To worry about finger sucking?

[beetleinmysock]

Ds is only 14 weeks and ebf.

He has occasionally sucked his thumb, and rejected dummies till a long car journey the other day.

I'd prefer him to find his thumb over a dummy really (i was a thumb sucker) but understand the pros and cons of both (and read both sides on mn!)

However - thumb is too small now apparently and he's definitely found his two middle fingers.

I once saw a child around 5 with a very pronounced over bite and sucking her fingers.

It's still early days but I'm just wondering if anyone had the same? Is it terrible or not something to worry about at this age?

If your child sucked their thumb did it start as fingers at all (hopefully!)

It's a tired/ hungry thing at the mo but clearly cheers him up.

Bump :)

Mine sucks their whole fist. I've been advised it's a self soothing thing and pretty common.

I think it's the long term thing - ie could it be a permanent thing like thumbs?

Simply from a teeth POV. Not sure what I can do though bar constantly swap for dummy, which I don't want to do! I've tired putting his thumb in, he finds it hard at the mo.

My sons are grown men now, but both had dummies. Both granddaughters had dummies too - only when tired. The advantage of a dummy rather than thumb/fingers is that the child can be "weaned off" them.

Friends of mine let their kids suck their thumb as babies, which then resulted in the kid still doing so at school age (one was 14!). Thay all ended up with goofy teeth and had to wear braces.

Why is thumb sucking preferred to finger?

Personally, as a 31 year old thumb sucker, I'd much rather a dummy that can be removed at 2/3/4/5 or whatever.

One of my nephews sucked his fingers but mostly when he was tired and ready for sleep. That was quite a useful tip, so that he didn't get overtired.

I wouldn't worry too much unless it's constant.

Personally, I don’t understand dummy snobbery because at least you can get rid of a dummy. When they’re 15 and still sucking their thumb during school it’s a problem.

I'm kicking myself for not giving a dummy earlier, it's literally the only thing she doesn't put in her mouth.

I tried to avoid dummies when DD was tiny, but, once it became apparent she was going to be a 'sucker' I battled it out until she took a dummy over her fingers. She used to suck them so much and gum them that they kept getting sore and she was making her gums bleed chomping on her scratch mits.

I thought that, seeing as you can get orthodontic dummies, they must be better than fingers anyhow...

Now she's nearly two and I'm thinking about phasing out the dummy apart from nap times/bed time/when she's upset. She really loves it.

I also thought, she's not likely to be sucking a dummy when she's 5+, but may still be sucking her fingers/thumbs! What I mean is, I could see an end point with a dummy, not so much with her fingers....

Either way, you're likely to have a battle on your hands, you've just got to choose which you prefer...

Good luck OP!

Why is thumb sucking preferred to finger?

Simply from what I've seen; the straightness of the fingers pushes the top teeth out more than thumb.

However, at the moment, he's v chuffed that he's found a way to cheer himself up, which I love. Just wondering about further down the line.

I'm occasionally giving a dummy at the mo in the early morning when he wants to boob surf but it keeps making him sick, and the odd nap in the house (same reason). I'd happily use boob but he can get a bad latch when v tired. Plus ds1 was a very sucky baby who refused dummies and never found his fingers/ thumb. I bf till over 3 which was great and I'd do it again but there were times when if he'd been able to suck thumb it would have been less frustrating for him.

I'm totally out of my depth with dummies; Dh also sucked thumb as did many friends. I don't really know anyone who uses a dummy.

I need the dummies guide to dummies!

Philips Avent dummies are popular for newborns. Make sure you get the correct size, it'll say on the packet 0-6 6-12 or whatever. Buy one and pop it in. Sometimes they need help keeping it in when they're little.

By which I mean you just give it back when they cry for it. Don't sellotape it to his face or anything

My DS sucked his two fingers from the day he was born. Nearly 2 now and still does it to get himself to sleep. I think it's better than the thumb as he's not pushing he's teeth forward (not sure if that's a myth anyway). I think it's pretty common and I only discourage it if he's walking around and could trip over.

I still suck my thumb. I can't help it. It's an addiction. I never do it at work or in front of DH but when I'm stressed or anxious, I do it without realising. I don't have an overbite. I actually have really straight teeth. Don't know how I managed to avoid that!

I do wish however that I didn't suck much thumb. It doesn't bother me but when I'm anxious I feel sick when I can't do it.

My thumb*

Ah Nomad86 that's really helpful.

Tbh I think the whole teeth issue is very variable. I had a very minor nighttime brace for my thumb sucking but I think I was 5-6 when I stopped - I remember it well and the comfort it brought. I was persuaded to stop with extra pocket money

I know others for whom it has had no issue for. But I've never really seen finger sucking till I saw this little girl, with very pronounced sticking out teeth. But again, it could still be variable.

That's tough lotta, I hadn't thought of that.

I still twiddle hair and ears as I did with my thumb sucking but it's more a deep thinking activity.

And loosing a dummy isn't always straight forward, I did meet a mum who's daughter was very distraught over it.

We've got the mam ones which are fine, but they're not always to hand tbh.

So I think he'd do it anyway.

I'd definitely suggested the dummy route. I've looked after children who have had dummies... removed by 2/3 and no problems. Got to a stage where they only had them at nap times. You just have to be wary as they eat older and start talking that the dummy is out of sight so they start to talk. The thumb sucker is still sucking her them at 4.5 and we can't stop her! She's pushed her front teeth out unfortunately and if it can't be curbed it's likely she'll need braces as an older child.

I'd always advice somebody to use a dummy if a baby starts thumb sucking! Much easier to remove and was damage to the teeth.

well my daughter sucked her thumb for literally years, and she doesn't have any 'over bite' or buck teeth.
She did stop at school , but I caught her doing it the other week. She is 19...:D

Less** damage do teeth.

There are lots of ways to remove dummies so I don't think that it's a problem and has to lead to a child being distraught over it! If they only have it at naps time they don't know any difference.

G4 has been sucking hers for 4 years and has a very bad overbite... Guess it depends on the child. If we could remove it then we would but we can't because it's attached!

DS refused point blank to use a dummy, and sucked his two middle fingers. He is 19 now, and although he did have to have braces for 18 months, his teeth are now fine.

My sister sucked her fingers till about 8 when a dentist shouted at her and she stopped. Her teeth are straighter than mine, but neither of us had braces. My top teeth are basically straight, not towie veneer straight, but not Jamie T wonky. However my bottom front teeth dint in quite a bit. But they came through like that so, I don't know.

Ds1 had a dummy, I just bought one for his age group, and shoved it in when he cried but wouldn't take a boob.

Both of my children refused dummies. They would spot them out no matter what brand, we tried warming them in our hands in case it felt cold compared to my nipples (Both ebf). They just would not accept them. At 10 weeks they both worked out hand/thumb sucking and the oldest still sucks her thumb when tired at almost 5.
My husband and I were also thumbsuckers and we both needed braces which is why I tried to get my children to accept dummies. Alas to no avail.
My sister sucked her fingers and had no issues.