Thumb Sucker?

[Michele]

So Kai - 12 weeks old - seems to be a thumb sucker. Already. I didn't even know they could suck their thumbs this young. He's had a strong suck drive since birth....and would get mad with my milk flow sometimes...so we've used the pacifier since he was about 3 weeks....but the last two weeks he has preferred his thumb....sometimes other fingers but usually the thumb.

I didn't want a thumb sucker. So is it something I should worry about now? Or just pay for the braces later? I figured the pacifier would be easier to get rid of than the thumb...so I've been trying to push the pacifier.....but really...I'm smoking crack, right, to think anything I do can change this??

[Tenacious_D]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Eli is the same...he takes the pacifier out in order to suck his fingers and thumbs. We read a few articles/books that say we should try to break that habit earlier rather than later. I was a thumbsucker and my parents waited way too long to stop me and I had braces as a result.

[JaneDoe]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Both of my kids were/are thumbsuckers. My dd started sucking her thumb at two months and she still sucks it. My ds, on the other hand, started sucking his thumb somewhere around 4 to 6 months. I don't remember exactly. He never seemed to be as attached to it as my dd. He stopped sucking his thumb around 1, when I had to put a band-aid on it because of a sore. He didn't like the band-aid and quit cold turkey.

I don't know that there is much you can do about the thumbsucking habit at that age. I've read that it really isn't an issue until the child is older. Based on my experience with my ds though, put a band-aid on the thumb around 1 year old and see if he quits.

Re: Thumb Sucker?

We used pacifiers with both the boys. Easy to get rid of around 12-18 months. DD was a thumb-sucker early on -sounds a lot like Kai. She found her thumb and hasn't stopped since. She is now 5 1/2 and is doing some damage to her teeth. We have tried all sorts of methods - both reward and threats and nothing works. Truly, it is a PITA. She was the easiest baby, by far, and I attributed it to her thumb habit - but now I wish I would have stopped her much, much earlier. Good luck!

[Pollyanna]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Our girls were thumb suckers and the boys used pacifiers. Thumbs are WAY easier and don't worry about the braces. Our dentist says as long as they stop before the adult teeth come in you'll be okay. This has been true for our oldest. She sucked her thumb until she was 6.5 and her teeth look great. She likely won't even need braces.

[JaneDoe]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

She was the easiest baby, by far, and I attributed it to her thumb habit - but now I wish I would have stopped her much, much earlier. Good luck!

My dd was easier than than ds when it came to sleep. She started sleeping through the night at 2 months, nine hours at a time and she was exclusively breast fed. That started at the same time the thumb sucking did and I've always wondered if the two were related.

Re: Thumb Sucker?

My youngest who is now 8 is a 2 finger sucker-never would take a pacifier. She still sucks at age 8 when she is tired or watching TV. Will be facing braces as she has a huge overbite.

[MrsK]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

My nephew was sucking his thumb at 8-10 weeks (while in my care. yikes!) I tried to stop it right when it started, substituting a pacifier each time he went for the thumb. He'd actually hold his thumb over the pacifier and "pretend" that the pacifier was the thumb. Then as soon as I moved away from him, he'd loose the pacifier. He's 3 now and still occassionally sucks his thumb.

[houseelf]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

I didn't want a thumb sucker. So is it something I should worry about now? Or just pay for the braces later? I figured the pacifier would be easier to get rid of than the thumb...so I've been trying to push the pacifier.....but really...I'm smoking crack, right, to think anything I do can change this??

This thread has been wildly eye opening. It just shows how different each kid is.

Around 12 weeks, I kept pulling DD's thumb out and putting in a pacifier. I probably did this a hundred times over the span of a few days. She eventually took to the pacifier and I tried to wean her at two, three, and finally at four I met success. Ironically when I took the pacifier at two and three, she went back to the thumb. It wasn't until she was four that she could go cold turkey to both.

Kelly

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Adele doesn't take either - she took a pacifier until about a month ago, now she's not interested. Of course if she would take either then maybe she wouldn't still be taking a bottle as the only means to get her to bed when she naps or sleeps.

[Phoebe]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Out of 3, I have two pacifer users and one two-finger sucker from 3 months on. My 5 year old, the finger sucker, still has the habit when she is tired. My two year old is so obsessed with her "binki" that we haven't even tried to take it away yet. Not a battle I want to fight yet. Both the younger ones have moved their teeth with their vices.

[DCJenn]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Dude sucks two fingers (upside down) and he's starting to outgrow it, when he's tired or nervous he'll suck his fingers.

As Tara (I think?) said, our dentist said it's not likely to do damage until the adult teeth come in.

I figured I wasn't about to yank his fingers out of his mouth upon arrival at Dulles and given it was an entirely new life, I thought whatever soothing thing worked for him was fine. (same reason we didn't bother having him circumsized- 'welcome to your new country, we'd like to take a whack at your willy now.'

Jenn

[houseelf]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

'welcome to your new country, we'd like to take a whack at your willy now.'

This is hysterical.

Kelly

[moonlight]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

Dude sucks two fingers (upside down) and he's starting to outgrow it, when he's tired or nervous he'll suck his fingers.

As Tara (I think?) said, our dentist said it's not likely to do damage until the adult teeth come in.

I figured I wasn't about to yank his fingers out of his mouth upon arrival at Dulles and given it was an entirely new life, I thought whatever soothing thing worked for him was fine. (same reason we didn't bother having him circumsized- 'welcome to your new country, we'd like to take a whack at your willy now.'

Jenn

I've been meaning to ask you this... how old was your son when you brought him to the US?

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Re: Thumb Sucker?

I have a student (16) who will suck her thumb if she falls asleep in my class