Need Advice. Bad sleeper because of dummy
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Topic: Need Advice. Bad sleeper because of dummy
Posted By: Madiandmini
Subject: Need Advice. Bad sleeper because of dummy
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 2:58pm
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I really need some advice, as this is making me crazy!
My 6month old daughter is a brilliant day sleeper, but when it comes to night times I am dreading going to sleep because she is constantly losing her dummy and waking up screaming. Her dependance on her dummy means she won't get back to sleep with out it. She is doing this about 10+ times a night. I am way to tired and finding it hard to continue this but i'm not sure how to get her to sleep without it.. Any one have any ideas? |
Replies:
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 3:19pm
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Jack never took to a dummy so I can't give advice on personal experience.
However we have experienced sleeping issues and I have used "Sleeping like a baby" by Pinky McKay and "No cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. Both books include sections on changing sleep associations which is obviously what the dummy is for your daughter. There might even be specific references to dummy use. Both books are likely available from your library Good luck! ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 3:25pm
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I had a similar situation, but my boob was his thing. he would wake up as soon as i took it out of his mouth. THis was happening 15 times a night. Enough was enough for me and i followed a routine from a great book called "Baby Sleep by Andrea Grace" from the library. We are up to day/night 5 and 3 times he has slept right thru!! i cant believe it.
Im a bit of a softie and had tried the baby whisperer book, and various others. I think its just finding a way that suits you and that you can enforce and put into routine, weither you can handle a lot of crying or want to go for a softer route. |
Posted By: BeLoved
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 3:49pm
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We went cold turkey getting rid of the dummy for the exact same reason (except my DD is a terrible day sleeper with or without the dummy)
Going cold turkey was hard but so worth it in the end, I think the hardest part was making the decision to just do it! I made sure DH was around when we did go cold turkey and I never used the dummy again after that. I took a good 3 days to start getting good night sleeps and the days just involved a bit of controlled crying but more of just a mantra cry that I was not use to because of the dummy. I had 3 nights I think where I was up with her crying but I never got her out of the cot I just sat next to the cot with my hands putting pressure on her thighs and doing shhh/pat, the crying lasted an hour at the most and was only 1 or 2 times in the night, then she just seemed to get over it all of a sudden and now goes off to sleep most times without a peep and if she wakes in the night its only a cry for maybe 2 mins max and she goes back to sleep. It is so nice being able to get a good nights sleep and I have found she is such a happier baby because she is getting good sleep too. I was really worried about not having the dummy for when we were out etc. but I dont miss it at all and DD is fine without it. It served its purpose as DD had reflux and then it was time for it to go. Oh just to note we did introduce a blankie before getting rid of the dummy and she now seems to suck on this when she needs to but she controls it and I dont have to put it back in etc. ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 4:07pm
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good luck...we decided to just stay with dummy and it got better but he didn't sleep through till 7 months:( ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 6:51pm
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At this age, we decided to teach our boy how to find the dummy when he woke up. Instead of putting it straight back in when we went in in the middle of the night, we rattled it by just above his head and to the side (it was down low on the sheet) and he soon learnt to twist around to where the sound was and find his dummy. Then he started doing it automatically without us having to shake it. We also put heaps of dummies in his cot so he'd have more chance of finding one.
Just putting another option out there  ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: dinkyminky
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 9:04pm
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All the suggestions and advice already given are really good. I can't really help too much as my girl is only 5 weeks, and Im really lucky, she has started to sleep through already. I started right from the beginning doing the plunket way I was taught to settle baby, and it seemed to work, and now unless I put her down over tired she settles on her own and goes off to sleep. I think its just a case of them (babies)getting used to a way of doing it rather than what the way is. hang in there!! have you got a plunket family centre close to you that you can go to for a day and have a chat and go through some sleeping sessions with your bub there? I have found them really good for us for sleeping and other issues. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 9:12pm
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This is an annoying thing for sure. We clipped Briona's dummy onto her clothes in such a way that it could reach her mouth but not around her neck, and at around 6mos she would wake up and put the dummy back in her mouth. So whatever you do, the phase may not last much longer. We didn't do anything extra - just put the dummy back in until she was old enough to do it herself - possible solutions would be cold turkey weaning; leaving her for a few minutes before jumping up to put the dummy back in; returning the dummy to her hand and helping her to put it into her mouth. -------------  |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 9:23pm
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We went cold turkey - he was only waking a few times in the end but I had already decided 5 months was my limit as that's when it starts getting harder to wean them off things like that.
I made sure I snipped the ends off them then through them in the rubbish so there was no going back. Took 2 horrible nights and the third night wasn't too bad. Just did controlled crying and then crying it out in the end. Haven't gone back - although he does suck on his bear's ear now - but that didn't start until he was 14 months old! |
Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 01 July 2009 at 9:34pm
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By 6 months Daniel could find a dummy anywhere in his cot in pitch black! This stage will pass, but it sounds like if you want to make a break then it won't take too long. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: Madiandmini
Date Posted: 03 July 2009 at 1:12pm
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Thanks for all your ideas!
I've never been a fan of dummys but while she was younger it was a blessing! I think I will try going cold turkey, but how do I go about the crying? She screams like mad without her dummy, and usually doesn't settle.. But i've only tried it a few times and she just seemed to scream forever =( |
Posted By: nztui
Date Posted: 03 July 2009 at 7:22pm
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We use a dummy here too and I do wonder when it'll need to be phased out.
I've only just been looking at the two books Linzy mentioned, went back to library last week so I can't remember exactly what I wanted to say but in "No cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth Pantley there was a method for gradually weaning off the dummy which looked like a nice/calm way of doing that. Basically you give them the dummy to calm down then take it out gently for a small amount of time then if they need it put it back in and keep doing this but lenthening the times it stays out for. I think that's the gist of it anyway but I'd recommend those books if you're not keen on controlled crying. I was intending to try and get rid of the dummy a few weeks back but I'm too chicken 
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Posted By: Madiandmini
Date Posted: 04 July 2009 at 7:48am
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Huntd - I tried my local library and bookshop but could not find the book baby sleep by Andrea Grace. Do you remember where you got it?? Sounds like its really helping you! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 04 July 2009 at 1:57pm
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You can also pierce the dummy with a needle to reduce the effectiveness of it if you don't want to go cold turkey. I just couldn't be bothered mucking around so went right for it and don't regret the few days of an unsettled baby.
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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 04 July 2009 at 7:57pm
Thats odd, iv still got the book here, sorry i just see now its probably called 'teach yourself baby sleep'. I cant get the isbn as the library barcode is over top of it.. heres the link to it on fishpond anyway http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Health_Wellbeing/Family_Relationships/Infants_Toddlers/Infants/product_info/11276133/?cf=3&rid=1432157779&i=1&keywords=teach+yourself+baby+sleep - linky here |
Madiandme wrote:Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 04 July 2009 at 10:32pm
This is similar to how we did it as well
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 05 July 2009 at 9:03pm
We cut the end off and she still was a happy suckler! Going cold turkey, we did that at 8-9mos and she cried to sleep every sleep time for 48 hours. Then no probs after that. ETA: Lest I sound cold-hearted, we had to wean cold turkey because she was eating the dummy! ------------- |