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August 2014 Moms
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pacifier vs fingers

lookame3639lookame3639 member
in August 2014 Moms
I'm noticing DD is a comfort sucker. I'm torn on the use of pacifiers since i don't want her to become addicted however I've noticed she'll resort to her fingers which can be equally detrimental. My sister was a thumb sucker and caused all sorts of damage to her thumbs and teeth, my niece also sucks on her fingers and she's developed sores on them.

Just wondering which is better and/or if there's an even better way of soothing...
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Re: pacifier vs fingers

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  • BeachMBeachM member
    DS1 used a paci to sleep until he was 3. Taking it away was very easy and his slight overbite fixed itself within a few weeks. No regrets.
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  • tamarar5tamarar5 member
    I agree that it's much easier to take away a paci than a finger. :)
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  • +RBL++RBL+ member
    Like others have said, a paci will be easier to take away.

    In a similar sentiment, a thumb is harder to lose!

    DS (16m) never took to a paci but is a thumb sucker. DD has accepted a paci so far, keeping my fingers crossed that she will keep with it. Either way, I feel neither is permanent and plenty of people do both, so we will survive.
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  • SoSayWeAllSoSayWeAll member
    We plan on introducing the paci after a few weeks and then taking it away around 4 months. We will see what we actually do though ;)
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  • dogperson11dogperson11 member
    I was a thumb sucker and can remember the trials my parents went through to get me to stop. I don't think I was fully done with my thumb until I was 7 or 8 (at night, not in public or anything). We will be offering a paci if baby seems to want to suck for comfort. We hope to wean off so it's used in the car and crib only by 6 months, but we'll see how that goes. Both of my SILs didn't use them with our nephews so I know I'm going to hear about it, but screw them.
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  • shevaCCshevaCC member
    Like @dogperson11‌, I remember being a thumb sucker too. When my parents finally broke me of that habit, it was pretty traumatic and I had a hard time falling asleep for a long time. Thankfully DD doesn't suck her thumb though she never took to a pacifier either. I might offer a paci to this little one depending on how strong his need to suck ends up being.
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  • RosebeanRosebean member
    I say don't overthink it. It could go either way. We offered DS a soother at first and he switched to his thumb when we sleep trained. It was a blessing because we don't have to race into his room to pop his soother in his mouth when it falls out and wakes him up in the MOTN. DD is now a comfort sucker too and she's been given a soother. She'll figure herself out later on as well... Either way, whether we take her soother away from her or teach her how not to suck her thumb, it's something we can think about later. Worrying about it now feels moot.
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  • oursong611oursong611 member
    My five youngest siblings all sucked on their thumbs or fingers. Some of them didn't break the habit until they were 10 or 12 and getting picked on! Some of them still have messed up teeth and blistered or scarred fingers too. I'm planning on trying pacifiers with our son, so that I can take them away when he gets too big for them. As previous posters stated, you can't take away a thumb/finger! 
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  • haliebabyx3haliebabyx3 member

    FTM here, but I have heard before it's easier to take the paci than the fingers. I did neither, my mom said I would spit a paci out and would make a face. H was a finger sucker, he sucked his two fingers. You can see where it did a little bit to his two front teeth. I did have a cousin that sucked her thumb until she was in her early tweens. My aunt tried everything to get her to stop and I mean everything. The spicy stuff they read to put on it, my cousin sucked it right off and said it was good.

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  • ungraceful13ungraceful13 member
    I picked the paci bc you could take it away. DD gave it up at 6 months and became a thumb sucker. So I tried but she still did what she wanted. We will do the paci with DS and see how it goes.
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  • winterkatewinterkate member
    Love this thread! I broke down an gave DD a paci already against lactation consultant advice (she's 9 days) because she kept trying to stick her fist in her mouth lol. My MIL came over and voiced her displeasure (I'm trying to put it nicely). Next time I see her I'm going to have to lay down the law haha. Nice to have all you ladies in my corner!
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  • RosebeanRosebean member
    @winterkate‌ DD has had her soother since we got home from the hospital. Nipple confusion be damned. A nurse in L&D told me she nursed and did pacis from day one and had no issues... SOLD!
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  • winterkatewinterkate member
    @Rosebean‌ - thanks! The first nurse we had after delivery said something similar, so I did feel it was ok plus I was using a nipple shield- she was sucking on plastic anyway, lol :)
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