8 month DD sucks her thumb .. HV says to stop her .. I think its cute

[Twiglett]

But DS never sucked his thumb

If I don't try to stop her will I regret it (like I regretted DS's bottles... he was still drinking milk from at nightime at 3)

She doesn't do it all the time .. just when tired or a little grumpy .. it seems a great comforter and I'm loathe to stop her

Experiences please...

my 6 mth old dd sucks her thumb, refused a dummy point blank. If its close to nap time and I pick her up, the thumb going straight in her mouth is a good indication that she is ready for sleep and she can comfort herself as well. When hungry she sucks on thumb, fingers anything but the thumb is mainly when she is tired. Plus its so cute, agree with most of the others leave her be.

Hi Twiglett,
I have to agree with many of the posts on here that thumb sucking is a gift, not a problem. I never really gave dd a dummy. Gave in now and then, but not very often. The consequence of this is that she is of course a devoted thumb sucker. She is 21 months old now, and suck her thumb when she's tired (and crabby) and as a means to comfort herself when she is upset. I think that thumb sucking builds positive self esteem because it is one of the first things a baby can have a sense of self control and satisfaction over. I don't have to sterilise or find her thumb for her.

And, for all those who say it may cause buck teeth later in life. My mother had a real problem with giving up thumb sucking. Her parents tried everything, even had a dental piece specially made so she couldn't put her thumb in her mouth in her sleep. Many years later the dentist told her that had she not sucked her thumb, she would have needed braces.