Dummy or hands??

[louisawhitegenius]

Hi guys and girls!
Quick question, my 4 month old is obsessed with putting her hands in her mouth (before feeding, after feeding, during feeding, while asleep!) she does have a dummy and i'm wondering if this may have caused the oral obsession? Does anyone else have this prob and should i be concerned?

My twelve-week-old does the same and has always refused a dummy (and bottle) so I don't think there's a link.

I'm not concerned about it, and nor do I regard it as a problem. Why do you think it might be?

Maybe just teething?

She is probably teething, so this brings relief. Either that or she has found a way to alleviate the boredom of being 12 weeks old

i thought teething but no other signs really. i do take her hands away and replace with dummy which she seems fine with & i thought maybe a dummy is better hygiene wise. i think your right slanted, not a problem but was wondering if i'm missing something i.e. teething or anxiety or maybe just her hands taste really good! :)

I wondered if it was teething, with mine, but like you found no other signs so just concluded that he likes doing it! However, I've since discovered that they can feel teething months before a tooth appears.

its just a normal stage of development! she has found her hands and is exploring them, soon it will be toys :)

and if she isnt crying/fussing then i wouldnt remove her hands and put the dummy in, its fine and totally normal for her to chew, suck, slobber all over her hands :)

The process of teething starts way before any teeth are visible in the gums. They start to put pressure on the gums by pushing up & this is often relieved by putting hands in mouth.

I really don't think you need to worry

AQnd I agree, that while she isn't fussing, don't discourage it & encourage a dummy. She doesn't need a dummy unless she is unsettled.

imo don't give a dummy if you can get away with it. They often go through phases of putting hands in mouth, esp when they first discover them, or later when teething. It probably won't become a habit but if you keep giving them a dummy, that will become a habit.