Pacifier or thumb?

oklahomamom09 · December 2014

The nurse in the hospital gave us a Soothie to use with LO but he hardly ever takes it (usually only after having gripe water). He's been starting to suck on his thumb here lately sooo I'm just wondering if you would rather your LO to use a pacifier or suck on their thumb.

oklahomamom09 · December 2014

targetpopcornmomma said:
Pacifier. They get thrown away eventually but thumbs are forever.

This is true, did your LO just automatically take it? Mine screams when I stick it in his mouth lol

wildflower75 · December 2014

targetpopcornmomma said:
Pacifier. They get thrown away eventually but thumbs are forever.

All of THIS!

KMW08 · December 2014

targetpopcornmomma said:
Pacifier. They get thrown away eventually but thumbs are forever.

Exactly! If you happen to have trouble when trying to break the habit in the future, you can take away a pacifier. You can't take away fingers

I don't have any research to offer, but I think I've heard that finger sucking is worse on teeth than a paci long term?

marajay6 · December 2014

I have no preference. My baby won't really take the pacifier - we've tried several times and still do. He is starting to suck his fist or thumb or fingers more often. He is even starting to self sooth by doing so.

rinaealy · December 2014

Argh my DD is a thumb sucker who is 3 she is now messing her bite and teeth up that her dentist wants to put a device in her mouth to keep her from doing this. So I voted neither.

oklahomamom09 · December 2014

sj+cm131 said:
I have no preference. My baby won't really take the pacifier - we've tried several times and still do. He is starting to suck his fist or thumb or fingers more often. He is even starting to self sooth by doing so.

This is how mine is

I'm now thinking it's not a good thing lol

NunyaBennis · December 2014

flutterbuggie said:

KMW08 said:

targetpopcornmomma said:
Pacifier. They get thrown away eventually but thumbs are forever.
Exactly! If you happen to have trouble when trying to break the habit in the future, you can take away a pacifier. You can't take away fingers
Well.. You could... :P

There it is!

Neither here. So far she just sucks on the back of her fist when she's hungry. She's attempted to suck her thumb a time or two, but more often finds other ways to self soothe (like stroke her cheek or the bridge of her nose).

She still hates a paci. I've had minor success if I just hold it for her to lick... does that count? More often, though, they just make her gag and throw up.
Two different people have tried to get her to suck her fingers. We're trying to decide if that's a battle to choose to fight or just let go. It's not something we want to encourage but aren't sure if that's soapbox worthy in the grand scheme of things since she's shown no desire to keep it up. We'll nip it if it happens again, but are hoping it was just one of those things that could be mentioned in the "dumb things people do" thread and then forgotten.

AnnieRoo13 · December 2014

I've hear two schools of thought on this. One being that the pacifier is easier to throw out like PPs said. The other says that a thumb is easier as you don't have to look for it in the crib in the MOTN etc.

LO took a pacifier easily, but he will also suck on his hand/fingers if he doesn't have one. At this point it's not doing major damage

mander82 · December 2014

My boy hates the binky. I voted binky....cause my step daughter sucked her thumb til she was 8

KMW08 · December 2014

mander82 said:
My boy hates the binky. I voted binky....cause my step daughter sucked her thumb til she was 8

This. I'm not judging anybody as I was a finger sucker. I did the middle two (think I love you finger sign) Until I was 8 or 9. Apparently it was hell to get me to stop as I escaped all blocks and bad flavored finger nail polish didn't phase me.

meeshybee · December 2014

I was a thumb sucker, DS was a thumb sucker, and I have no problems with LO being a thumb sucker. I *wish* the other girls had sucked their thumbs once they refused the pacifiers. They had absolutely no way to soothe and it was really frustrating. LO sucks her fist when she can find it.

It may sound hypocritical, but I hate seeing 3 and 4 yr olds with pacifiers but have no problem with thumbs. You never have to worry about forgetting a thumb at home, and I've never seen a kid try to talk around their thumb. Neither I nor DS have had dental problems because of it.

MmmPopcorn · December 2014

SS, I think? DS likes a Soothie, but he has been trying (and failing) to suck his thumb for the last week. He's getting closer. He used to put his whole fist in his mouth, but he's starting to aim the thumb in the right direction, so I suspect that we may have a budding thumbsucker on our hands.

lovingaddi · December 2014

targetpopcornmomma said:
Pacifier. They get thrown away eventually but thumbs are forever.

This exactly. DD1 never took a paci or sucked her thumb so we lucked out. DD2 will occassionally take a paci but we had to try several different brands to find one she likes (so she wouldn't be using me as a pacifier quite as much). no signs of any interest in sucking her thumb (yet?)

lizgrace03 · December 2014

WildFlower810 said:
I hate playing put-the-paci-back-in at all hours of the night. I'm hoping LO figures out his thumb soon.

Get back to me in two years about what I think then about my wish now.

This. Also reaching around to give it back when I'm driving and he's in the car seat.

rox825 · December 2014

LO is in the doesn't love pacifiers and sucks on his fist group. If he becomes a thumb sucker eventually it won't bother me, but we are still working on the pacifier.

kstirton · December 2014

I dont mind the pacifier but I did say thumb because they dint fall out (or off)

mamatohne · December 2014

I voted ss I would do anything at this point to get lo to suck on anything other than my nipple.

HappyToBeHere · December 2014

I was a long-time thumb sucker. I did need braces for an overbite (likely because of this), but that wasnt the end of the world. I'd prefer LO to be a thumb sucker because of the reasons PPs have given (not easily lost, etc).

soulcupcake · December 2014

Neither, but if I had to choose, fingers or thumb. I prefer my LOs to nurse for comfort. My girls never took a pacifier (or bottle), nor did they suck on their fingers or thumb. My ds2 only took a soothie up until about 4-6 weeks. He only took it on occasion when he wasn't able to nurse.

I just tried giving Ruby the wubbanub my former SIL gave her for X-mas. She sucked on it a few times and spit it out. *shrug* She prefers the boob, as did my other kids.

Want a personalized experience?

Pacifier or thumb?

Pacifier or thumb? 126 votes

Re: Pacifier or thumb?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards