Finger-sucking baby - advice please

[Etak]

My 20 week old DD has started sucking her fingers to get herself to sleep. (She was swaddled till recently and happily went to sleep with a dummy.) I feel mean trying to stop her but I have a friend whose 6 year old DD has done major damage to her jaw by finger sucking the same way.

My question is: should I try to stop her now, before the habit becomes ingrained, and if so, how? She does still take the dummy but isn't very impressed, and spits it out in favour of her fingers as soon as she gets the chance.

at 20 weeks - I really wouldn't worry. I understand that it's an issue if it goes on beyond the arrival of the first teeth but otherwise really not so much Ithink (disclaimer: I'm not a dentist nor any kind of expert). There is a long long road between 20 weeks and 6 years so at the moment I would say let her have her blissful comfort which at least she can't lose!

why not take your dd to the dentist when her first teeth appear and ask then, if it's still a big part of her life?

sorry, if it goes on beyond the LOSS of the first teeth. Gah! sorry

I would carry on encouraging the dummy as I'm really struggling getting my 7 & 6 year old to give up their thumbs even though they want to..........

At 20 weeks she is probably beginning to teeth, ad wants something harder to chew on instead of just a dummy. Wouldn't worry about it just now; there is a big difference between 20 weeks and a couple of years old. Do understand your concern though, I know a little girl who has calases (sp?) on her fingers from sucking them.