To think a relatively late tongue tie division has left DD unable to suck her thumb

[NoIDontWatchLoveIsland]

DD was prem. Struggled to latch and got stuck using nipple shields for 4 months. I saw an IBCLC bf consultant who was great & helped me get her off them. She also noted she had a high palate, also an anterior tongue tie (which I had suspected for a while), but that it was "flexible" and it might be she had sufficient tongue function anyway. We decided I would try 2-3 weeks without the shields & see if it was ok. I didn't manage to keep going without shields, DD got v ill & was tube fed in hospital & after it, I couldn't get her back on without them. After a month I returned to bf consultant and got the tongue tie was snipped, which seem quick and minimal fuss from DD.

A month later we ended up switching to exclusive pumping/bottles due to continuing worries over her size - I wanted certainty over what was going into her.

However ive noticed more recently (6 weeks on from the TT division) that she never seems to suck her thumb any more, which she had started to do before. She sort of doesn't seem able to and gets frustrated chewing etc, her thumb or fingers seems to be going into her mouth under her tongue.

Is this a common side effect of TT division?

No idea about the TT, but could it be that she’s teething, and chewing on her fingers differently? Exploring her mouth more?

My experience is that late tongue tie treatment doesnt restrict thumb sucking (My tongue tie was cut when I was around 6 YEARS old and thumb sucked before and after and still would if I could get away with it 35 years later)

Thanks both. I know most people don't like thumb sucking but she's a sucky baby who won't take a dummy & I think she would sleep better if she had it as a comfort... so I sort of hope she learns.

My DD (also prem, also had problems with breastfeeding) had a dummy from week 1 till about week 12 - then rejected it. Never again. Also sucked thumb for a while and for some reason stopped that. I was kind of glad we didn’t have the problem of prising a dummy off her years later but also agree, she needs the comfort, but it’s a determined no to both!

Our dentist always advises against thumb sucking, it pushes the teeth forward.