Do I dare???

[*PinkLilly*]

I am contemplating removing the dummy .

My problem is, DD finds sucking VERY soothing. Her eyes will roll back (like when she's about to go to sleep) when she's having a bottle, even if she just woke up. She loves to suck on anything, but the dummy holds a special place.

The reason I'm considering this insanity - frequent wakings from sleep (not just at night). I can be up usually 5+ times a night just to put in her dummy! And the day sleeps are not much better. I hover around her bedroom door at the end of her sleep cycle in order to put her dummy back in before she wakes too much and doesn't resettle .

She has been in bed since about 7 tonight and I have already been back in 3 times to put her dummy back in .

How can I get rid of it? If I go cold turkey, how many (sleepless) days and nights am I looking at? Any advise will be appreciated.

[Visitor8]

at her age I would say a lot.
If you do decide to do it good luck! I wouldn't ... but that's me.
If it's any help she will be putting it back in herself soon I think the boys were around the 6 month mark when they would find the clip and put it in themselves.

[Dasharity]

Hi pinklilly, I realy think that at this age you will only be looking at two nights maybe three and they probibly wont be any worse than the sleepless nights that you are getting now, and it will be so much harder when she gets older, it is hard until they learn to find the dummy and put it in themsleves.
Good luck

[Visitor8]

I have to disagree PP...

I tried to remove my sons dummy when he was 5 months because ppl said it was bad blah blah and it was hell for a week until I gave it back. When I took both the boys dummies away (at the same time to the dummy fairy) they were older and we had 5 minutes the first night, they asked the next day and that was it

[tannedangel]

It takes 3 days to change a baby's routine...so Id say around 3 days to get rid of the dummy (coz its part of a routine).
I would personally do it. Does your DD suck her fingers? Or would she?

[*PinkLilly*]

She does suck her fingers already, and my fingers, and her bunny....you get the idea. She just loves to suck!

I think we are going to give it a go. I have spoken to DH and we have agreed that if she is still really unsettled after 4 days (and nights) we will give it back and just have to ride it out till she can find the dummy herself....

Wish me luck

[Janie]

Personally I would wait a few months more. Maybe 7 or 8 months? But you know what's best for you, and I think having a limit on the 'trial' is a good idea

[*PinkLilly*]

Well I chickened out .

It looks like her teeth are moving about (can see some of them pressing out, poor little tike), so going to leave the dummy with her. I felt really mean taking it away from her anyway.

I figure (and DH agrees) that we will just keep getting up for her at night, until she gets old enough to put it back in herself. Any ideas when that might be???

[thepixie]

Pink if you are going to take away the dummy try leaving one hand out of the wrap so she can suck her fingers in the night time. We were lucky in that our DD just decided one day that she didn't like the dummy anymore, and now she sucks her fingers instead.

[Visitor8]

I would say about 5 or 6 months from memory

[mrsmac]

I found putting the dummy on a ribbon or chain thing helped, although DS never seemed to lose his but DD did all the time. DS is passionate about his dummy though LOL
DD2 had a dummy and her friend didn't and sucked her fingers instead- now at 9 DD certainly doesn't have a dummy BUT her friend still sucks her fingers even at school.

[~Saram~]

I remember reading about a technique where you put a few dummies in a certain spot and they can get them themselves, but I think that was from about 9-10 months.

Like you said about her teeth, there might be a reason why she loves to suck so much, itchy mouth/teeth etc. DD was a big sucker but it turned out she had food intolerances from my milk/solid food, now that we have fixed that she sleeps much better and rarely uses her dummy ... except when her teeth are moving.

In the early days we would co-sleep and i would just keep putting her dummy back in, even in my sleep.

[ShootingStar]

Yeh dummies can be great for them when they are teething. I myself wouldnt removing it but its totally up to you.
DS use to be the same. Would wake and cry when the dummy fell out. But i found once i put him to bed, if i removed the dummy while he was asleep, he was less likely to wake during the night when it fell out. It was the falling out part that would wake him. Maybe you could try that. Other times yeh i just pursisted with it. You may be able to put a dummy in each of her hands soon too so she'll be able to put it back in. Wont be too long.. think DS was around 6 months old putting it back in.

Re the ribbon or chain, for sure during the day when you can keep an eye on them, but not such a good idea at night as can cause stranglation.

Best of luck.

[*PinkLilly*]

Pixie - DD is totally unwrapped now so the finger sucking can be an option but she seems to prefer her dummy at night.

Kel - DD usually spits the dummy out herself soon after going into a deaper sleep. She isn't waking every sleep cycle, so I know she can go back to sleep without it, so I guess we will just perservere (sp?).

Anyway I've just spent the afternoon watching her take her dummy out, look at it, then put it back in . Shouldn't be too much longer now before she can find it in her cot .

[Marlene]

Anyway I've just spent the afternoon watching her take her dummy out, look at it, then put it back in .

Awwwww, its so cute when they do that! Yep, certainly won't be long till she is putting it back in herself.