Starting WI/WO tomorrow - should i give him a dummy?

[tai-chi-chic]

 

Hello everyone

I posted last week about how my son is bottle dependent to get to sleep at night and how he has got into a habit of waking at night and demanding a bottle, or two, to go back to sleep. For the past week we have been reducing the amount of milk we offer him by mixing it with water. We are now down to 2oz milk 4oz water - so hopefully that has dealt with the hunger side of things.

Tomorrow evening we intend to do a 'throwing away of the bottles' ceremony and starting WI/WO. However my husband asked me this morning why we don't offer him a dummy as he just seems to want to suckle. I do agree with him that he doesn't seem to want the milk, he just likes sucking on the bottle and it often takes him two hours to drink a bottle. Ever since day one he has insisted on suckling, be it on a dummy (which we got rid of at 5 months as it became a prop), my breast or his bottle. Would it be silly to have a dummy ONLY IN HIS COT to encourage self soothing and get him through the night, plus do WI/WO or could I just be starting a new problem. As mentioned he did used to have a dummy, but he used to spit it out and cry for it to be put back in again, however he is now almost 16 months, so this wouldn't be a problem this time and I would never let him have it anywhere but the cot.

I haven't tried a dummy, so there is a good chance he won't even accept it.

Your advice on this or WI/WO in general would be so gratefully recieved.

Natalie

[mari]

I wouldn't start a dummy now, I doubt that he would even take one.  You are trying to teach independant sleep and if you give him a dummy then you are creating another prop dependancy. IMO.

When Alex had a dummy she would wake for me to go and give it to her.

[Layla]

Hi Natalie - this is only my personal opinion but I really wouldn't go for the dummy. Newborns have a strong sucking reflex and mums often use a dummy to help with soothing. The reflex naturally dissapears by 3-4 months so at 16 months you should not encourage him suck-to-sleep. It can and most often does become a prop (did with both my girls and I had to wean them by 4months) and if anything you are setting yourself up for more sleep training (without the dummy) later on.

I would do wi/wo without bottles or dummy. You can if you wish introduce a lovey or something that you think would comfort him. A soft toy or a blanket?

Good luck & let us know how you go
Layla

[tai-chi-chic]

Thank you both for your replies. I totally agree that introducing a dummy is not a good idea, but  I think I was hoping for an easy way to get his sleeping through the night again. Well I will still continue with the plan to throw the bottles away and do WI/WO - however he is running a temprature tonight, so I might have to put it back a night or two if he is off colour.

Thanks again.

Natalie

[mari]

Yes wait until he's better then start.  Good luck.  Just shout if you need us.