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14 week old starting to suck thumb!

Hi,

My baby boy is only 14 weeks old and I have noticed over the past two days he has started sucking his thumb. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, what do you think? He didn't have a dummie as I don't like them. Should I try to get him out of thumb sucking asap and if so, how?!

Replies

  • dd didnt have a dummy either and she sucks her thumb when she is tired and uses it to go to sleep for naps and bed time. it means 1) i know when she is tired and 2) it helps with self soothing as she doesnt lose the dummy
  • The choice is yours i guess whether to stop or not, but as you don't like dummies it may be the only thing your boy likes for comfort.

    I chose a dummy for this reason, as i didn't want thumb sucking, as in my own opinion i can throw the dummy away, but not the thumb.

    If you don't mind him sucking his thumb, just let him carry on image

  • As others have said it's all down to personal opinion.

    My son started sucking his thumb at a very early age but only ever when he was hungry or tired. From about 12 months he stopped sucking it other than when I put him in his cot at night & at 17 months he has virtually stopped this too, whereas all of his friends who used dummies still have them during the day now.

    I believe that he stopped early because he can only play with 1 hand if he's sucking his thumb whereas if he had a dummy he would still have both hands free to play.

    Xxx
  • my ds started sucking his thumb at 5 months. He had used a dummy on and off but refused once he found his thumb. It has actually been a blessing as he now sleeps beautifully during the day. He wakes up, has a look around then pop his thumb back in and goes back to sleep!
  • I'm mum to a thumb sucker. He founf his thumb really early and slept brilliantly (he's now a bad sleeper but that's another story!).
    He's now 2.5yrs old and only sucks thumb if he's really tired or needs comfort after pain.

    The only thing you need to watch is when LO is playing outside. I'm not fussy about germs but I've caught my son sucking his thumb when his hands have been filthy, not nice!

    Liz x
  • My little girl started sucking her thumb as soon as she was old enough to coordinate putting it in her mouth, I think at about a month old (she's now 13 months). She does it when she's getting tired, wants a drink or feels a little unsure of a situation. As it's such a comfort to her I have no intention of making her stop, for the time being. I'm hoping she'll just grow out of it, but if not but would rather face that battle when she's old enough to understand, not when she's too little to comprehend why I'm forbidding her main source of comfort.
  • Hiya, I too am mama to a thumb sucker (5 months). Gave her a dummy but still prefers the thumb! I admit I was a bit unsure whether it was good or bad but she has always been a 'sucky baby' and her thumb gives her great comfort. She uses it to self-soothe and if she wakes up at night instead of calling out for a dummy will suck her little thumb and send herself off to sleep again! Like Pink Toothbrush, I wouldn't make her stop until she's good and ready x

    Helen x
  • My DD2 started sucking her 2 middle fingers at about 3 months and we thought it looked really cute But now aged 4 her fingers are a real mess (they have callouses on them, her nails don't grow and her fingers are a slightly different shape and they can get very sore) and she can not sleep without sucking them! Also in the cold weather she can not wear gloves incase she wants to suck them. Whem at the same age my DS2 started i stopped him!
    My other 3 all self settle without sucking their fingers or a dummy!

    But each to their own.
  • my lo is a thumb sucker and i agree i dont mind as its a comfort to him. He only does it of a night for a very short settling period. i would say that i would stop him if he started doing it in the day randomly and i would also intervene at the age of 2.

    But for now im quite happy not replacing a dummy in the night!!!!

    XX
  • Gosh I think I wrote this post myself a few months ago ! :\)

    At 13 weeks old my dd found her thumb and from that point forward wasnt interested in a dummy at all (she had used one from 2 weeks old). I didnt want her to suck her thumb, I had seen my brother do it well into his teens and ruin his teeth and have a funny shaped thumb from it but I tell ya once she found it there was no stopping her.

    On the plus side she self settles to sleep now and I dont have to keep going and putting a dummy back in. She doesnt suck it all the time, usually when she's tired, upset, unsure about the situation or eating (can be quite mucky). I would never try to stop her now especially as she wants the comfort and wouldnt be able to understand why i'm stopping her from doing it.
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