4 month old suddenly can’t seem to remember how to suck thumb and can’t settle himself- nightmare!

[hettie]

Anyone come across this- he?s just about to turn 4 months and has been sucking his thumb since 8 weeks. This for us has been a godsend as he can settle himself and has been sleeping well at night. Now it all gone wrong. I think he may be starting to teeth as there is lots of drool and he?ll gnaw on things (my finger his fist). But weirdly at the same time he can?t/won?t suck his thumb. The combo means I was up most of the night. Just wondered if this has happened to anyone and if they relearnt this essential skill!

dd forgot how to suck her thumb around that age, and never restarted really, sorry!

Sorry cant really help, my dd stop having her dummy at about this age (about when she started teething) and never went back

you don't want to hear this but ds2 used to suck his thumb until he was 4 months. He slept through from 9 weeks til 4 months, but hasn't since he stopped sucking his thumb

My ds stopped sucking his thumb when he was 5 months, after a couple of weeks he began sucking his thumb again! I was relieved :-)

I think he had stopped because he had a cold and his nose was blocked...

oh lord- so he could forget forever. Argh! We tried dummies (several types) and he's having none of it- actualy we tried a few weeks ago too as he had made his thumb sore that's how much he used to suck it!)

erm those who stopped- how on earth did you get them to settle/sleep?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA {{{demonic laugh}}}

We now cosleep and he feeds every 90 minutes (at the most) in the night

Really not what you wanted to hear!

omg wallace- you're right erm....
oh god, last night I kept bfeeding him to sleep (in desperation- and I thought he was teething and needed comfort).

He is 10months now btw. I always have to feed him to sleep.

I do wish that he would settle by himself at bedtime, and that I got more sleep, but it doesn't bother me enough to do anyhting about it IYSWIM

Hettie - my dd used to go to sleep during a b/feed, when I stop b/feeding she would go to sleep on our bed while we talked softly to her and stroked her head - then we'd put her in her room.

not yet managed the "in her bed to go to sleep" business, and she's 20 months now!

ok, last night was just as bad. i have noticed something weird, he cant even take the end of my finger to suck as it makes him gag, also ver fussy at breast.....maybe i'll ask doc as this screaming thing is just so out of character for him.

update- well he had thrush, so explains it really. Must have had sore mouth.
Bugger is, thrush now seems to be gone, but thumb sucking still not back (and nights are hell). You can see him thrash around looking for it and then not actualy remember. It is sooooo frusrtating to watch

poor thing! wish I could help

ah wallace- i though of you often in the last week mostly at 2.00 am

LOL

I have been trying to help my dd find her thumb by trying to put it in her mouth when she's tired crying at bedtime, but she's having none of it. She takes a dummy though, but in a really selfish way it'd be way easier if she'd suck her thumb at least she wouldn't lose it. She's 16 weeks - should I give up trying? I mean is it just an instinctive thing they either do or don't do?