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Original poster

13month old DS, still using a dummy to sleep, how do I wean him off it?

27 replies

AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 08:56

DS - 13 months old, has FINALLY started sleeping through the night occasionally, but now he is waking up and will only settle with the dummy, which is a real pain when the dummy has fallen out of the cot. It is therefore time to wean him off it.

He never uses it apart from to sleep, so how do I go about getting him off it, or do we just need to go cold turkey?

Any advise gratefully sought.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 11:12

Bump! Any advice?

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Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 18:05

Anyone?

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bananapaddlepop · 02/05/2009 18:16

I took it off my DD at 6 months, so a bit different in age. But we pretty much did cold turkey and then gave her a nice snuggly toy to cuddle. Took a few nights of tears at bedtime but she stopped waking up then. Hope this helps. BTW She is now totally obsessed by her snuggly toy and wouldn't sleep without it, so it was really just dummy replacement.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 18:59

Thankyou bananapaddlepop, we are going for it tonight, in fact, as I sit here typing, DS is in his cot, wondering why he hasn't got a dummy! We will see how it goes.

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Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 19:29

I know no-one is reading this, up I am going to update it anyway. Half an hour since we put him to bed without the dummy, we keep going in and reassuring him, but no signs that he is actually going to sleep!

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drowninginclutter · 02/05/2009 19:34

Watching with interest - DS is 11 months and normally has a dummy. He's got chickenpox and because the spots are in his mouth has screamed whenever the dummy has gone near them. He's now been over 24 hours without it so I'm wondering whether to give it back when he gets better or just give it up for good.

I'm not sure if he's only going to sleep without it because he's ill and very tired. Not sure if he'll have forgotten it by the time he's recovered or not.

Good luck

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 19:53

drowningingclutter, well we are now 52 minutes in and no sign of him going to sleep. If you have the chance of taking it away from your son, without him going through this, it might be worth taking it!

DS is 13 months now and so aware, that its a real problem.

DH is downstairs cooking so that we can eat in shifts, inbetween sitting up here and going to comfort him!

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drowninginclutter · 02/05/2009 20:16

This is the problem, normally naps and bedtime can be a battle with the dummy. I'm scared they'll get worse without.

Any joy yet?

bananapaddlepop · 02/05/2009 20:52

How's it going now Angua? Is he asleep?

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 02/05/2009 21:56

It took till 8.30! one and a half hours! I am dreading what will happen if he wakes up in the night!, However right now he is asleep!

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Wilkiepedia · 02/05/2009 21:59

Personally, if it ain't broke don't fix it. DS is 2years and still has his dummy to sleep with. I will prob wean him off it in 6 months or so but at the moment it works. If he has only just started sleeping through, personally I would leave it for a while but that is just IMO.

BiscuitStuffer · 02/05/2009 21:59

We did cold turkey at 9 months. As long as he has something to cuddle / snuggle like a soft toy or a blanket then I'd be inclined to let him get on with it. You going in could be what's stopping him go off to sleep?

BiscuitStuffer · 02/05/2009 22:00

oh brilliant - well done. Exepect things to be a little up and down tonight but I really do think you're doing the right thing. His sleep will be so much better once he's able to self settle without it.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 05:46

Wikepedia, the problem was we were having to get up twice a night to retrive the dummy from the floor!

Biscuitstuffer, he actuall slept through until 5.15

No chance of getting him back to sleep then, so I am up with him now, and DH will take over in a bit, but I am actually very pleased so far.

Am concerned about naps today though, as I can't see them being easy!

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BiscuitStuffer · 03/05/2009 06:51

We were up at the same time!

Congratulations to your DS that's brilliant! His night 1 sounds like how our night 3 was, so he's doing really well. Very good!

He will need an extra v short early nap I expect but if you push it until he's definitely tired and give him something to cuddle, he should manage ok.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 06:55

Biscuitstuffer, he is currently in his cot, contemplating a nap, so far not very happy about it, but he has plenty of things to cuddle so we will see. Fingers crossed!

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BiscuitStuffer · 03/05/2009 08:03

My 9 month old won't be ready for his 1/2 hr nap until about 10am if that's any help? He'll go down for a bigger one any time from 12:30pm onwards and will go for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 09:05

Biscuitstuffer, DS has a slightly odd daytime nap patern, in that he likes to go to sleep about two hours after he wakes up, sleep for one to two hours, and then stay awake for ages. He often won't have an afternoon nap.

However, I can report that it didn't work this morning, so we got him up, took him to the park and ran him around, and have now put him back to bed.

Round two here we come!

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Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 09:12

And the running him around the park worked! He is asleep! YAY!!!!

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Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 11:21

Well, he was asleep until workmen started drilling in the road outside! AT 9.30 on a Sunday morning!!!

So we are now trying again!

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drowninginclutter · 03/05/2009 15:39

And on a bank holiday weekend. Would be very impressive if it wasn't quite so annoying

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 18:10

I know!! He didn't go down for the next nap either, but did fall asleep eventually in his pushchair, which he hasn't done for months!

Just getting ready for bed now, so we will see how it goes!

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drowninginclutter · 03/05/2009 20:35

Asleep yet?

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 03/05/2009 21:19

drowning, he amazingly went to sleep in about 10 minutes!! Can't quite believe it, will see how the night goes!

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drowninginclutter · 03/05/2009 23:17

Wow! Did he used to go to sleep quickly when he had the dummy or is that an improvement?

Fingers crossed for the rest of the night.

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