at 7pm, DF at 11pm and sleep through till 6/7am. While on holiday, I introduced a dummy and it did wonders for pacifying DS (who, in all honesty, was a bit of a screamer from day one!). But now I am not so sure if it is good idea.
DS would never keep one in his mouth, which is why it took us till 4 months to seriously introduce one. Even now (about a month after introducing one), he has never quite got the hang of keeping it in his mouth so it's very much putting one in his mouth, holding it in till he drifts off and out it comes. Great right? It means I am not up all night putting the dummy back in his mouth. Even if he wakes during the night, it is relatively easy to settle him without his dummy.
However, lately, it seems that he would suck for ages on the damn dummy and not sleep! So I am there holding it in for him till the cows come home and still not asleep. Tonight I got fed up after an hour of him doing it (every time I try to take it off, he cries), took the dummy off, rock DS a little and he went off to sleep with a teeny weeny protest and I put him down in his cot and still sleeping now.
So what do I do now? Do I persist with the dummy (it's SOOO helpful in keeping him quiet while out in public!)? Or should I try to wean him off it now since it's becoming more of a hindrance? Do they ever learn to self-soothe? DH wants to do CC or CIO but I can't really bring myself to do it but can see no other way? Thanks for all your suggestions!
Ax