Baby sucking thumb - time to introduce a dummy?

[newmum234]

My baby is 12 weeks old now and has been sucking his hands a lot for the last few weeks. Tonight he’s fallen asleep with his thumb in his mouth! Is it best to introduce a dummy now before sucking his thumb becomes a habit, or is the thumb sucking something that will pass?

[verypeckish]

No!

[dodobookends]

Don't introduce a dummy, they don't need one.

[newmum234]

My rationale is that you can take a dummy away but not a thumb.

Would a dummy make him happier because he clearly does want to suck?

[gegs73]

I would give him a dummy. Much easier to take away when you want it gone. Thumb sucking can go on for years and is more damaging to the teeth than the flat dummies.

[LemonPeonies]

Mine is 8 months old now never used a dummy. They don't need it, it's just a way to shut them up and considering being vocal is there only way of communicating it's a bit mean to take that away I feel.

[newmum234]

Thanks. As much as I’m not keen on dummies, I’m also genuinely worried that I’m damaging my baby psychologically by depriving him of one when he’s keen to suck. Is that something I need to be concerned about? I just want him to be as happy and secure as possible!

[PinkFondantFancy]

Mine used to suck her thumb when tired. She stopped on her own, no drama

[BeanbagMcTavish]

Well, if it's only happened once so far, then I would see whether it looks like becoming a habit first.

But yes, I reckon dummies are better than thumbs, if it's a choice between the two. As you say, you can take a dummy away, but not a thumb. And a dummy is MUCH less likely to push their teeth out of alignment.

[ShyTown]

I’d let him stick with the thumb. It’s way less hassle for you as it won’t fall out overnight and have you getting out of bed to find it because he’s crying again. I have a 3YO thumb sucker and she only does it to fall asleep, never during the day and whenever I check on her whilst she’s sleeping it’s not in her mouth. Dentist reckons her teeth are just fine and wasn’t at all worried.

[EmbarrassedWoman]

I hate dummies but i hate thumb sucking more. So i gave in and gave my dd a dummy. I had the same logic as you, you can get rid of a dummy but you cant chop her thumbs off.
She has used it for a few weeks, learned how to take it out and sits holding it while she sucks her thumb.
I think if they choose their thumb then that may just be what they do weither we like it or not 😂

[Yubaba]

DD was a thumb sucker, I tried to swap to a dummy and she was having none of it, she just wouldn’t entertain one.
She ended up sucking her thumb till she was 11 and eventually gave up on her own.

[Hardbackwriter]

When DS was a little baby and refused a dummy I felt quite hard done to, as I'd see other babies contentedly sucking away, seemingly keeping them completely quiet for hours. Now he's two, though, still has never had a dummy and all those other mothers I know are trying to get theirs to give their dummy up - and I'm so relieved it's not a battle we had to have because he never had one! I really wouldn't introduce a dummy unless you're really struggling without, and he sounds like he's perfectly happy with the solution he's found for himself.

[cuntryclub]

One of mine had a dummy which I removed when she was 4. She then started thumb sucking until she was 11.

[Teacaketotty]

Wow dummies are not just a way to shut babies up, what a generalised statement.

Our prem baby needed one from birth, it’s actually recommended in the safe sleep guidelines also. I don’t care if people use them or not but the above PP statement is awful.

DD is now 11 months and gave up the dummy on her own and isn’t a thumb sucker either. Do what you think is best OP, dummies aren’t the devil and have their uses.

[ivfdreaming]

No to the dummy I hate them and they always look awful hanging out of the month of a child who is far to old to need one

My DD sucked her thumb from around 12 weeks - she's 4 now and naturally started to grow out of
It and only does it when very very tired or anxious. Every dentist and GP I spoke to said it was fine and not likely to cause her any lasting physical (or mental!) damage

[IBelieveInPink]

I had one of each, one loved her dummy, one loved his thumb. Both stopped painlessly when they were ready, and both were comforted by the thing they had so made us all happier.

I’ll also add, at one point for each I tried to get them to switch to the other thing, neither chose to go with my suggestions. Babies know what they want

[Starlightstarbright1]

I really wish we called dummies soothers- much nicer term .

Do what is right for you and your family.

People get very judgey about dummies - no real need to

[MinesAPintOfTea]

DS is 8 and thumb sucking is damaging his teeth. I must say "DS - thumb" about 100 times a day. Sometimes about 10 seconds apart.

He agrees to stop, he just can't manage it.

Give the dummy a try.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

OP you've discussed dummies a lot in previous threads. If you dont want to introduce a dummy, then dont. If you want to, then go for it. I think what we've seen is that theres no consensus when it comes to dummies. I think you seem to pick and choose which responces you listen to anyway that align with what you think.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

Also - as someone who is also a FTM to a 4 month old and has PN anxiety, I recognise a lot of my early symptoms in you. I do think you may need a bit of help (going off previous threads).

[hulahoopqueen]

Thumb has bone in which WILL cause tooth/jaw damage down the line, and like you say you can’t take it away. I didn’t stop till 8/9 (a long time I know!) and 2 sets of braces and a dwarf thumb later... definitely not worth it

[Carbis]

I wasn’t keen on giving my LO a dummy and by the time I tried, he wouldn’t take it.

I’m not sure giving a dummy and then taking it away will stop the thumb sucking though. I had a dummy until I was old enough to remember it being taken away. I then switched to my thumb and it took me until adulthood to give it up.

[Ihaveoflate]

No one is going to be able to tell you what is right for your baby. You know her best.

There is nothing wrong with a dummy used for sleep and are in fact recommend for small babies because they may help prevent SIDS. If you choose to use one, then it's fine. If you choose not to use one, that is also fine.

Echo thoughts of Letsallscream... as you know from a response I made to one of your previous threads.

[megletthesecond]

I wish I'd managed to get DS to take a dummy. He's on the waiting list for orthodontist treatment now.

[User24689]

Having been through the process of breaking the thumb sucking habit in my 3 year old, I would try with the dummy. Baby might not like it though. Neither of mine took dummies. But the thumb sucker sucked constantly for 3.5 years, day and night and it was a very hard habit to break.

There will always be people coming on to say they sucked their thumb til they were 10 and they were fine but the evidence suggests it does cause dental issues and my DD had a 10mm overbite when we began the process of stopping!