Bye, Bye dummy!

Why do we do this to ourselves? We think its a fab idea to give our darling babies a dummy, comforts them when they're new into the world, helps them self sooth and gives mama and dada a tiny break in the newness of parenthood. It's all plain sailing until they wake up every hour because they can't find it to put it in their mouth, or when you're out shopping and forget to pack the bleeding thing!!

It was such a big decision to give Isaac a dummy when he was first born and it wasn't until he was 2 weeks that we gave in. At 4 months old, we reduced his dummy to night times which worked really well and helped him sleep better at night because he associated the plug with sleep. This was one less transition to worry about when we did decide to do away with the dummy all together.

You read all sorts on the impact a dummy can have and as parents we want the best for our children so anything we can do to enhance or reduce something we will do in a heartbeat.

But how do you get rid of the dummy completely?

There was a few scenarios we thought about:

1. Chop the teat off the dummy (let him deal with the confusion and hopefully give it up himself)
2. Gold turkey, whip it off like a plaster and deal with the consequences
3. Wait till he is older enough to understand more.

We have our family holiday approaching in September and was indecisive whether to wait till afterwards or get it done before. We went with the latter and decided on scenario 3. Whip it off like a plaster.

Project - do away with the dummy.

4th July - Ivan's day off.

Dada decided he was taking control of the dummy situation and for his first morning nap, Ivan didn't give it him. There was tears, but not as many as we thought. He stayed up for quite a while as oppose to falling straight to sleep. Each time we put him down to sleep he would cry but each time it would lessen. I am not gonna lie, the process wasn't easy. Watching your baby look at you with confusion, clinging onto you when trying to lay him in his cot and not settling to sleep straight away was hard. Having a dummy is all he has known.

His sleep has taken a hit. Isaac's routine prior would be wake up at 7am, 2 solid naps during the day and bed for 7pm. Whether it's a coincidence, the heatwave we've experienced or the fact he's turned into a turddler, Isaac now wakes up any time around 1am & 4am, will only nap for 30mins in the morning, may have an hour or so in the afternoon, bed time around 6:30pm. THIS KID JUST DOESN'T WANT TO SLEEP ANYMORE. And I tell you what, it's been so tempting to just shove the dummy in his gob when he's waking up at 1am! BUT, I WILL NOT GIVE IN. He is also going through a fussy leap which may factor into why he is being a bit of an Ahole.

Thankfully, an angel was sent from god in the form of Whispbear. We were kindly gifted a bunny comforter and a soothing fox that plays pink noise. We gave Isaac these before we removed the dummy and he attached himself to them really well, especially the fox. So these were his go too when he had no dummy, his fox is his new best friend. We hear him turn it on himself at all hours in the morning which must send him back to Z land. Cute.

That would be my tip, find something that would replace the dummy but that doesn't have the negative impacts that a dodo does.

If you're thinking of getting rid, JUST DO IT! There's never gonna be a perfect time and no matter what age they're never gonna put it up without a fight.

In all honesty, I am so proud & pleased with how Isaac has taken to the change and surprised with how well it went.

Link for the soothing fox: https://whisbear.co.uk/