Jess Asks, my baby sleeps with her dummy…

I have a 6-month-old baby who has been using a dummy since birth. Recently, we decided to take it away during the day and, after some initial fussiness, she is now able to settle herself for naps. However, I am hesitant to try this at night, as I am worried about how she will respond.

She is formula-fed and receives solids three times a day. However, she isn't fed at night, and I only give her a dummy between 11pm-1am and a few times between 2-3 am.

7-730 wakes up 8am bottle with a bit of cereal afterwards. 

9 am sleep, for 40min- hour 

Midday bottle with a bit of fruit after 1ish another hour nap 

4 pm bottle with a bit of dinner

4.30pm nap 630 bath bottle 

730 bedtime.

Answer:

When weaning any nighttime habit, such as a dummy, feeding to sleep, or rocking, the key component is to make sure the individual and their partner are ready for the change. 

If you are not mentally prepared for a big change, inconsistent reinforcement may occur after giving in to bedtime grizzles.

When you are ready, I suggest taking away the dummy overnight and using the same approach that has worked for your family during the day.

Based on her daily routine, it seems like she might be getting overtired during the period between her first and second nap, especially if her first nap is long. Additionally, it appears that she may be drinking her bottle too close to nap time. Please check to make sure that she is not using the bottle to fall asleep instead of her pacifier since the pacifier is no longer available.

Despite mom's worry that her baby won't nap for more than 1.5 hours, she is doing well with a total of 2.5-3 hours of sleep spread over three naps: one long nap and two shorter 40-minute ones.

As your baby is 6 months old now, I suggest introducing more substantial foods such as vegetables and meat. You can switch from baby rice to whole foods like millet, oats, or rice.

Have you tried to get rid of your babies dummy and succeeded?

If your baby is older than 6 months and you want to keep your dummy, try a sleepytot instead.

Emma Purdue