Hand sucking

lola808

How did you approach hand/finger/thumb sucking? Did you discourage it (e.g., moving hand away, replacing with a paci or teething toy, etc.)? Or, if you let it be, did it necessarily lead to long-term thumb sucking?

Adrian is just starting to do this, and I think it's completely adorable!

mrspresley

i never discouraged the hand sucking. even though she did it all the time she didn't discover her thumb until she was 5 months old... and even now she only occasionally sucks on it...she doesn't really use her thumb like a paci or anything....i find she'll put it in her mouth when she is bored or hungry but it's kind of just there, she doesn't actively suck on it.  i still try to pull it out sometimes and redirect her to a toy though, just b/c i am concerned that she will develop a thumb sucking habit...

myday1708

Yeah, I don't really do anything. She teeths on her hand I think. It's fine!

mrs.winter

No, I didn't discourage hand/thumb sucking. Ashton dosen't take a paci so if that was going to be a way to soothe himself I was all for it.  It only last a few weeks and he stopped. I think it's just a phase of them noticing their hands, etc.

inamra

Our LO found his thumb when we were still in the hospital so I'm sure he was already a thumbsucker in the womb. I discourage it by moving his hand away and replacing it with a paci. Both MH and I had thumbsucking issues as kids (we both got attached to our thumb for too long) so I'm afraid that our LO may be more likely to do the same, so that's why I discourage it. I sometimes let it go, but usually I try to stop it. Oh, and I only discourage the thumb. I don't mind the hand/fist/and other finger. I just feel that the thumb is more habit-forming.

redshoegirl

Will does this and I replace it with a paci, but only because he only does it when his paci has fallen out and the paci is what he actually wants. Hope that makes sense lol!

MauiWedding08

I don't do anything about it but it hasn't really been an issue.  Jack doesn't like the paci and only occasionally "finds" his thumb.  Not sure if I would be more worried if it was an everyday thing...