Paci vs thumb

Littledeer84

Today I was speaking with a co-worker who has an infant daughter close to Nora's age. She mentioned that whenever they see her start to try and suck her thumb, they stick the pacifier in her mouth. I guess they dont want her to suck her thumb. I have not done much research on this - what are the reasons you would want to avoid thumb sucking? I know later on it might cause dental problems, but at this young age I guess I thought of it as self soothing, and therefore a good thing. Any thoughts?

ValentineGirl

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

Dreamsicle23

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

This. 

geminibrooke

Aaron likes both. And right now, I think he can do whatever he wants and we will work on thumbsucking if we need to when he is a toddler. I sucked my thumb and have perfect teeth and don't think it is the end of the world that some people think.

IAM4UK

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

This!

liladelphia215

I try and replace her thumb with the pacifier. If I let her, she will suck her fingers until they are dry and chapped. Not only that, but she will have her fingers in her mouth and then touch her face, including her eyes, so I am afraid of the germs as well. 

If I don't catch it, or can't get to her right away, I don't go crazy over it, but I would rather her suck a paci. 

MrsDe2008

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

This is probably your co-worker's way of thinking, but I don't agree with it. DD won't take a paci at all and I would never pull her thumb out of her mouth if it sooths her when she is tired or upset. But, to each their own.

desertlady86

I do the same thing . I don't like to see kids sucking their thumbsf because I think it is pretty gross! DD will usually only chew on her thumb never really sucks it. If I notice she is starting to suck it, it is around the time she should be getting hungry and I feed her and she is good to go!

littlei3776

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

This!! I'm pro thumb, I was glad DS never took a paci.  I'm just not a fan of a paci.  I know it's one of my crazy "things".   And as for dental problems my brother sucked his thumb until he was 13 (in private when he was older of course) and never needed braces.  My brother who didn't suck a thumb or a paci needed braces.  I figure my son has a 50/50 chance of having braces anyway (I didn't have them and DF did)

kapereasd

DS#1 used a paci and it was a pain in the butt.  If we lost it or forgot it, there was a major meltdown.  So when DS#2 started to suck his thumb, I thought it was great - we couldn't lose or forget it, and if it fell out of his mouth in the middle of the night, he could get it back.

Now DS#2 is 4 - he will be 5 in 2 weeks...and we can't get him to stop sucking his thumb for the life of us.  We have tried everything...sticker charts, band-aids, tabasco sauce...and he still sucks it all the time.  He has messed up his teeth already and constantly is getting sick - he touches things that are dirty all day long and then stick that thumb (and the germs) in his mouth.  So gross.  

So now when LO starts to go for her thumb, she is interrupted with the paci, just like your friend.  That's just my reasoning though...not to say it's right or that you should discourage thumb sucking.  Many children stop on their own when they get a bit older, just not my son...

Mama_SAS

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

Yes there's that so the paci habit is easier to break, and the fact that thumbs/hands touch everything so they are more unsanitary than pacifiers. 

 

IMO thumbs have pros too - baby can't lose a thumb when they are sleeping or throw it out of the crib in the middle of the night. You never have to stop the car to replace the thumb if they drop it in the car seat. You can't forget a thumb when you leave the house or lose it at a store an hour from home.

 

Oh, and I sucked my thumb for years and never had any dental problems and I know plenty of people who didn't suck their thumbs who had tons of dental problems. Is it possible that some people just have teeth/jaws that are more prone to dental problems? Truly asking - I honestly don't know.

kapereasd

Mama_SAS:

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

Yes there's that so the paci habit is easier to break, and the fact that thumbs/hands touch everything so they are more unsanitary than pacifiers. 

 

IMO thumbs have pros too - baby can't lose a thumb when they are sleeping or throw it out of the crib in the middle of the night. You never have to stop the car to replace the thumb if they drop it in the car seat. You can't forget a thumb when you leave the house or lose it at a store an hour from home.

 

Oh, and I sucked my thumb for years and never had any dental problems and I know plenty of people who didn't suck their thumbs who had tons of dental problems. Is it possible that some people just have teeth/jaws that are more prone to dental problems? Truly asking - I honestly don't know.

DS's dentist referred him to an orthodontist who said the problem is that he is an 'active' sucker - he actually sucks on his thumb (loudly - I hear him going to town on it) rather than just holding it in his mouth for comfort...???

Mama_SAS

kapereasd:

Mama_SAS:

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

Yes there's that so the paci habit is easier to break, and the fact that thumbs/hands touch everything so they are more unsanitary than pacifiers. 

 

IMO thumbs have pros too - baby can't lose a thumb when they are sleeping or throw it out of the crib in the middle of the night. You never have to stop the car to replace the thumb if they drop it in the car seat. You can't forget a thumb when you leave the house or lose it at a store an hour from home.

 

Oh, and I sucked my thumb for years and never had any dental problems and I know plenty of people who didn't suck their thumbs who had tons of dental problems. Is it possible that some people just have teeth/jaws that are more prone to dental problems? Truly asking - I honestly don't know.

DS's dentist referred him to an orthodontist who said the problem is that he is an 'active' sucker - he actually sucks on his thumb (loudly - I hear him going to town on it) rather than just holding it in his mouth for comfort...???

Interesting. Huh.

Oh, and all those things you're trying for your DS, my parents tried them for me and nothing worked. If they put something that tasted bad on my thumb I'd just suck until I couldn't taste it anymore. And then once I got smart enough I'd just hide in my room to suck my thumb. 

One thing that might work is to put fake nails on his thumbs. My parents did try that and it *hurt* to suck them but I didn't let on and they didn't keep up with it. They'd have to be a little long, so it would look silly especially on a little boy, but I think it would work. 

littlei3776

Mama_SAS:

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

Yes there's that so the paci habit is easier to break, and the fact that thumbs/hands touch everything so they are more unsanitary than pacifiers. 

 

IMO thumbs have pros too - baby can't lose a thumb when they are sleeping or throw it out of the crib in the middle of the night. You never have to stop the car to replace the thumb if they drop it in the car seat. You can't forget a thumb when you leave the house or lose it at a store an hour from home.

 

Oh, and I sucked my thumb for years and never had any dental problems and I know plenty of people who didn't suck their thumbs who had tons of dental problems. Is it possible that some people just have teeth/jaws that are more prone to dental problems? Truly asking - I honestly don't know.

This exactly!!!  No middle of the night searches for a paci & one less thing you have to remember to pack!!

 

MNgirl326

littlei3776:

Mama_SAS:

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

Yes there's that so the paci habit is easier to break, and the fact that thumbs/hands touch everything so they are more unsanitary than pacifiers. 

 

 

IMO thumbs have pros too - baby can't lose a thumb when they are sleeping or throw it out of the crib in the middle of the night. You never have to stop the car to replace the thumb if they drop it in the car seat. You can't forget a thumb when you leave the house or lose it at a store an hour from home.

 

 

This exactly!!!  No middle of the night searches for a paci & one less thing you have to remember to pack!!

 

this 

My LO is a thumb sucker.  He basically rejected the paci no matter what I tried.  So he is now a thumb sucker.  yes, it will probably be a pain to break the habit, but for the time being I am enjoying the fact that he soothes himself. 

Jenniferk08

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

this is exactly why we are trying to push the pacifier, although he seems to like 1/2 his fist. 

MiniMadness

ValentineGirl:

I always thought the reasoning was that you can take the paci away eventually but you can't cut off a thumb.

THIS exactly. I have witnessed grown people sucking their thumb, but never a paci.

jessiesnwbrd

geminibrooke:

Aaron likes both. And right now, I think he can do whatever he wants and we will work on thumbsucking if we need to when he is a toddler. I sucked my thumb and have perfect teeth and don't think it is the end of the world that some people think.

This. I sucked my thumb...no braces needed. I love it when she finds her thumb to sooth herself. We will work on it...when it matters. To each their own I guess...just no body better lecture me!