Does anyone have a recommended sleep training method suitable for a 4.5 month old who has become reliant on sucking on our fingers in order to go to sleep, or any experience with this problem themselves?
We first started letting him suck on our fingers as a suck training tool as he couldn’t breastfeed until he was gone seven weeks old. We were recommended to avoid pacifiers until after he’d figured out nursing, so unfortunately by the time he was allowed to try one he wasn’t interested, fingers are clearly his preference. He doesn’t seem to find sucking on his own hands soothing enough either, he’s still practicing that during the day.
He takes most of his naps in his Next2Me crib, except perhaps one a day in his pram or carrier on a walk. I try other methods of soothing him (shushing, stroking, etc), which help, but without allowing him to suck on a finger too he won’t sleep and usually ramps up the crying intensity from a grumble to inconsolable.
Before his sleep regression I was trying to take the finger away before he fully fell asleep, which we were having a little success with, but since his sleep regression it seems to have become ingrained and if I take it away before he’s fully asleep he’ll just start immediately crying for it.
Any recommendations are appreciated.