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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

DS (12w) sucking fingers

14 replies

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 08/10/2010 21:27

Do I stop him & feed him, give a dummy...? Is he doing it because he is hungry & given up on getting milk? It started I think when it tok a min or two to finish what I was doing and feed him, or when he was in thecar. Now he is starting to just find his two fingers and suck to sleep, or just comfort. I breastfeed on demand - have I caused it by not being quick enough? If this is normal and won't interfer, shall I give him a dummy instead? I am scared his fingers will get sore. My DS1 was (and still is) a finger sucker, but I am sure it started alot later than this.

OP posts:

Haliborange · 08/10/2010 21:29

It's normal for babies to find their fingers and self-soothe, is nothing sinister and nothing you have caused. Babies love sucking but can't eat 24/7, simple as that.
You could try to give a dummy instead - it might be easier down the line to get him to give up a dummy than his fingers, but he may prefer his fingers. And if they get sore, I'm sure he'll stop.

Don't worry.

HelenLG · 08/10/2010 22:08

My DS goes to town on his fingers all day every day. I did think at the beginning it was hunger, but he wont take the boob so I just let him suck away. I have tried him with a dummy but he's not interested.

Occasionally I've helped him find his thumb but I dont think it's big enough for him yet. He loves having my little finger before going to sleep and always likes to have a good chew on mine and DH's knuckles.

He's 12 weeks now so I guess its just normal...

TheNextMrsDepp · 08/10/2010 22:10

Noooo, don't give him a dummy! He's got fingers readily attached, let him suck on them. They won't get sore.

DS1 and DD1 both sucked their fingers; it was a great comforter and stopped quite naturally once they were toddlers, no dummies to wean them off.

notnowbernard · 08/10/2010 22:12

DS is finger (and thumb) sucking at 7w

He's not mad about the dummy

Don't know which I prefer, tbh...

TheNextMrsDepp · 08/10/2010 22:14

Just can't bear dummies, myself. Think they're......chavvy. Sorry.

Original poster

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 08/10/2010 22:17

I don't want to give a dummy, but wasn't sure if he was determined to finger suck that it wouldn'tbe a better option. Glad to hear it's normal, I can't bear to think he may be hungry or something. :)

OP posts:

notnowbernard · 08/10/2010 22:18

Dummies have been a life-saver for me in the past

Just a PITA to get rid of

I don't think they're 'chavvy', when they are essentially doing the same job as a thumb or finger

TheNextMrsDepp · 08/10/2010 22:29

Sorry about the "chavvy" comment, it's just my unreasonable irrational predjudice. I know some people swear by them, but I'd rather see a child sucking their fingers than a dummy.

Every photo we have of dd1 under the age of one shows her with middle three fingers of left hand in her mouth. Always the same fingers. It stopped as soon as she started talking.

notnowbernard · 08/10/2010 22:31

Whatever

TheNextMrsDepp · 08/10/2010 22:35

Hey, we're all different!! Whatever worked for our darling darling dcs.

Enjoy your little babe, OP, and don't worry, I'm sure whatever you choose it'll be the right thing.

PrivetDancer · 08/10/2010 22:35

My dd did this when she was tired with her middle fingers, v sweet she looked too :)
We suddenly realised she'd stopped when she was about 10 months and got her first teeth. It was a godsend as far as I could tell, she was very good at self settling. She only did it when tired, not hungry, as farcas I could tell.

mylittlemonkey · 08/10/2010 22:45

My DS did this at same age and just self soothing. It is great that he has taught himslef to do this as i found that when he woke in the night sometimes he would sooth himself back to sleep by sucking his fingers. Ah, so cute when he did and would hear lovel little sucking noises over monitor!!

I made the mistake of reading this as him needing a dummy and now i am getting up 2/3 times a night every night putting dummy back in. Although saying that the dummy has been a lifesaver at times and dont regret deciding to use a dummy oterwise.

MoonFaceMama · 09/10/2010 09:40

ds did this for a week or so when he was at the point of discovering his hands and arms. He stopped of his own accord quickly so i'm glad i didn't heed family advice to give him a dummy as "you can take a dummy away but you can't take their fingers away."

I still remember having my dummys taken away and tbh at the time i might have prefered if they'd taken my fingers.

holytoast · 09/10/2010 10:03

my DD started with this, then found her thumb, she now sucks her toes.

Hoping she grows out of that particular habit soon!

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