Pacifier vs thumb?

NikkiD522 · November 2013

I find myself constantly removing LOs hand/fingers from his mouth and replacing it with his pacifier under the notion "a pacifier is easier to take away than a thumb".. But.. I wonder if it's necessary to nip it in the bud this soon? I feel bad for the poor guy.. Am I being ridiculous?

amarissa85 · November 2013

I don't see the problem this early. LO is going to chew on his hands, it is his way of discovering things around him. If I put anything near LO's mouth he will probably chew on it. Jr. chews his hands all the time.

LJUTCMommy · November 2013

I am having a debate about this with myself. Like you said, it's easier to take away a pacifier. OTOH, I think sucking thumbs/fists is better for the development of their teeth. And may interfere less with BF. But I've read conflicting reports.

No advice, but I'll be watching this thread.

LEMSA · November 2013

I don't think about it much. Both my siblings were finger suckers and my mom couldn't stop them. My sisters middle finger is crooked bc she sucked her first too fingers too much.

He chews on his hand, but he either bites too hard it it doesn't give him satisfaction bc he'll look super distraught and cry. Then he'll take the paci. Sometimes he just wants his hand. As long as he's happy I don't really care.

Carnation77 · November 2013

I sucked my thumb. I grew out of it. My teeth are straight and I don't have an overbite. If LO wants to suck his thumb - or heck, the entire hand - I don't really care. It soothes him and that soothes me!

southernmama8813 · November 2013

I was concerned with DD sucking her thumb for the same reasons, but realized it's SO much easier than getting up a million times a night to put her pacifier back in. She'll stop sucking it eventually.

CaliforniaDream87 · November 2013

My LO sucks both. I don't think it's a big deal at this stage.

rissa06 · November 2013

Both my older two suck their fingers. My 5 yr old just stopped, but every once in a while she does it again. My son still sucks his thumb. Every once in a while I wish they used a paci , so it would be easier to say the paci fairy is coming.

At this age it is all about the hands. Some babies like their fingers and other babies love the paci. I think u have some more time before they truely show a preference.

ELauren88 · November 2013

LO loves her thumb and refuses to take a paci anymore. I'm on team "cross-the-habit-breaking-bridge-when-we-come-to-it".

AACaHa13 · November 2013

I wouldn't worry about it. My lo basically sucks on his whole hand all day long! He pretty much gags himself and I can't keep him from putting his his hands in his mouth.

MissyCee · November 2013

My LO is just starting to occasionally suck on her fingers/hand and I don't stop her though I will usually offer her the paci. This early I don't have a problem with her doing it.

mommabmb · November 2013

We only give a paci when he's unable to soothe himself and I'm not helping... However, I was a thumb sucker until I was 9 (?!?!) so I'm super conscious of him making a habit... I get your dilemma!!

CourtJack · November 2013

Oh geez. I am actually trying to get LO to suck her thumb so I can ditch the paci. I think it's absolutely adorable when little kids suck their thumbs.

Lilmrslay · November 2013

I've actually been trying to get LO to suck her thumb. She won't take a pacifier and it would be good for her to have something to self soothe snd I would rather a thumb than replacing a pacifier all night like we did with SS. But LO tucks her thumbs permanently under her fingers so it's a no go for her.

PB102012 · November 2013

I tried in the very beginning but quickly threw in the towel. LO used to love pacis but now she prefers her hand. I don't mind it so much because it's a form of comfort for her I am sure, and I don't have to worry about her dropping her hand and having to put it back in her mouth several times

MammaBear81 · November 2013

This young I don't worry about it, if baby is fussy though, I do grab the pacifier because I don't want him to equate his fingers with "soothing" discovery is fine though! All my boys took pacifiers and it was SOOOOO much easier to take the paci away, restricted it to bed time/long car trips at 6 months, then took it away at 2.

My daughters found their fingers/thumbs and I didn't push the pacifier enough and my 5 year old still sucks her thumb at night. The only reason my almost 4 year old stopped was because she got something similar to hand/foot/mouth (but it was only sores in her mouth) and it hurt her to suck on her fingers for 2 weeks, that "broke" the habit, if that hadn't happened I'm sure she would still be sucking her fingers. My daughters are also the only two in the family with an over bite, so I prefer the pacifier to fingers!

FutureMRSTillman · November 2013

I don't really see a problem with either one. LO eats her hands. I often have to pull her hand away because she gags herself, which is oddly precious. Even though it's cute, I'm glad she's growing out of gagging herself (I guess it was a lack of control of her hands causing that..). She uses the paci in the car and for about 30 seconds after I put her in her crib at night and she wakes just a little bit from placing her down. I find that letting her suck on her hands has been more soothing to her though.

LiylaRae · November 2013

LO loves her thumb and it helps her self sooth so why not. Once it starts becoming a problem we will try to get her to stop.

BlueJewelM · November 2013

Ds1 was a thumb sucker. Well is, he will sometimes suck his thumb when he is tired. It was just so much easier than a paci and he never wanted the paci...so I didn't fight it.

I had a lot of lengthy discussions with his both his drs about it when he was little and now. Both have said it's really not a problem for most kids. It's rare for it to continue past 3 and pretty rare for it to cause dental issues prior to 4. With how little DS1 does it now we don't expect it to last much longer (he's 2) or cause any damage.

If DS2 wants to be a thumb sucker that's fine by me. I will keep offering a paci for now though. I figure babies have sucked their thumbs for hundreds of years!!! So if it's what he prefers I won't freak out about it until 3. I won't be the first or last parent to deal with thumb sucking. So I'm pretty "meh" over the whole thing.

melosch · November 2013

I tried introducing pacis, but LO didn't like any of the 6 kinds we tried.

He is now LOVING to suck on his hand, knuckles and thumb (when he doesn't gag himself with it). Honestly, I'd rather he suck on his hand because with a pacifier it could interfere with him exploring as he grows. I know babies use their mouths to check things out and learn about objects and having a paci in would definitely get in the way of that exploration and learning. But I was a paci baby and I think I came out okay. Honestly, whatever makes him happy, I don't think either pose any serious risk or harm.

tanabeans · November 2013

LO chews and sucks her hands out of entertainment and exploration. She never took a paci. If she starts using her hand for comfort I'm ok with that.

magdalina.h · November 2013

I only do that because the sound of sucking drives me nuts. Now if she's on the floor and doing that, I leave her alone.

Lorjo2022 · November 2013

I'm happy this question was asked because I've been wondering the same thing. I'm sorry I don't have any advice but I've often thought that sucking a pacifier would be easier to break than sucking a thumb!

NikkiD522 · November 2013

Thanks for all of your feedback, ladies!

I think I'll take a more relaxed approach .. it'll probably make us both happier :-)

ScarletOflaherty · November 2013

It's so natural they do it in the womb. I don't see a problem with it myself, 2 of my 3 older kids did it and both stopped on their own eventually.

Critter015 · November 2013

As a baby I sucked my thumb. My mom said it was better than the pacifier because there was nothing extra to keep track of, but I sucked it until I was in first grade.

My DD never took a pacifier but began sucking her thumb at around 4 months old. She used it as a self soothing technique and it helped her put herself to sleep. I didn't worry too much about it. She stopped sucking it on her own by the time she was 8 months or so.

I'm hoping my DS learns to suck his thumb soon because he needs to get better at self soothing and he won't take a pacifier either.

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