Going cold turkey on the dummy today - eek!

[CallaCate]

My DD is 4 months today and we're going cold turkey on the dummy.

I definitely want to do it before 6 months (for speech and language development, and because I've read that's when it becomes an emotional rather than physical comforter). But we've decided to do it now because I think it will be easier the sooner we do it, and also because she's waking at night needing it put back in, so I think a few days pain while she learns to live without it will be better than all these night wakings - for me and for her!

Started this morning and she cried for 50 mins then moaned for 5 before falling asleep. I kept shushing and stroking her head every few minutes throughout, she had her mobile playing and a top that smells of me in her cot, so I felt confident she was ok, comfortable, could handle it. (I keep thinking to myself it will be easier now than in 2 months time when she understands more.)

I feel quite confident, DH is on board, we can do this. (A bit anxious about judgement from MIL when she has her a few hours this Sunday afternoon...) But I could use some support, it will probably get harder before it gets better! (And if you're reading this thinking it's the wrong time, please don't tell me so because I'm decided... we'll have to go through this at some point and I'd rather we all start getting some more sleep sooner than later!)

I started summy cold turkey with my 4mo on Wednesday from when he got up. 4 wakings 1st night, 3 last night (although a total of 1.5 hours spent soothing him back to sleep). Still happier than when I was getting out of bed 20+ times a night to replace the dummy! Daytime naps are really hard, will only settle for 30 mins at a time and no way to comfort him back to sleep but figure I will deal with this when he has forgotten about the dummy. I am told it only takes a few days at this age... (hopeful emoticon) Good luck

DUMMY, DUMMY cold turkey, why oh why do I not preview???

Sounds like yours is doing pretty well

DD slept for 1h40 this morn (purely because she was so exhausted from the crying, she normally naps 30-45 mins) - she settled herself once (that I heard) and I settled her once. Later I fed her to sleep once (and she slept 30 mins) and she had a quick snooze in the buggy too.

So tonight is her second go... I fed her to sleep then she woke up 10 mins later looking for the dummy and has been crying ever since (35 mins so far...)

Thanks for you message, made me optimistic it won't take too long - another plus for doing it now!

Good luck to you too, let me know how it goes tonight.

P.S. Funny and encouraging blog post from the wonderful Dooce

Good luck I tried it when DS was the same age but gave in in the end and I wish I had perservered. DS is now 16mths old and still has a dummy but strictly for nap times and bedtime. He doesn't have it when he's up and about during the day and rarely asks for it but trying to get it off him in the morning and after a nap is pretty tough. Sometimes he will just cry so much he makes himself sick if I can't distract him from it so it is definately better to do it when they are younger. Next baby will definately not have a dummy! Good luck!

Yesterday was HARD! Slept for 1 hour in total during the day, was grumpy and wanted to be held. Eventually he fell asleep in my arms at 5ish for an hour, not what I wanted just before bath and bed... Went to bed at 7, I let him cry for 10 mins then DH went in and sort of cuddled him in the cot, he fell asleep and slept for (drum roll please) 11 hours! He has never done that! Was completely exhausted, woke at 6 for a feed then fell asleep again and got up for the day at 8! He has had 3 naps so far today of 30 mins each so we are heading in the right direction. Hope you are doing ok

good luck, we also tried at the same age and it seemed to work quickly but then we had 2 weeks of hellish sleeping probably coinciding with the infamous 4-5month sleep issues and gave it back just to survive (also we didn't have to go up to give it him back in the night). DS is now 14months and has it strictly for naps and bed too, I only have to find it for him in the night about once a week...it's a godsend

But seriously good luck, it's tough but I know plenty who have survived and got better sleep for it

Thanks everyone. Second night she cried for an hour, then sang/chatted herself to sleep. I sat at the computer keeping an eye on the clock and went in every five minutes, because I think my going in too often wasn't helping. Amazingly she didn't cry for the dummy either night! But... she did want feeding at 1 or 2am both nights, which she does occasionally, although she is capable of going through from her dream feed at 9am till 4 or 5am, so I am a bit concerned about replacing the binky with the breast in an effort to avoid night crying... there's still little consistency to her night feeding pattern and she sometimes is genuinely hungry at 1am, so it's hard to know when to pick her up.

Naps have been going surprisingly well... I try to put her down awake at least once a day, and yesterday she cried for 25 minutes before falling asleep and today just 10! Really pleased with this because I thought naps would be the hardest.

AANA - 11 hours! Wow! It's amazing how long they can sleep when they're exhausted from the crying, isn't it? Thanks, it's really encouraging to hear this could lead to better sleep... I just need to work out how to decide when she needs feeding and when she needs settling at night. Before I would try the dummy, and if that didn't work, know she was hungry. Now it's more difficult :-/

To be fair, DS is 17lb so capable of that length of sleep, don't think many are at this age! We had 10 hours last night, long may it continue!

Seems like it is going well. I tried this too, but although he will happily (well sort of) go without it at night but not for nap times. Also he is a grouchy baby and I find the dummy brilliant for soothing him when we are in a cafe or something and he is grumbling- anyone got any good tricks for here?

At the moment even without the dummy he wakes up every hour from 2am

I forgot to add we have a dummy clip attached to DS's which makes it so much easier in the night if it drops out of his mouth he is able to locate it himself pretty easily. You can buy them from most pharmacies and supermarkets now for a coupls of quid. It's a life-saver!