A question about LO sucking thumb- dummy time?

[BabyMagic]

I posted a while ago about whether or not to give a dummy to LO. At that time I decided not to as there was no need.

However, LO has now started sucking her thumb. As someone here said it is easier to get rid of dummy than a thumb so I am now considering giving LO a dummy instead. I would only give it to her when she about to fall asleep (basically when she now uses her thumb).

I would be interested to hear how difficult it was for 'thumb suckers' to give up their bad habit later on? At what age did they finally stop it?

Any other views would be welcome too (ie what you have decided to do with your LO - so the question remains the same dummy or not)...

 

[rach]

hi christopher is a thumb sucker its awful ive tried from the start to get him to have a dummy as you can take that away but he wouldnt have 1. now sometimes he sucks his thumb so much it blisters and cracks its really sore if you can get her to have a dummy instead go for it
my friends son was a thumb sucker and she is still trying to stop him doing it hes now nearly 6 xxxxxxxxx

 

[daftscotslass]

I was dead set against a dummy before I had Becky but it's really the best thing to settle her off to sleep. She does tend to suck her thumb when she's grumpy or sleepy and my health visitor said it was easier to take away a dummy than chop off a thumb!

She doesn't get or need it when she's awake.

 

[Becky&Willow]

i gave willow a dummy to start with but she graduated to her thumb, she only really sucks it for comfort like going to sleep,upset unwell etc. dont know if this is the right attitude to have but if willow cant give up the habit then i would rather see an older child suckin there thumb then a dummy, but i am hoping she will stop early.

 

[Becky]

I was a finger sucker until I was 10. It started off as something I did when I was tired but the older I got I chose not to suck my finger through the day and it became a bedtime thing. I chose to stop and never had a problem with inappropriate sucking (like at school).

Lucy sucks two fingers at the same time as has done since she was 2 days old. I don't have a problem with this as she only sucks them when she's tired and is usually too busy playing or talking (you can't shut her up!)

What I know about dummies/fingers/thumbs is that once a child has a preference for one its near impossible to change them over. There's no rationale for why certain things comfort them (Lucy and I both like to rub ribbons between our fingers) and some children have a blankie etc.

I don't think its a problem whatever method you choose, if it gives a child comfort then what's wrong with that. I used to worry about how I would stop Lucy sucking her fingers during the day but like I said, she barely does it because she's just too busy doing other things.

Oh and the advantage of fingers/thumbs is that your child has to take them out to eat/drink/talk/play etc.

 

[BabyMagic]

Thanks for your replies.

Rach - blistered thumb doesn't sound like fun!

Daftschotslass - I was against dummies before LO was born too. Funny how things change when the baby is born. It is like that I said to my OH that there is no way I would sit at the back with the child as I would rather be at the front with him. When LO was born there was no way that I wouldn't been with her

Becky&Willow - Sounds interesting, so LO may go back to thumb after dummy anyway. tricky

Becky - Perhaps I should just let LO to do what she wants - particularly if she doesn't want a dummy... Interesting point that with a thumb they'll have to take it out to play etc (when as a dummy can stay in their mouth)...

 

[kalia]

I sucked my thumb until at the age of 10 I was given a brace to wear at night that attached to both my top and bottom teeth so basically clamped my mouth and I couldn't get my thumb in. My teeth were really buck from thumb sucking and that was embarrassing. I also had a lisp because of the way my teeth were. My thumb was flat and a funny shape.

So I've decided that I will give DD a dummy when she needs something to suck on for comfort as I think we shouldbe able to stop that more easily.

 

[BabyMagic]

Thanks Kalia for your reply. Your personal experience is exactly what I am worried that would happen to LO.

I did try to give a dummy to LO a bit earlier today, but she didn't know how to suck it, just kept it in her mouth. At least she didn't get upset like she did when she was younger. I will keep trying (without forcing her)...

 

[Becky]

Sucking a thumb/finger doesn't guarantee that you'll have bad teeth. As I've said, I sucked my finger till I was 10, my brother sucked his thumb, my sister didn't suck anything (or have a dummy) but out of the three of us it was my sister who needed a brace.

Also, dummies can also cause speech problems the same as fingers/thumbs.

Personally I try not to cause too much fuss when Lucy sucks her fingers, she's already doing it less the older she gets.

Regardless of which one you choose so long as you are on the ball with things like talking with the thumb/dummy in their mouth and as soon as they're not sleeping etc you encourage them not to have it especially if they're not tired/upset I don't think there will be any long term effects.

The other thing I would say is not to make a fuss about it as the more people go on to Lucy about taking her fingers out the more of a complex she has about it and the more worried she is. We just try to enforce the rules we have about fingers in a quiet but firm way.

 

[xkikix]

I was (and still am ) a thumb sucker. My mum tried everything to stop me. I remember nail vanish stuff that tasted gross, musturd, bribes, blackmail....

I stopped at about 12 but for some reason started again when I was about 15 - god knows why. Its such a habit which I lova and hate at the same time. I only do it when i'm very very tired and I dont notice that I'm doing it but i'm so embarrased by it! I only do it at home.

When Chester wakes up in the morning, just as he's waking he sucks his thumb and I quickly shove his dummy in til his bottle is ready, cus as a thumb sucker I wouldnt want him to go thru the embarrassment of it.

 

[loz]

Emms sometimes sucks her thumb, but from what I've read, you shouldnt worry as it's good for babies to be able to sooth themselves and not be reliant on a dummy to do it. Emms does have a dummy to help get her off to sleep as she seems to need to suckle quite a lot before sleep.

 

[sarah113]

my 2nd was a thumb sucker and made her thumb really red and sore so i gave her a dummy, by the time she was 18 months we had got rid of the dummy and she don't suck her thumb

 

[Sherlock]

I'd go thumb sucking over a dummy any day. Its a natural thing and once a baby is past about 5 months old is when they will miss a dummy if you take it away. And then the longer you leave them with it, often the harder it is to take the dummy away.

Thumb sucking is more often than not something children grow out of in their own time and often when still small.

My HV and I had this convo and she said she would go thumb sucking over dummy once past 5 months.

We give LO a dummy now to get him off my boob after a feed but not for comfort etc. He'll lose it at 4 months. If he then sucks his fingers or thumb thats fine by me.

 

[BabyMagic]

I've just read more about thumb sucking vs. dummy online (babycentre etc). It really seems that there is no right and wrong answer.

I did see some photos of adult thumb suckers and it freaked me out a bit (sorry xkikix ).

The thing is that LO only sucks her thumb when she is about to fall asleep. She woudln't really need it otherwise as I can comfort/distract her when she cries as she doesn't do it for 'nothing'.

Perhaps I'll wait a little longer and see how keen she will be to suck her thumb. She didn't want the dummy anyway!

 

[Adele]

I sucked my thumb til I was 17 Stopped going to the dentist at about 14 because he kept trying to make me stop and refused to have a brace as it would mean i couldn't suck it. Am paying for it now though as my teeth are really messed up from it, also been told I have a slight lisp too. Chloe is a thumb sucker too, but I will makesure she stops at a reasonable age 'otherwise you'll get teeth like mommys when your older!'