Need Pacifier Help

We keep playing the pacifier game now at night. The girls will be 18 weeks old tomorrow (15 weeks adjusted) and I am constantly putting the pacifier in their mouths at night. They get all comfortable, it falls out, and they start crying for it again. I don't think they sleep in a stretch longer then 2 hours.

I know we need to stop it. DH thinks they are to young to CIO. He is also afraid if we let one cry, the other girl will wake up too. But we need to stop the madness somehow. I don't think I will survive this if we wait until they can put it back in themselves. I wasn't going to let them really CIO, but I don't think 5 minutes to fuss is that long.

Does anyone have any good advice? I need to reread Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child again. (I can't wait until the book for twins comes out!!) My mom thinks we should just put them in the swing at night, but I really want them to get used to sleeping in their crib. DS never liked pacifiers and I am beginning to appreciate that.

Thanks for any help!!

Signed,
A really, really tired Mommy!

 

do they suck their fist yet or are they trying to suck their thumbs? my girl loves her binky but we had to stop that game you are playing right now... so after letting her whine a little each time it fell out she now will self-satisfy. she falls asleep without it or sucks on her fist. you can slowly try to let them get used to it falling out by letting them cry just a little and then replace it. extend the amount of time you are waiting and after a while they should be able to fall asleep... or so i would think... GL

 

QUOTE(rebecca_lynn78 @ Apr 7 2009, 12:10 PM) [snapback]1262793[/snapback]
We keep playing the pacifier game now at night. The girls will be 18 weeks old tomorrow (15 weeks adjusted) and I am constantly putting the pacifier in their mouths at night. They get all comfortable, it falls out, and they start crying for it again. I don't think they sleep in a stretch longer then 2 hours.

I know we need to stop it. DH thinks they are to young to CIO. He is also afraid if we let one cry, the other girl will wake up too. But we need to stop the madness somehow. I don't think I will survive this if we wait until they can put it back in themselves. I wasn't going to let them really CIO, but I don't think 5 minutes to fuss is that long.

Does anyone have any good advice? I need to reread Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child again. (I can't wait until the book for twins comes out!!) My mom thinks we should just put them in the swing at night, but I really want them to get used to sleeping in their crib. DS never liked pacifiers and I am beginning to appreciate that.

Thanks for any help!!

Signed,
A really, really tired Mommy!


5 minutes of fussing at this age is not too long IMO, although full-blown CIO would maybe be too early. My DS was paci baby, and honestly, he slept in the swing half the night until he was 7 months old. We would put him in the crib at the start of the night and then move him to the swing when he woke up. At 7 months, we did CIO with a crib full of pacis and it was pretty painless. You and they both need sleep - don't feel any guilt about letting them sleep in swings part of the night!

 

It is too early for real CIO, but 5 mins to get themselves back to sleep shouldn't be bad...just watch the clock. My boys only needed the paci to fall asleep and we were still doing 2 night feedings at that time. I was up anyway. I don't think they were able to put their paci in on their own until 6/7 months. It was a glorious accomplishment though!

 

First of all let me say if Lily was screaming her head off Max would sleep right through it, but that is my babies. Second, I remember going through what you are dealing with. DH got up for a week everytime Max's paci fell out of his mouth because I said CIO. After a week he stopped out of exhaustion and Max started to self soothe after a couple minutes of crying. Thankfully Lily never took to a paci, she likes her fist or fingers better. She will play with a paci, but not suck it.

I know it is terrible for my DH to hear them CIO. I can almost see him tense up. Just wanted to send :hug: your way because I know it is difficult. Unfortunately my sister told me once that it will pass, but something else will replace it. We have learned she was right. <_<

 

I know you'll hear different ages listed as when it's OK to let them CIO a bit; my pedi said at 4 months it's OK to start letting them cry a bit. I would think 5 minutes is fine! At this point, IMO, doing so is helping them learn to self-soothe and will help them be happier in the long run.
GL and I hope they start sleeping longer stretches for you very soon!

 

Jake was doing the same thing with the paci. He was up at least 10 times a night for a paci re-insert. :shok: At 6 months I felt comfortable letting him CIO.

 

QUOTE(rebecca_lynn78 @ Apr 7 2009, 04:10 PM) [snapback]1262793[/snapback]
We keep playing the pacifier game now at night. The girls will be 18 weeks old tomorrow (15 weeks adjusted) and I am constantly putting the pacifier in their mouths at night. They get all comfortable, it falls out, and they start crying for it again. I don't think they sleep in a stretch longer then 2 hours.


This is exactly the reason we went cold turkey on getting rid of the pacis. I was up every 20 minutes to put that stupid thing back in. I just couldnt do it any more. :lazy:

 

Mine both use their paci. I would in the begining let them whine a few minutes and then give it to them that way they learn to keep it longer. I then got to where I would only go in and give it back to them 3 times then 2 now we are down to one. Most of the time now they can find it themselves unless they have played bed flop and it is at the other end of the bed. They will also learn to self sooth too Good luck