Author Topic: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop  (Read 1807 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline LaraAndrea

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 15
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 335
  • Location: Toronto
Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« on: March 24, 2017, 14:46:35 pm »
I feel like I have something new to ask every day...

I am looking for some truth/advice around use of paci as sleep prop.

My LO is 24 weeks old and still uses a paci during naps. She rarely uses it at night (occasional rough nights), she never uses it during the day.

She is learning how to take out and reinsert the paci right now, but she has not mastered the skill.

When she is properly tierd for a nap, the paci will fall out and she will NOT need it to be reinserted by us. She does not wake up if it falls out, or we remove it.

But we have been giving it to her when she struggles with sleep cycle transitions.

Have we created a prop problem and how hard is this to fix?

This was definitely a selfish decision to use paci this way during this most recent developmental sleep regression. I am feeling pretty bad about it now :(

I have heard the paci is a good thing till ~6 months?

Offline FPT23

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 18
  • Posts: 1086
  • Location: United States
Re: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2017, 20:23:04 pm »
Hi hun! No worries! Ask away :)

To answer your question on pacifier prop... I believe they begin to make "sleep associations" around 3/4 mths. Basically, however they were falling asleep, they will now depend on it. Yes some sources say by 6 mths it's good to remove bc as they get older they grow an attachment with it.

I removed our paci around 4mths--- after I removed the swaddle, my LO would grab to his face and pull out the paci and couldn't pop it back then. He would not sleep without it. I decided personally, to remove it. It was a bit tough figuring out a new way to help him fall asleep but we stayed consistent and came out of it; as all things ;)

Pacifiers.... I can't really say they are good or bad. I believe it is more of a preference thing with mom. Some moms are perfectly fine helping them with the paci until they are able to insert on their own. Others, don't prefer to do that, kwim?

So it is ultimately a decision for you and what your willing to do.

With that said, I assume you are having nap problems? This could be something as simple as a routine tweak and/or developmental progress as well. Are you having problems with the naps hun?

Your LO is about 6mths correct?

Xo
Fabi






Offline LaraAndrea

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 15
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 335
  • Location: Toronto
Re: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2017, 20:46:49 pm »
My LO also started pulling the pacifier out and struggling to find a way to get it back in.

I was having the standard short nap problem that started about a month ago when LO learned to roll onto her tummy. We had to stop swaddling. It was pretty rough.

With help from a number of forum members the naps have improved. Some days are near perfect.

But now I step back and notice that she is more dependant on the pacifier then she used to be.

Before the short nap issue she could put herself back to sleep after a sleep cycle w/o the pacifier being reinserted, now if we don't have the perfect AT (not OT or UT) she needs the pacifier to transition to next cycle.

Today for example:
First nap she needed pacifier at 30 and 45 mins then slept for full 2h nap... Pacifier falls out at some point

2nd nap was OT we followed suggested techniques and put her down early for next nap. Aside from first 5 mins of settling we did not need to reinsert pacifier

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2017, 08:37:54 am »
I am feeling pretty bad about it now
Don't beat yourself up over this.
There is research which shows use of a paci in young babies (0-6 months) may help to reduce the SIDS risk. So prop or not there is some good in paci use, maybe focus on that?
My DS refused a paci so I had no option - in a way it made things harder (nothing to fall back on to sooth him, he would not feed to sleep either) and I also worried about SIDS, but in other ways it made it easier, no paci prop and no need to wean it later on.

Keep in  mind you are doing what you think is best at the time, there are always reasons, even if the reason is you were desperate for a rest/sleep - babies do need their parents to sleep so that they can be good caregivers.  Pacis and other props are not crimes, just how we deal with things when he had to x

I've posted on your other thread regarding nap times etc so this could well help too.


Offline LaraAndrea

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 15
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 335
  • Location: Toronto
Re: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2017, 15:57:11 pm »
I am open to paci weaning... Just not quite yet. I am trying to deal with one thing at a time.

Currently I cannot tell if she is really dependant on the pacifier or it is the 3-2 transition with increased AT.

Right now, with nap one (after 3hAT... We have been doing for a few days) she wakes up prob 4-5 times in first 60-70 min of nap... Half those times she settles in own... Other require soothing and I reinserted paci... It usually pops out pretty quickly and she keeps sleeping.

If the pacifier is the Crux of our nap problem right now.. I will have to start weaning to see any progress ??

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2017, 18:01:50 pm »
Personally I would wean a paci at 6 months anyway, I believe it is advised (but like I said mine wouldn't take one so I didn't have the job of weaning) at this age to prevent any negative impact on teeth development.


Offline LaraAndrea

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 15
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 335
  • Location: Toronto
Re: Brutal honesty have I created a sleep prop
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2017, 18:47:45 pm »
Thanks.. I will look into it :)