To think this isn't a great alternative to a dummy

[mumaa]

One of the mums at our group has brought her friend to join us has recently had a baby. After chatting a bit she has expressed that she is really again her baby having a dummy, fair enough.

However, she constantly puts her pinky in her baby's mouth for it to suck on. AIBU to think this is really quite unhygienic... your hands are pretty manky and responsible for most germs being passed around. Her husband also does this (obviously) as well as her mother and her inlaws when they babysit.

Obviously its her child and her choice, but am I alone in thinking this isn't a great thing to do. I was actually surprised how I felt about it, never seen anyone do this as a regular thing.

oh i have done that with all of mine

none died

Nothing wrong with dummies if used appropriately, but I am ASTOUNDED you've never seen anyone put a little finger into a baby's mouth. It really isn't some weird, unusual thing, and, as someone else said, it's been done for centuries without ill effect.

The only thing I'd worry about is nails... They can get sharp! They can also harbour germs but if it works and you're happy, go ahead!

I'm really not a fan of this but I can understand why people do this. I think if it's just mum and dad doing it it's not so bad but I've seen this happen where all and sundry do it. This was with a newborn, I just couldn't understand it as the mum was so careful to sterilise everything but allowed everyone and anyone's fingers in her baby's mouth!

My sister has a prosthetic finger which we borrowed to try on bottle / dummy / cup refusing DS to see if we could liberate my nipples / our fingers. He was not fooled.

i wouldn't be worried about the hygiene but a friend of my eldest is a fingersucker and it has been a nightmare for her mum to try and stop it. She is 4 now and still does it and regularly gets horrible ulcers on her fingers from them constantly being in her mouth.

How did the human race survive before dummys and bottles eh? Not a thing wrong with it. Its a damn sight more natural than putting a plastic soother into a babies mouth.

Disclaimer : I have no issue with dummys and bottles but they are substitutes

I thought doing this was normal. I do it with clean hands with my newborn as he would happily be attached to me 24 hours a day. I hate dummies but have had to resort to one to get some occasional sleep. You do whatever works.

It's easier to wean a dummy sucker off dummies than it is to wean a thumb/finger sucker. Those that grow up to have permanent teeth problems relating to sucking, are nearly always thumb suckers rather than dummies.

She's building up her baby's immune system.