How do I wean him from the pacifier?

[freckledgirl]

My LO is five months old, and I sorely regret ever giving him the pacifier! He's had it since he was two months old and is totally addicted to it. He wakes up all night crying for it because it falls out of his mouth. I can't remember the last time either of us had a decent night of sleep. How do I wean him from it? Cold turkey? He "needs" it to go to sleep and I just hate to hear him cry for it. I'm so afraid that it's going to feel like some awful form of cry it out if he's crying for his pacifier and I won't give it to him. Any suggestions or thoughts?

[nola79]

no suggestions, just wanted to say it took FOREVER to wean my ds from his binky. way older than 5 months, so I am interested in tactics other mamas have used as dd now takes a binky and I was up at least twice putting it back in her mouth last night.

[Lula's Mom]

I think some babies are just more 'oral' than others and need that binky. I swore I'd never use one, and then I had my first child. She felt it was necessary to have something in her mouth at all times.

At around 9-10 months, her need for it suddenly dropped off. She had always used it in the car, and one day she dropped it. I handed it back to her and she dropped it again. I decided not to give it back again and just see what happened. And she didn't ask for it on that car ride again. I think she wanted it off and on for another couple of months, but it wasn't constant like before, and she just stopped using it. My middle child was the same- lost interest in it around 10 months, although he never needed it as intensely as my dd did.

I do NOT think you should go cold turkey with it. 5 months is sooo little. I think if he wants to be comfort sucking, he needs to be comfort sucking. Just wait some, and when he gets more mobile, I bet he will lose interest in it. If you want, at that point you can make it less available and encourage his lack of interest, IYKWIM.

[zenproof]

i dunno. i'd go cold turkey. well...we did anyway (and right at about 4.5/5months)! he only 'needs' it because he's never had to figure it out any other way. i never felt terrible about taking it away because i knew if his oral fixation was that necessary - he'd figure out his hands could do the job just as well!! and he did! hes a thumb sucker...but only for soothing to sleep. doesn't do it any other time really.

it would be a bit of a hurdle for him though - and a little crying is most likely unavoidable. just a matter of what you can handle. i would bet he could probably get it sorted out within a few days

[Plarka]

I was told it was easiest to take it away from 8-10 mo so we stopped giving it to dd1 at 8 mo with not much problem. I think if you just keep waiting, it will always be hard to take it away, might as well just do it at some point. I plan to do it at 8 mo again with dd2.

[freckledgirl]

Well, if anyone's interested, I decided to go cold turkey. The thought of waiting months longer kinda made me want to cry. He was getting up probably 8 times on a good night (including a few times to nurse) and 15-20 on a bad night. It's been shockingly easy and his sleep is already improving. He's napping longer and not waking up quite as much at night, and he's in a better mood now because he's sleeping more. I'm hoping things will continue to improve until he's sleeping as well as he was when he was a couple of months old. Back then he always had a 4 or 5 hour stretch. Ohhh, it sounds like heaven now! I get him to sleep however I can -- bouncing, rocking, nursing, etc. I really don't think he seems any fussier than he used to. Last night he woke up when I put him on the bed for the night, and he actually put himself back to sleep without crying or even fussing. He has never, ever, ever, ever done that before. I think the pacifier might have been creating more problems than it was solving! I just hope we keep making progress!