Thumb sucking in cold weather

[Starwatcher123]

My baby daughter sucks her thumb for comfort, especially to fall asleep. I like to take her on walks where she'll sleep in the pram, but as it gets colder I don't know what to do about her hands. She'll wear gloves on the right hand, but she cries if she can't suck her left thumb, and can't fall asleep. But I don't want her to get frostbite on the exposed hand ( I would think that could happen even if temps are above freezing if the hand is wet?)

Does anyone have any tips?

[Laurie01]

Get her out of this habit asap! I imagine you think it's cute but I think it's unhygienic. She will end up with sticky out teeth and probably cost a fortune in dental braces in the future. Put a glove on the hand, go out in the pram, she'll be tired enough and will go to sleep. I would get a dummy because you can take the dummy away once she's forgotten about her thumb.

[Starwatcher123]

Laurie, I find your reply very judgemental. Our doctor says she thinks thumb sucking is actually better than using a dummy, because the babies are learning to soothe themselves (plus, when I see how people use dummies, I think they're at least equally unhygienic – they fall on the floors in shops etc and get popped right back in, maybe after being wiped on a shirt... Babies need exposure to germs, so I'm not judging, but I don't believe thumb-sucking is worse in that respect).

I know there are differing opinions, but I am absolutely ok with her thumb sucking. Also, I did it myself as a baby and grew out of it fine, and my teeth are absolutely normal.

Still would be interested in helpful tips though, perhaps from other mothers who are happy to let their children suck their thumbs

[Laurie01]

Ok carry on.

[DaffodilsAndDandelions]

Does she take her thumb out once asleep? You could put a sock over her whole hand of so. Easier than trying to put a glove on a sleeping child.
Or if she sucks in her sleep, buy a cheap pair of mittens, cut the thumb off then either sew round the cut edge or paint with nail varnish to stop it fraying.

[Starwatcher123]

Yes, she does take her thumb off when she falls asleep, but she wakes up when I try to put a glove on. The idea with the sock or the cut-up mitten might be good though....

[Findahouse21]

Sounds like she's quite a little baby? If she is, if she's wrapped up in the carrycot part of the pram I really can't see it being a problem, not enough to cause frostbite. There is no way she would be asleep if she was that uncomfortable

[Starwatcher123]

Yes, she's still in the carrycot (but only just, I think we'll have to switch to a seat soon). The rest of her is warm and snug though so perhaps you're right and it's not a problem. I know from experience that you don't feel (mild) frostbite as it's happening though, you just go numb and it's only when you come back into the warmth that you really feel it!

[ShyTown]

I have a thumb sucker and spent her baby years living in a particularly frigid northern part of the US so covering her hands was non-negotiable. She had a brilliant coat from north face where the sleeves folded over the hands to make mittens that were impossible for her to get off. After a bit of fussing and failed attempts to bite them off, she actually just forgot about it and went back to sleeping soundly in the stroller without needing her thumb (she still sucks it to go to sleep at home in bed). That said, if you live in England I don’t know that I’d be worried about frostbite and I might consider a good footmuff for the pram that comes up to her neck, cutting the thumb off her mitten and shoving her hand inside the footmuff once she falls asleep.

[henrystender]

@Laurie01

Get her out of this habit asap! I imagine you think it's cute but I think it's unhygienic. She will end up with sticky out teeth and probably cost a fortune in dental braces in the future. Put a glove on the hand, go out in the pram, she'll be tired enough and will go to sleep. I would get a dummy because you can take the dummy away once she's forgotten about her thumb.

Stupid reply. Not least because dental work is free in childhood

[TheStarOnTheChristmasTree]

Two of my DC were thumbsuckers. With my first thumbsucker I tried absolutely everything to get her to stop but nothing worked. I also had the glove problem but I waited till they were asleep and then covered the hand with the pram covers but the idea of cutting the thumb of your DD's gloves or mittens is great.

[kingdomcapers]

All mine were thumbsuckers. They are all surviving. Cut the thumb out of a mitten (fleece ones won't fray) to let your DD access her thumb and allow her to self-comfort. If it gets sore I found the best thing is lansinoh nipple cream. After all if it heals cracked nipples a wee sore damp thumb will be soothed too.

[LikeTheOceansWeRise]

As if parents let their babies self soothe because they think it's cute

I have the same problem OP! However like a previous poster, my little one eventually started falling asleep without sucking her thumb in the pram. If she does have to I usually pop her cuddle cloth/muslin thingy over her hand once she's asleep so at least it's covered.

I like the cut-out mitten idea too!

[LikeTheOceansWeRise]

Oh and it helps to have something else for her to suck, like the cuddle cloth! If left to her own devices she'll suck the pram straps which really IS unhygienic...

[Dramacoats]

I just put a blanket to cover as much of the hand as possible, I live somewhere where it gets very cold and it’s never been a problem, just make sure the rest of her is cosy warm.

[niclw]

My DS is a thumb sucker too and realised he could pull the gloves off with his mouth. I had him in the seat of the pram last year with a footmuff and positioned a blanket around the top of the footmuff with a small section on the outside. When DS had fallen asleep and taken his thumb out I would cover his hand with the outside section of blanket. I'm still trying to work out a solution for the stroller he is using this year. He is too tall for a foot muff but still won't keep gloves on for long although he can put them back in again now at least.

[Emmacb82]

My 7mo is a thumb sucker and uses it to get to sleep for naps and at night. But he can manage to get himself off to sleep in the pram without it. I just shove a kitten on and the movement of the pram eventually gets him off.

[Emmacb82]

As cute as it would be, I did indeed mean a mitten not a kitten 🙄🤣