Introducing pacifier at 6mo for naps/sleep

[marmoset]

Hi all, looking for some input -

I have generally been happy with LO's sleep habits, other than his very first newborn days he has been an extremely light sleeper from the get go, I've literally never once been able to put him down without him waking up, no matter how deeply he seemed to be asleep. It hasn't been a problem though, he naps in the carrier if we're out or at home I will either hold him or I'll nurse him down on the bed or on a blanket on the floor and then extricate myself once he's asleep and he'll stay down for a little bit. At night we bedshare and he wakes for the potty every few hours (we do elimination communication though he wears diapers anyway for when we miss a cue) then nurses back to sleep.

The problem that's come up is that since he got his two bottom teeth in, his sleepy suckling has gotten quite uncomfortable. It's fine when he's actually feeding, but once he starts falling asleep his latch gets all loosy goosy and that's when his teeth start scraping me. But if I try to unlatch him before he's ready, he'll wake back up.

So anyway, I'm thinking of trying to introduce a pacifier just for those times when he needs to be sucking but I'm getting sore. He takes an occasional bottle (2-3 times a month) so I feel like he might be flexible in terms of accepting a pacifier.

I dunno. Thoughts? Am I missing an obvious alternative? (I enjoy bedsharing otherwise so that's not an issue, and I am gradually working on letting him soothe himself a bit when he stirs before I jump in to nurse, so overall I think we're doing okay.)

Thoughts?

 

[Gem_Clem]

ok, just my opinion, my LO is a very light sleeper too, we need to creep about like ninjas when shes asleep, she has a dummy, I hate it! I cannot wait to get rid of it, she wakes looking for it in the night when it falls out and screams if she can't find it. My first DD didn't have a dummy and has always slept amazing. Ive heard so many horror story from parents trying to wean off the dummy too, which im dreading, I have no idea how she will sleep without it.

Also, on the teething subject, when she is getting teeth through she rejects the dummy more, i think the sucking actually hurts her gums more, she usually turns it round and bites on the other side of it to help the pain.

For me, if you have a LO who doesn't have a dummy, I wouldn't give him one, they are the bane of my life! haha

 

[marmoset]

Thanks for your perspective Gem_Clem. Hmmm. I'll have to think this through some more. I plan to continue bedsharing for a while so maybe it wouldn't be a big deal to put it back in or whatnot in the night. :/

 

[Gem_Clem]

That's true, if you don't have to get up and down all night it might not be so bad, you just have to think about weaning them off them again, but i suppose some children give them up no problem. Our advice here is to wean them off them by 6 months but I really don't know where to start, its the only way she will settle to sleep for naps and night time, I don't give her it during the day, its for sleep only.

 

[nessaw]

We ended up with a dummy around a similar time after not having one at all. No idea how or when we'll get her off it. I really didn't want her to have one but in the grand scheme of things it's not the end of the world. I got a clip which attaches to her night clothes or sleeping bag at one end and the dummy at the other. Stops her losing it-she can find it now.

 

[CRWx]

My daughters dummy is a life saver... when I was pregnant I didn't want her to have one but now at 11 months she uses it to go to sleep (and has done for a while!)... it usually falls out when she's in a deep sleep but she just feels around and finds it if she wants it when she wakes up

Surely it's worth a try? If it doesn't work then you can work on plan B!