Soothers

[Tiny Sue]

Hey there...

My little chicken will be ten months old tomorrow. Our paediatrician recommended that we wean her off her soother at ten months. She said...and I quote..."I did this with all three of my kids. You'll have three sleepless nights and then it's done."

Now, Naomi has just cut her first tooth. It's a little late arriving, and number two is peeking out from under the gum now. So she needs comfort in the form of something to suck. I would feel heartless taking her little comfort from her now. She only has it when she goes to bed, or if she's really crying and needs comforting.

When would you wean your little one off the soother? I'm thinking...a year and a half? It might be harder then though. And the last thing I want is a five year old with a dummy...*shudder* They do make kids orally lazy when learning to talk.

What do you gals think?

Sue

 

[Lucy]

Hi Sue

I weaned Olivia off her dummy at 7 months. She had become very dependant on it at night and often just woke up when it had fallen out, this meant we were going into her several times just to give her the dummy. The first night was quite tough but other than that I have been really surprised how well it went. Not sure if it makes a difference that, like Naomi, Olivia only had the dummy at bedtime?

Olivia has recently got her top middle teeth and the ones next to it are nearly through which has meant she's woken up a little more during the night than normal but I've just used bonjela on her gums and given her some calpol when her temp has been up.

Lucy

 

[Strangeness]

Aaron still has his, I'm not worried about him using it.

 

[kellie80]

Aimee still has hers at 11 months and i have no intention of taking it off her yet. She only has it to sleep anyway. My first had a dummy till she was around 18 months in the day then 2 at night and at that age i had no problems taking it of her at all. Its not like she will have it in all day is it. I'd let her have it for a while longer yet if thats what you want and shes still getting comfort of it.

 

[nicki]

We've been really lucky with Jamie, he rarely uses his now & he did all by himself, he prefers sucking on his fingers now. About 3 months ago, one night I just didn't give it to him when I put him down for the night, he cried for a bit then fell asleep. It doesn't bother him at all now.

Have you tried giving Naomi some Medised etc just before bed to help with the pain? We did this for Jamie as he was cutting his first 2 teeth, it makes them a little drowsey (& helps the pain!) so he would drop off really quickly without much fuss.

Try it for a night or two & see how you get on. If she's really distressed wait until her teeh have cut completely then try again.

My friend is a language & speech therapist for kiddies & she see's it all the time. Kids with soothers that can't be bothered to talk & struggle to do it.
She did say to me the other day that they should have been weaned off totally by the time they are 1 but ideally when they first start getting teeth as it can lead to other problems (other than speech) i.e overbite/ear infections etc

 

[Dee1985]

i wouldnt wean her of now while she is teething. Dior has hers for night time still she is an angel at night sleeps from 7pm till8am what more could i ask for? she has been like this since 6 months so im fine with her having her dummy, when she is tired or upset i will gie her it in the day too. she also takes a bottle of water to bed with her too so i think i will wean her of the bottle at bed time before i do the dummy.

Harley dont have a dumm though hes neer really liked it and spits it out, so Dior has double the amont now lol.

dior takes 4 to bed she holds 3 and sucks one

 

[bobtheunfortunateone]

We only use it at a comforter not a shut up er at night he either spits it out if not we always take it out. and in the day we only use it if he has a hissy fit and he is teething so thats alot right now, but I used to suck my thumb so I cannot blame him, It is something that will come up nearer when he is talking more.

He is only 10months

 

[*saulino*]

Hi

I weaned Kiara at 6 months once she was in her own room and it was really easy first i took it away at nap time then at bedtime she fussed the first night but in the end i woke up to her less cuz she wasnt having her soother fall out every hour and learned how to sooth herself back to sleep.
Katrina

 

[Tiny Sue]

Well, we've had a soother free weekend, and it wasn't too bad. She has been tired at bedtime lately anyhow so that wasn't a problem. Nap times during the day were the biggest obstacle, and we only had one bad nap time, she cried for a full 20 minutes before soothing herself to sleep. Poor little mite, I felt like a rat, but I felt we might as well keep going now and being consistent.

She woke lastnight at 4 am with what seemed to be a tooth related earache and wanted Mom, something that would have happened whether she had the soother or not.

Other than that, she's trouble free but really needing a teether!

Fingers crossed!

Sue

 

[lauramumof2]

Hey there...
They do make kids orally lazy when learning to talk.

What do you gals think?

Sue

i dont think they do. my wee girl is 2 and could talk the hind legs off a donkey. she is giving her duumies to the dummy fairies on wednesday night and thry will bring her a pressie.

 

[Duds]

I was going to post a simular question, I have tried weaning Aimee twice now and have given in... Im really not sure what to do...
She only has it at night and for naps then I take it away and never allow her to have unless to aid sleep. Last week she went 4 night without it quite easily and just had a whinge in the night so I thought i wont give it back to her & hopefully be the end of it but the past 3 nights she has had it back as she cried and cried for it & cause she has a cold she was getting more and more snotty so I gave it to her & try to take it off her once she is asleep (i read somewhere that you can wean them this way) but now she wakes a few minutes after i have taken it out and cries until i put it back....

If she has it all night she doesnt wake up much & if I take it away its a night of hell.... not sure what to do & def dont want it to affect her teeth as she has 4 now.

x

 

[Tiny Sue]

Hey Duds! Our little girls were born on the same day!

If she went 4 nights I'd just keep going. She needs to learn how to comfort herself.

Having said that, I know I nearly caved on the one bad time we had, so I'd say go with your own instincts. You can't do it wrong, you know your own baby!

Sue

PS such a lovely head of hair your lil one has! Naomi's hair is so wispy.

Sue