Cold Turkey on the Paci- How Long Did It Take?

Updated on December 28, 2011
M.P. asks from Asheville, NC
17 answers

My 15 mo old had two favorite pacifiers (that have now been long discontinued). She is getting her molars in, and has bitten through the two sacred pacis in the last week, the last of which was yesterday. I gave her the chewed up paci, and she even threw it in the trash herself. 30 minutes later, I caught her trying to get in the trash to retrieve the paci- which now had spaghetti dinner all over it. To keep her out, we emptied the trash and accepted our inevitable fate.
I have to say here that we have other "similar" pacis in style and shape (and even color), but my little princess will not be fooled. She takes them, throws them to the floor, and screams. *sigh*
So last night was the first night of cold turkey- no favorite pacis. She got to sleep relatively easy (30 minutes of screaming). However, she woke up at 11 pm and screamed off an on for her paci for 2 hours. She could not be consoled, so we just left her to her bidding. She eventually tired out, but left me wide awake in the process. I'm pooped, and with the holidays coming up, I am feeling a sense of dread.
For you cold turkey paci moms, how long did it take your baby to adjust? Anything else I can do to help her out? I know this is probably for the best, but she couldn't have picked a worse time of year. lol
Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for the responses and encouragement. :) It totally sucks (pardon the pun- haha!) but hopefully she will adjust quickly. Happy Holidays!

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J.F.

answers from Bloomington on

If this would have been 2 1/2 years ago and I had just done it with my oldest, I would say, "it went very smoothly...just a couple of tears for 3 nights; each night better than the previous."

Now, I don't think so with my 19 month old. SHE IS ATTACHED to that thing. We are down to one and it is cracked but not broken. I will not get another one. I broke the first kiddo with hers at 21 months, that was kind of my deadline with this one. I'm thinking that we won't wait.

My first only had it for naps and bedtimes (and long car trips). My youngest lives with her's full time. My SIL suggested only giving it to her when she asks for it. Well, she asks for it. Ugh.

Good luck mama! Not fun. But, you've started it already and it would make the most sense to follow through with it. I think we are going to start holding onto the paci through the day and slowly wean her to naps and bedtime...then take it away....when we have a long weekend.

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K.H.

answers from Richmond on

give the child back her paci.. what are baby doctors thinking theses days anyway.. take their favorite toy away from them , dont want to get attached to it. take their bottle away from them and give them a sippy cup, dont want them to get attached to it.put them on adult food at six months, so they will end up in the emergency room, but leave the child in diapers until they are five or six, why not....GEESH. just give the child back her paci, she will give it up when she is ready, and if someone gives you any flack about it, tell them, "well, you perfectly welcome to try to take it away from the child YOURSELF, she might bite you though".
K. h.

1 mom found this helpful

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

It took my son just 1 day to get over it. But he was older. We took his away at 2, unlike the situation you're in.

I'm guessing another day or two for you. Once she figures out that the screaming isn't going to help, she'll figure out something else to soothe with. Does she have another thing she clings to? My DD has a blankie in addition to her paci. If she doesn't have another item, maybe try introducing one, to see if that helps?

Sorry mama! I know how much this sucks with the holidays here.

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K.M.

answers from Norfolk on

My daughter was 2 when we got rid of hers. Until then she only got it at night. We went cold turkey (she thinks she gave it to her cousin's dog) and we had 2 rough nights and that was it. Stay strong, it's tough!!!

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

Better for this to happen now at 15 months than to let her get older and even more attached. We had to take it from our oldest on her 3rd b-day and it was awful! At least a week of nights like you described. We learned our lesson and took it from our youngest by 18 months. Stick with it, it will be hard, but hopefully within a week she will be over it. I feel your pain!

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I.G.

answers from Seattle on

My DD was two when we did away with the paci. We had abandoned it at naptime for a few weeks before so it was not quite cold turkey.
She cried for one night. She did kept asking for them for a few weeks (maybe two months) but without tears...
Now that you have started just stick it out (otherwise you will have to start all over again), it will be a few days tops and you will have it behind you!

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

We did ours at 13 months and it took a week of her waking up on and off and having a little trouble going back to sleep, but she also has a blankie so that helped a lot.

1 mom found this helpful

B.S.

answers from Lansing on

A couple days was tops for my kids. My oldest daughter was 18 months and my youngest was about 2 1/2.

I did not have to switch my kids to a stuffed animal or blanket but perhaps you can offer that to your daughter.

Good luck....hang in there. If you stay strong, it should only take days.....but if you give in next time it could take a lot longer. So just think in those terms.

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R.D.

answers from Richmond on

I had my kids quit cold turkey... they weren't as old as your kiddo, but I'd say they were pretty mad the first 2 days, then that turned to being sad about it, then they just accepted that paci's were NEVER coming back and got over it. I'd say the total turn around didn't take a week.

I recently found 1 paci that escaped the garbage (and my son's been off of them for over a year)... he saw it and said 'baby!' and ran to find a doll to give the paci too. Too cute ;)

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D.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

We did ours at around 2 and it only took about 2 nights. Although our son was down to having it only at home at night, not even nap time. That's tough with the molars but she might make it. I'm thinking about cutting our 13 month old back but he also has molars coming in so I am waiting. 1 more to go! I would say if you already did it 1 night though....keep going!

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N.L.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter went "cold turkey" at 12 months. The first night was the worse, the 2nd a little better, and completely fine by night 3.

Luckily, we weren't in the middle of dealing with teething. Maybe just offer her some extra snuggles or a transition item. My daughter didn't really go for blankies/animals, though.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.F.

answers from Cleveland on

I didn't take my son's paci away until he was 2 1/2 and I'm glad that I waited that long. At that point he was only using it for bed and nap time and I decided it was definitely time to get rid of it. I did it cold turkey and I was shocked at how well he took it. It was a lot easier to do it when he was older because I explained that his paci broke and I had to throw it away and I wasn't buying a new one and at that age he understood what I was saying. He got sad and asked me to get him a new one a few times, but that was IT! Not even a big deal like I thought it would be. So, for me it was easier to wait until he was older. Is there a reason why you want to get rid of it now? I think it is going to be a stressful process for you from what you have said so maybe at least wait until the holidays are over. Good luck!

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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

about 5 days of hell then about a month of little tears and asking at times

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L.H.

answers from Johnson City on

Our dd chewed on her paci and had a hole/slit in it... she threw it down and never wanted it again. I think that little tear in the nipple of it bothered her.

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

3 days and he was done, this was at 13 months. Hang in there!

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T.R.

answers from Clarksville on

well you could always try the paci fairy. If you have any paci's around the house that it. We did the paci fairy by putting the paci's in a tree outside our house and the next day they were gone with a new baby doll sitting there in the tree. My little girl thought it was so awesome she took the baby to bed from then on. I know its only replacing one thing with another but hey it worked for us. Now if you dont have any more in the house maybe you could just try finding a special way to involve her in getting a baby doll. Other ideas could be rocking her with some sooth nature sounds until she is almost asleep then put her down for bed with the baby. Its hard i know i have three lol. and either way it usually takes at least three days of insanity to break them from anything.

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C.R.

answers from Seattle on

Three nights. The second was the worst for us. Good luck and hang in there!

By the way, I was so happy I did it cold turkey. It was three nights of roughness, but then it was done and over with. I did it at 12 months with my daughter.

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