Dummy Problem

Hi,

I have a 5 and a half month old baby and we think she has gotten into a habit. Two weeks ago she fell sick with a bad cold and was waking every hour due to her not being able to breathe properly etc and we were replacing her dummy. The poor little thing wasn't well, however we think that she has now developed a habit of waking every hour and can't put herself back to sleep. Prior to her being sick she would have her last feed at 10pm and go through until 6.30am without us getting up once (she does go to bed with a dummy). My husband and I know we need to do something as 2 weeks of waking up every hour is starting to take it's toll. I'm just wondering whether to take her dummy away completely, or put her down with it but then don't go and put it in when she wakes up...so possibly doing some controlled comforting and hopefully she will learn how to put herself back to sleep? I have got the Baby Wise book on order and have read Robyn Barker's Baby Love as well. I just wish we could have our good sleeper back!! Some feedback would be great.

Thanks

Hi,
I had a friend with twin girls that both had dummies, they never slept through from the start because if they woke up without thier dummies in thier mouths they couldn't get them selves back off.
So she took away thier dummies and after the first week or so they slept right through the night and still do!
So perhaps you could try this?

poor little baby, and you and! dad!...sad
I'll keep an eye on this post, and see if anyone has any good suggestions,
my baby boy currently uses a dummy for his day sleeps, and I would like to see it go the way of the door too!, luckily he is sleeping through the night!

I am sorry your not, as I know how hard this must be for both you and your husband,

I hope someone has a solution for you, soon,
smile

Heléna

Hey Learning Mum,

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like you've done great getting a plan sorted out. You guys will be fine in no time.

That's a good idea to stop the wrapping too. You're right about themm learning to find the dummy themselves. Alynta does also, but we've just been having a little trouble the last couple night with that. It's quite hot here now so we've had to use the a/c during the night to keep her comfortable - of course then she needs more covers and stuff, so I've been putting her in her grobag, but she seems to find it more difficult to find the dummy while she's in it. Trying to come up with a solution...

Thanks so much for sharing where you got your copy of Baby Wise. Right after i read your post, I did a search for GFA and found their site. It's awesome. There's so much info on it. And the books are on special at the moment too. I think it must be about time for me to get my own copy.

Did you find reading it gave you a lot of confidence in what you were already trying to do?? You are so welcome. I'm really glad that you're gettin a lot out of it. The second one is great too. It follows on with a lot of the stuff and just goes into more detail for older bubs..

Alynta's doing great. She's such a joy to have around and be around. Always giving kisses and cuddles. So affectionate.

Anyway, I should keep on. I would really love to hear how things go with you. Hope to hear from you soon.

Smiles, grin
Shanna

Hi Shani,

Thanks so much for your post. You are the nicest person, I've read alot of your posts and you are always offering words of encouragement.....you really should be commended. You brought a smile to my face when I thought things couldn't get any better......so thanks.

Well what a change a few days make. We did the modified CC with SC and we now have a new little girl!!! We stopped wrapping (which I think she was ready for, I was the one who was worried about it) and we put her down with her dummy and then when she lost it we didn't go and put it back in we just started the CC. She has now learnt to put herself to sleep and she is sleeping from 8.00pm through till 7.30am.......YEAH. She does wake throughout the night but puts herself back to sleep without us attending her. What a HUGE difference a good night sleep makes you feel. I know no doubt that she will throw in a bad night every now and then but fingers-crossed all is going well.

Thanks sooooo much for your advice on the Baby Wise books, I would recommend them to anyone who asks. Your right, it just made me realise I was doing the right thing by my bub (and my husband) when other people where doubting what we were doing.

Enough about us. Sorry to hear about the hot weather up there, it makes it harder on the bubs (hence why I'm glad we have stopped wrapping before summer comes). Hopefully it wont take too long and Alynta will start finding her dummy again in the GroBag. Glad she is giving you lots of love and cuddles, I can't wait till SC gets to that stage.

Well thanks once again for everything and I'd like to keep in touch as well.

Cheers,

Hey Learning Mum,

It was so great to hear from you. Thanks so much for your compliments, you're so sweet. I really love encouraging and helping ppl. I just really know what it feels like to struggle, so I can relate to a lot of what I see here.

I am so glad that I was able to lighten your load for you. You're so welcome. And, you're doing such a fantastic job. You should be so proud of yourself!!

Congratulations on your 'new' little girl. That's so great she's sleeping through for you again. Much healthier for her too. Are you finding she's heaps happier during the day also?? And, you're right, she will still have the occasional bad night, but they're so much easier to deal with when you know that there must be some problem.

I was up with Ally for a while last night. Poor little thing has some how managed to pick up a cold of some sort. She's feeling a bit miserable, and woke up last night. She had a little drink, but mainly she just wanted a cuddle, so we had a cuddle for a while (not evensure how long - I kept dozing) and after that she was happy to be put back in bed. She's such a sweet little thing.

I'm so glad you liked the books. They just have some awesome info in them I think. It's a shame more ppl don't know about them as I believe it would make so many parents' jobs much easier. oh well, maybe we can help get the word around hey?

I solved the grobag problem by just putting her in a warmish suit instead. She seems happy enough in that, but can move around a bit more too. It's really muggy here today. I'm really hoping for rain. we had a little drizzle earlier, butnothing substantial.

You are doing such a fantastic job with your bub. Just keep it up and keep lovingevery second with her. They all go by too fast.

If you feel comfortable doing it, I would love for you to e-mail me directly. My e-mail address is scott01@dodo.com.au . If not though, that's ok, I'd still love to stay in touch and am happy to do that here. Who knows, maybe others can be encouraged just reading our conversations.

Anyway, I hope you're having a fantastic day and to hear from you again soon.

Thinking of you,

Hi Learning Mum and Shani

I too have a dummy problem. Aleisha is 7 and a half months and she is waking up every hour with her dummy not in her mouth, I go and replace it and she is settled before I walk out of her room. I know she does not need it to sleep, it is just a habit that I have got into (and sometimes regret but hey you learn but your mistakes). Seeing that you changed your daughter in a matter of three days gives me the courage to try with Aleisha.

We use to wrap her as well because she seemed to wake herself up with her arms. I ended up purchasing one of those T sleepers, kind of ties her in one place in bed. It is great. When we did not wrap her she would end up moving so much that she was all bunched up at the top of the cot.

Fingers crossed that your daughter is still going good without the dummy. I will keep you posted on our success (hopefully). Hope the weather has cooled down a bit for your Shani!

Katrina

oooh!...what's a T sleeper?...

I'd love to know...

Heléna

Hey Katrina,

Thanks for your post, it's always good to hear how things are going for another Mum.

Sounds like you have an annoying situation on your hands with Aleisha and her dummy. I would definitely guess it to be that she's just in a bad habit. Frustrating for you though. I have no soubt that you guys will be fine. Just remember that teaching Aleisha to put herself back to sleep is the best that you can do for her.

It has cooled down a little here. It's been much more pleasant the last couple days, so much so that last night we decided to try not using the a/c and it was fine. Today seems a bit warm again thuogh, so we'll have to see how it is later on.

Thanks again for posting Katrina. Keep in touch with how you go. I'm thinking of you.

Smiles! grin

Shani

Hi Helena

A T Sleeper is like a little velco strap thing that goes around the baby's tummy and basically holds them in place. It makes it easier for ones that are moving around to stay in one place. There is a website www.safetsleep.com that you can read more about. We were finding that with Aleisha she would not sleep unwrapped and would kick off all the blankets and wriggle around. This holds her in one spot and she does not move around. In NZ they cost around $100 but I would say well worth it for peace of mind knowing that she is safe in her cot. It is also bigger enough so that when she is in a big bed (not that a velco strap will hold them then!!) it can be used then.


Katrina

Thanks Katrina,
always learn something new everyday at these forums,

There is so much to know and consider,

Thank You
Heléna

Hi Katrina,

Sorry I haven't responded sooner, first time I've been on computer for a week.

Well I'm sorry to hear about your little girl, I know how tired and frustrated you must be due to a lack of sleep.

Well I'm pleased to say that our little girl has now slept through every night for the past week and a half. She goes down at 7.30pm and wakes at 6.30 - 7.00am. I feel like a new person since having a decent night sleep.

My daughter was like you, I'd replace the dummy and by the time I'd taken 2 steps she was back asleep. Don't be so hard on yourself, you didn't make a mistake, we just love our little girls and were trying to do what we thought was the right thing by them. I am pleased to say that the cc worked for us.......it isn't for everyone and I appreciate it that, and It is difficult however it was the only solution left for us and now we have our sleeping and happy little girl back. We didn't completely take the dummy off her, she goes down with it but once it was out we didn't go and replace it, we started the cc and therefore she learn't to put herself back to sleep.

She does wake during the night, however we don't have to go into her as she then goes back to sleep. She did have a bad night 2 nights ago where she woke 2 times and I had to attend to her but last night she was fine again. Her day sleeps are slowly improving (prior to night waking she slept fantastically during the day however this was also disrupted as well).

I hope that your little girl has improved and you have had the same success as well. I'm sure whatever you are doing is because you love her and that is the main thing.

Good-luck and let me know how you go.