4 month old waking up several times a night for pacifier?

Question

We let her cry last night... she eventually went to sleep. Does this get any better? We give it to her when she goes down for a nap and for bedtime, but once it falls out, I may have to let her cry, because this is getting worse. Any suggestions, stories, etc.? Thanks so much!

Answer 1

I am in the same situation except my 4 1/2 month old son doesn't use a pacifier.  He wouldn't ever use one.  He wakes up every 2 hours to be soothed back to sleep (he is breastfed).  We started picking him up when he would cry at night because we are spending the summer at my in-laws for vacation, so it has created this awful problem with him.  He used to wake up 1 time a night, now it's every 2 hours.  We go back home in 3 days and that's when we have to break the habit.  I'm going to have to let him cry himself to sleep because I've tried everything else.  He will eventually learn.  As soon as I pick him up at night he stops crying, so I know for sure that nothing is wrong and we have made him spoiled so he knows we will pick him up.  We have tried giving him cereal late at night, but that didn't work.  If I were you, and you didn't mind letting your baby cry back to sleep, I'd recommend that.  Unfortunately, that's what I'm left to do.

Answer 2

My daughter wakes up in the middle of the night for her pacifier...... i put it in her mouth and she goes right back to sleep..... at first it was very frequent now she only does it when she first goes to sleep... so for the first hour i may have to go and put it back in her mouth but than she's fine for pretty much the rest of the night...... You could try the cry it out method but personally i think if your going to make her cry it out about not putting the pacifier in her mouth at night, why even give it to her at all??? she wants the pacifier because you have taught her that is a way to soothe herself, thats why she wants it in the middle of the night....... she wakes up and needs something to soothe herself back to sleep, If you want her to have the pacifier than just put it back in her mouth and go back to bed.... takes 2 seconds and you have a happy cry free baby =)

Answer 3

Try to get her out of the pacifier as soon as possible because like the bottle, babies don't want to give that up and a three year old looks terrible with a cork in its mouth!

She can go back to sleep on her own. Get one of those pretty things you hang on the crib, like the aquarium that plays music, or even put a CD player near her bed and put on soothing music or nature sounds.  

She may be hungry; my guys seemed to need a few night feedings at 4 months, and again at 6, so you may have to give her a bottle, rock her, rub her little body and put music on for her to go to sleep.

Answer 4

Unless you plan on taking the pacifier away for good, I think the only thing here to do is keep giving it to her until she learns to get it for herself.

Answer 5

does she sleep with you? She just may need the closeness:)  

Answer 6

my heart goes out to you, but 'this too shall pass'.. it is so easy for us to say 'let her cry herself back to sleep', but listening to your tiny baby cry at night isn't easy for any mum or dad, mind you a lot of dads do have the ability to sleep through it.

if as you said she went back asleep last night, maybe give it another go tonight.. most importantly have patience, with babies life is never dull!!! what works for one baby isn't guaranteed to work for another... love and patience and you'll get there

good luck,

Answer 7

If you're comfortable with letting her cry then that's fine.  She's at an age where she is beginning to have the ability to self-soothe so as long as you don't leave her crying for more than 10 minutes it should be OK.  It doesn't take too long (a couple of weeks tops) to learn to self soothe.

You could also buy one of those things that clip onto the front of their clothes and is attached to the pacifier - is she able to get it back into her own mouth yet?

There's also the possibility that she may be teething - is she red cheeked, drooling, chewing everything?  If so, you could try putting a little teething gel on her gums before you put her down, and then giving her the pacifier.

Good luck - and yes, it does get better :)

Answer 8

I know it's hard to hear her cry, but she needs to learn to soothe herself to sleep without the pacifier.  I'd let her cry for 5 minutes or so, go it and pat her on the back, talk to her a little bit, then leave without ever having picked her up.  If she continues to cry or starts crying again, wait the 5 minutes before going in.  The next night, wait 10 minutes before going in and doing the same thing.  15 minutes the third night, and so on.  Going in lets her know you are there.  Don't pick her up though, or you may start a whole new problem.  I did this with 2 of my kids and by the 3rd night, they didn't wake up looking for comfort.  My 4 kids have a great bedtime routine and sleep habits, and this house is quiet from 7:30pm until 6:30 am.  Good luck.

Answer 9

i have a 8 month old and she still cries for that stupid pacifier if it falls out but not as much.it'll only happen if she just fell asleep and it fell out and for the rest of the night she wont bother if it does again.what could be happening with your little one is that shes hungry.the pacifier kinda stimulates milk being fed to the baby.the more you but the pacifier in her mouth it could be that she thinks she getting fed.my advice is to feed her just an once extra from the amount you do feed her maybe all she wants is some milk and make sure its warm so it'll put her right to sleep.if this doesn't work try taking it from her during the day.so she gets accustom to sleeping without it and you and your spouse can sleep as well.  

Answer 10

she is probably waking up because she is hungry.make her a bottle.if she is drawing her legs up to her stomach when she is crying she may have colic.pacifiers are a bad habit to start.i would get rid of it now while you can.sucking is an infants security. abottle provides the same comfort.pacifiers are bad for her.they will harm her teeth.she will have some soon and this habit of pacifier should be broken now. if she isnt content with the bottle hold her.sing to her.get her a music box or play lullaby cds. they calm babies very well and are very inexpensive.and i read the other answers.never let your baby sleep with you.not only does that put her at risk for suffocation and other injuries but that is a habit that will develop quickly that will destroy your relationship when it cant be broken not to mention make her be fearful of sleeping alone which is what she is supposed to do.