DD 4 months has started putting EVERYTHING in her mouth!

[SAHmummy]

Is this normal?

Sometimes I give her something like a toy and she doesn't even look at it, just straight in to her mouth! I am getting worried about the hygiene or lack of it.

Can it be stopped? or should I stop worrying?

You should stop worrying

DS is 14mo and still does this.

I read somewhere that their mouths are so sensitive that it helps them figure out what's what. Use your judgement wrt hygiene and safety, personally I'm not that bothered about cleanliness, more about whether he can choke on it.

Stop worrying!

Her gums are probably a bit sore with teeth just starting to come through. As she's not mobile yet, you can control exactly what goes in her mouth and so can make sure it is both clean(ish) and safe. Wait until she's crawling and it's a whole new story!

I think this is something called oral exploration. No need to worry.

Really don't worry . There is worse to come.

absolutely normal. DD1 was putting everything in her mouth until she was around 18 months I think. The worst thing I ever pulled out of there was a slug. Really.

No, it can't be stopped.
Yes, you shold stop worrying.

If she's not mobile then you can control what she gets to, so just make sure that the toys etc you give her are reasonably clean. (E.g. not actually covered in dirt- you don't have to wipe them every 2 minutes or anything like that!)

18 months! My 19 month old still puts 99% of things he finds in his mouth!

SAHmummy this is why toys have age ratings, so small children don't put small, easily swallowed objects in their mouths. Just make sure nothing is too small and think of the germs as building her immune system!

"don't worry . There is worse to come."

Urm thanks Normantebbit, I am SO not worried now!!!!!!!

I think I am an overly concerned mummy. I google everything! and now that I have found mumsnet I will be addicted!!! she is my first baby and I'm pretty young (21) so I guess I just really want to get this right!!!!

It's the way they find out about things. Don't worry, but keep an eye out for anything nasty, dog food and worse

Don't Google!! Never Google!!!!!

Maybe she wants something to eat.

Really, one day you will calmly re poo covered foot from baby's mouth. Or walk in to find them finger painting with the contents of their nappy.

That should say 'remove'

PMSL Twirlymum, take yourself outside and have a word with yourself immediately

Yep, totally normal, OP. Wait until she starts crawling mwah ha ha.....

Done Road, given myself a couple of slaps too

Normantebbit

OMG has that happened to you?!!! do they really fingerpaint with their own poo :-S. My dog eats its own poo but I didn't think a baby would!!! how disgusting!!! oh well at least it is something to tell them when they are older and laugh about it!!!

that's fantastic op! it's a really important developmental stage and tied in to how they find out about the world.

dd2 has cerebral palsy and her muscle tone meant that she was unable to bend her arms or grasp anything to get it to her mouth, so we spent many many many months (years? maybe) trying to do it for her, so she didn't miss out on this stage.

now you've found mumsnet, stop googling and ask all your questions here, you'll (mostly ) get senisble answers.

Ds is 4 and a half months and yes, absolutely everything he can get his hands on go in his mouth!

Stop worrying, they are quite tough and survive the dirt. They are exploring objects and the mouth is the obvious place to explore. It is far more important to go through the developmental stage than stop it because of hygiene worries.