Post by narbuckle01 on Feb 4, 2015 19:40:06 GMT -5
What does everyone know about thumb sucking? DH has discovered her thumb this week (she's 8 weeks). I do her normal feeding thing, either boob or boob-bottle but then she'll still try to get at her thumb/hand and she won't take a pacifier. Is she still hungry? Just wants to suck?
I don't know a whole lot since DD doesn't suck her thumb. But I do remember her discovering her fingers and sucking on them around that time. I was a thumb sucker as a baby. My mom said I pretty much did it from birth and I would never take a paci, it was just a bad habit. But I doubt she's hungry still, probably just discovered her thumb/fingers/hand-they really start becoming slobber monsters around that age if I remember correctly.
Post by narbuckle01 on Feb 4, 2015 21:32:42 GMT -5
Yes! Slobber has started intensely this week too. I actually noticed them both at the same time. Naive first mom thought was that she started teething already. Dr google remedied that assumption.
Post by littlelevonloohoo on Feb 4, 2015 21:45:07 GMT -5
I highly recommend offering a pacifier instead of letting her thumb suck. It's much easier to take away a pacifier thumb suckered are adorable, but I cringe now whenever I see it.
My DD, now 16 years old, went through 4 years of orthodontia at a whopping $7500!! She sucked her thumb until she was 10. The roof of her mouth formed to the shape of her thumb and required a very barbaric spreading device to correct.
Like vlagroupie said, she's at the right age for discovering her hands and everything goes straight to the mouth, if she refuses the bottle or breast she may just be entertaining herself.
I would pull her thumb out and give her paci. But some babies you just can't convince. Especially at night when you're not around to give the paci back. Mine gets a paci but only when sleeping. He's 9 months. It stays in the crib when he comes out. I can't stand seeing older kids with pacis in their mouth 24/7. We will be getting rid of the paci when we wean and lose the bottles.
Post by mominthemaking14 on Feb 5, 2015 8:01:21 GMT -5
So glad you asked this. We're been pulling her thumb out for two week and it's stopped. She now puts her hand to her mouth which we allow for a bit because I think she is entertaining herself. She takes her pacifier when needed but we try to limit it.
Ladies using daycare -- do you take the pacifier ?
Post by sstwinklinglites on Feb 5, 2015 8:27:18 GMT -5
Ladies, I wouldn't worry about thumbs or pacis, unless you notice that it's a habitual thing all the time. DS used to use a paci, and stopped on his own around four months. He just doesn't care for them unless he's using it for teething (not sucking on paci, just chomping all parts of it to bits). He also used to suck multiple fingers at once all. the. time. Now he only does it when he's teething or getting himself to sleep.
Maybe we were just lucky, but I wouldn't jump to try and deter any "habits" just yet. The little squishes are so tiny still, and constantly discovering new things, that they're not necessarily developing bad habits yet, nor really understand deterrence.
Post by ladytiffany24 on Feb 5, 2015 8:49:34 GMT -5
sstwinklinglites I do agree with you somewhat. I think some of the squishes are too young to worry too much. But I also understand the other side of things and wouldn't want to harm anything orthodontically.
With all of that being said, DD loves her paci. She gets it when she is fussy and to go to sleep. mominthemaking14 we do send it to the family daycare with her.
I plan to try to wean her from it when we wean from bottles. Like others have mentioned, it's easier to get rid of a paci then to constantly be worrying about them sucking a thumb.
All in all, this in my opinion is one of those things for us mommy's where ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If the thumb sucking or taking a pacifier helps soothe your baby and helps keep you sane, go for it! That's always been my mentality and always will. No judgement from me either way.
We send one to day care with LO. However, now that he is in an older room and he's starting to say words, I've instructed the teachers only to give it to him if he's napping or fussy. I want him to be able to interact with the teachers and other kids and he can't learn to talk with it in. My goal to get rid of it is somewhere between 12 & 18 months. We'll see how it goes.
He does chew on his hands if he's hungry or teething, but it's more of a full hand in the mouth instead of just the thumb.
Post by sstwinklinglites on Feb 5, 2015 9:42:57 GMT -5
Exactly what ladytiffany24 said. It's all about soothing and discovery right now. And when you're going crazy, you might just say, suck your paci if that'll calm you down.
I send my paci to daycare but the daycare doesnt allow them out of the cribs in the 6-12 months room (yay) and I think daycare transitions to no paci in the 12-18 months rooms. They sleep on cots in that room so they really try to get them ready for being a toddler. I really like those policies because I know daycare won't undo me trying to get rid of it at home.
Post by littlelevonloohoo on Feb 5, 2015 11:10:38 GMT -5
L takes the paci just to chomp on now. Sometimes I wish he'd still take it to calm himself back to sleep. He has his favorite one on a string that he was taking to daycare, but its been in the bottom of my purse for a week now. They haven't asked for it at daycare and he doesnt use it at home anymore. If was attached to him he'd slobber all over it and chew...
I agree with all of you, you gotta do what you gotta do. What works for one baby will not work for every other one. And at 8 weeks, anything that calmed L long enough for me to do anything was welcome. He even went through a spell where he was sucking on his feet. I'm not going to lie, that was the cutest thing in the world... He still rips his socks off and occasionally puts his foot in his mouth...is this a tell tale for the future??
Post by narbuckle01 on Feb 5, 2015 19:16:23 GMT -5
Today was insane ladies... she was screaming her head off unless she had boob, hand or paci in her mouth. No naps... and it was the first day I tried to work from home with no sitter. Fail. This is an interesting phase for sure!
Today was insane ladies... she was screaming her head off unless she had boob, hand or paci in her mouth. No naps... and it was the first day I tried to work from home with no sitter. Fail. This is an interesting phase for sure!
There will be days and series of days like this and then bright spots. Usually followed by a growth spurt or new skills.
Today was insane ladies... she was screaming her head off unless she had boob, hand or paci in her mouth. No naps... and it was the first day I tried to work from home with no sitter. Fail. This is an interesting phase for sure!
What the others said. You'll go through periods like this. Probably a growth spurt. Power through!!
Agreed with pp, probably a growth spurt. I got the wonder weeks app, it made me feel not so crazy knowing that DD might be going through a new developmental skill.
Agreed with pp, probably a growth spurt. I got the wonder weeks app, it made me feel not so crazy knowing that DD might be going through a new developmental skill.
The app just has a calendar based on your baby's EDD and it's a quick reference on what they are learning and mastering that could cause disruptions. I think it might have been $1.99/$3.99 something like that in the App Store.
Post by narbuckle01 on Feb 6, 2015 19:19:48 GMT -5
Yes to the wonder weeks. Definitely describes her the past 3 days. Especially the clingy part. She went from being a baby who liked to lay and kick and talk to herself to needing to be held with a Paci. Crazy how quick the phases come and go!
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