thumb sucker in the making!

amynicole21 wrote: Nora is trying SO hard to get her little fingers in her mouth. She smacks at them and grunts all day and night. I try to help her, but she won't grab hold of them. She also refuses to take a binky so that I can get some peace and quiet for a few minutes I'm a little unsure that I want a thumb sucking baby - germs and the inability to take them away from her are the most daunting reasons. But if it will keep her happy, so be it! I wish she would just get them in there already though!!

Tamatha replied: Trey is doing the same thing! And if I try to help him, he just gets mad. Eventually he usually does get a finger in there, whether it is a thumb or one of this other fingers. He actually seems to like sucking on his ring finger... lol Once his mouth is stronger, I think I'll probably switch him to a pacifier, just because they are easier to take away than fingers!

Kaitlin'smom replied: it took Kait a while before she got the hang of it. Now its such habit for her to suck it but we almot have her broke of day time sucking. We tell her its only for nap and bedtime.

ediep replied: Jason was a thumb sucker for a few months, but he stopped on his own before he turned 1

coasterqueen replied: LOL! Megan was/is like this too. She did get her thumb a few times but gave up. Now she prefers the whole hand in her mouth. She also won't take a binky unless she thinks she's almost to the brink of dying. She uses me to pacify herself. Oh well, I guess then I won't have to worry about germs, huh.

5littleladies replied: I just have one thing to say-Keep it under control and stop her as soon as you think she is old enough!! My girls have all been finger/thumb suckers and so far we have 1 daughter who is going to need braces big time! We just got her to stop (she's 7 ) but her thumb sucking has given her a huge overbite. Now I'm desperately trying to get the other 2 to stop before they do any damage to their mouths. The older they are, the harder it gets so while I understand the need for them to comfort themselves (for your sanity ) try and get her to stop when you think she can handle it.

coasterqueen replied:
My PED told me with Kylie (because Kylie was starting to be a thumb sucker) NOT to let her suck her thumb that he'd rather see her use a pacifier instead. He said this because it's easier to get rid of the pacifier rather than the thumb. His 9 year old DD (at that time) STILL sucked her thumb and they did everything including tieing her arm to her leg so she wouldn't suck her thumb.

Pacifiers will still do lots of damage to the jaw bone area/teeth area but IMO a lot less than the thumb if they don't give it up easily. There's a book on this very subject I've been meaning to get but haven't. I have the title at home.

With Megan, DH didn't want to get started with the pacifier and wanted her to suck her thumb but we ultimately decided the pacifier was better. But she won't take both so she made the decision for us. Actually the breast is the best pacifier because the motion the baby's mouth makes to suck doesn't do damage to the teeth/jaw bone area.

This whole subject intrigues me because I have TMG and I've read a lot that says this can also be caused by bottles/pacifiers/thumb sucking etc. Course I didn't really get into it til after we did all this with Kylie.

RayaJoysmommy replied: I am fortunate that Raya takes a pacifier but I was thinking reading these post that doesn't it stand to reason that our BF babies would prefer their fingers than a pacifier. I mean if they are used to the feel of skin and that is what is comforting then a plastic nipple wouldn't be nearly as comforting right? BTW, Raya does use her fingers to self sooth some but if I remove her hand and give her a pacifier she is okay with that too. I was just mostly thinking out loud about the skin contact KWIM?

MommyToAshley replied: I have read both sides of the argument about teeth. I have heard different ages that it starts to affect their teeth too, so I don't know what is true?

I remember I found it weird that Ashley never sucked her thumb or took a pacifier. I am convinced that is why it took her so long to start sleeping through the night, she didn't have a way to soothe herself back to sleep. She wouldn't have anything to do with a paci, and DH tried to help her suck her thumb once and she didn't want anything to do with that either. But, in the end, I guess it worked out because we didn't have a habit to break. There's good and bad to both sides, I suppose.

JessC replied:
yeah my brother sucks his thumb still and hes 6. Yeah and I think he has an overbite also.

i always tell him to take it outta his mouth

luvbug00 replied: My friend sucked her thumb until the 9th grade. I don't reccomend suckling that long! Mya used passi only. being an othodontic tech. I saw first hand the damage done by suckling on a thumb. A little won't kill them so fine, but I wouldn't allow it for too long.

Catherine's Mommy replied: Cute!

Josie83 replied: Uh oh . . . xx