Thumb sucking

skate88 · December 2012

Has anyone found a good article on thumb sucking? My DD is 13 weeks old and just started sucking her thumb. I'm trying to prevent this, but she is a crazy sucker! She does use a pacifier but when it falls out, in goes the thumb. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with thumb sucking, just that I would rather have to break the pacifier habit as it is a bit easier than thumb sucking.

mben1119 · December 2012

Thumb sucking as an infant isn't a big concern for me. Babies need a way to self soothe, and for us, the pacifier wasn't best.

skate88 · December 2012

Oh for sure, I totally agree with you. I figured because she takes a pacifier easily, that perhaps I could prevent the thumb sucking habit. My aunt, who is in her 50s, still sucks her thumb when she is tired. She doesn't even know she does it. Anyways, that's why i'm looking for a good article about thumb sucking...want to read up on it.

gonggirl_98 · December 2012

I have no clue how to stop this, but have you considered that when she starts having sleep issues that it will be a heck of a lot easier if she sucks her thumb than having to play the pacifier game all night?

skate88 · December 2012

gonggirl_98@yahoo.com:
I have no clue how to stop this, but have you considered that when she starts having sleep issues that it will be a heck of a lot easier if she sucks her thumb than having to play the pacifier game all night?

Oh, she sleeps from 9:30pm til 7:00am straight. She doesn't sleep with her pacifier usually. Hopefully we don't have any sleep issues! Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. I really just wanted to read up on what professionals say about thumb sucking. I just haven't been able to find a good article.

samibear74 · December 2012

I don't have an article but I just followed what my mother did with all of us. Any time she saw us with our thumb in our mouth she just gently took it out. I did the same thing my son (5.5 months) and he no longer even bothers to try and put his thumb in his mouth. He also doesn't take a pacifier either. We offered it to him when he was younger but he always spit it out.

samibear74 · December 2012

gonggirl_98@yahoo.com:
I have no clue how to stop this, but have you considered that when she starts having sleep issues that it will be a heck of a lot easier if she sucks her thumb than having to play the pacifier game all night?

Your siggy made me LOL! That is so me!

juliane2004 · December 2012

Personally, I'm fine with it. DD1 is a thumb sucker but her teeth are fine (dentist in Oct).

aadewitt · December 2012

The hand out I got at the Drs office said that finger/thumb sucking at early ages isn't a big deal- its a bigger deal when they are older and it can affect their teeth growth.

MetholicBlog · December 2012

Thumb sucking, or other ways of self-soothing, are critically important to a child's psychological development. If a child is constantly prevented from doing the one activity that they enjoy for self-soothing it can have long term repercussions. If you don't make a big deal out of it, it naturally fades away, but if you are constantly harping on your child about it then it becomes a battle-issue.

Our dentist said as long as it stops by about age 5 it is fine and even after that occasionally doing it when upset or at night is fine. I think it's more adults who have hang ups about it than it actually being bad for kids. Plus I'd rather have my kid suck her thumb occasionally than see her with a pacifier at age 3 still, that drives me nuts, and it (pacifier use into toddler-hood) can interfere with speech development.

lmj8284 · December 2012

My daughter has been a thumb sucker from the start. She has always refused a paci. It's fine with me. She needs a way to self soothe and this is her way. She sleeps great all night and I never have to worry about searching for a lost paci.

jlynnharvey · December 2012

I actually want my LO to take the thumb. I get tired of playing the pacifier game and would love for her to be able to self soothe.

lme_bsb8280 · December 2012

I have a thumb sucker too and all the coments on here have made me feel much better about it. Plus everyone says how cute she sucks her thumb....I really dont like those comments but I aways say yes she is cute lol and I dont have to worry about a paci

skate88 · December 2012

Ok, you all made me feel a bit better. I really was interested in reading up about it but couldn't seem to find anything. But it seems that at 3 months, it is not a big deal so perhaps I'll let it just happen. I just don't want to create a huge monster later!

Want a personalized experience?

Thumb sucking

Re: Thumb sucking

Choose Another Board

Search Boards