My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

When do you start showing with twins? What is life with twins like? Join the conversation on our Multiple Births forum.

Multiple births

Help, I'm in dummy hell!

7 replies

ScampiMummy · 17/07/2013 19:52

My soon-to-be 4 month old twin boys are BIG suckers. They want to suck their dummies A LOT. Problem is, they also want to suck their fingers/thumbs A LOT, so pull out their dummies to do this but then can't get the satisfaction as they can't find individual digits to suck on so can only suck their whole fist. This leaves me pulling out fists and reinserting dummies practically 24 hours a day! ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!
If this experience was with a singleton I would DEFINITELY go cold-turkey on the dummy and leave him to find his thumb. However, I just can't face doing this with two. I'm certain that there would be significant crying day and night, with each setting the other off and my 2 year old dd too. What can I do to get out of this dummy hell?! How can I get them to suck their own thumbs?! They are so desperate to do it, but won't let me help put just a single digit in....
Please help, I am going insane Confused

OP posts:
Report
minesapintofwine · 18/07/2013 11:49

Only one of mine has ever been big on the dummy. He is 17 months and though I do hide it he invariably finds it. It many ways its very helpful especially with two to soothe! I'm not worried but eventually that dummy will have to go... he does put it back in himself now (on a dummy clip) so that's half the battle. Is there any possibility they could be teething or thirsty?

Report
yawningbear · 18/07/2013 11:57

I am probably missing something but why can't they just suck on their fingers as they are doing? Confused Disclaimer- I know nothing about caring for twins and DS and DD resolutely refused to suck on anything other than my nipples so I probably shouldn't be commentingGrin

Report
ScampiMummy · 18/07/2013 12:36

I'd love it if they were satisfied just sucking their fists, but I think they want a finger/thumb specifically and can't get it. By the time they realise that they can't get their satisfaction that way, the dummy is irretrievable to them, step in Mummy. The sucking really soothes them, so I'm not trying to take it away from them, rather make it more self-sufficient!
minesapint, I guess there is a chance they're teething or thirsty. They seem to resist water, but I'll keep trying that just in case....
What I really wish someone could help me with is getting them to find their thumbs reliably...... any ideas?

OP posts:
Report
HopHopHopSkip · 18/07/2013 12:51

I have no experience of twins so this is probably impractical, but is one slightly more content than the other?
Could you try just weaning him off it first (say to just at sleep/tired times) then trying to wean the other off to avoid both at once?

Report
ClairesTravellingCircus · 18/07/2013 22:14

Hmmm I have had 2 thumb suckers (plus one that started but quickly gave up), ime you can't help them. They need to develop the coordination required by themselves. Mine all did around 4 months-ish.

No help sorry, but it shouldn't be long nowSmile

Report
ScampiMummy · 19/07/2013 13:01

OOooh you give me hope Claire

I'll hang on a couple of weeks in case they sort themselves out, otherwise I might try your suggestion Hop, there is certainly one more content than the other so I could start with him (lucky fella!).

OP posts:
Report
cruxible · 19/07/2013 13:25

I weaned one of my twins off at 3 months ish~ 6 years later still a determined thumb sucker!

The other was far less content and kept a dummy and stopped him at 3 ish. He does not suck his thumb.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.