Should I let 3 month old carry on sucking thumb?

[SassyPants87]

My 3 month old has discovered her thumb and always wants to suck it especially at night time!
We were anti dummy and never felt the need the introduce it but now baby has started sucking her thumb

Should I let her just carry on sucking? Or should I try and remove her thumb? I've tried to do this before when I thought she'd fell asleep but the thumb went straight back in!

Not too sure what the right or wrong answer is and would appreciate your thoughts

Thanks

If she wants to suck her thumb, short of strapping her arms to her sides, I am not sure how you stop her. She finds it comforting I think it is cruel to stop her.

It will probably be fine. Mine sucked her thumb from about that age until she naturally weaned herself from it between three and four years. She always refused a dummy and it never stopped her talking! She only sucked it at nap or night time. DD was EBF to 14 months.

If she opts for her thumb she'll always have it and you won't be fumbling around in the dark for a dummy or your boob for comfort. It really shouldn't be an issue.

It’s fine. She’s 3 months old. Maybe give her a dummy?

Just curious, why were you anti dummy? She seems to find suckling to be a very soothing thing. Anything that soothes a baby should be encouraged! I would just let her go. There is no need to be concerned about this at all. Let her suck her thumb or give her a dummy. It's not going to hurt her.

Let her get on with it, why deprive her of comfort ?

If mine did this, I'd try a dummy, purely because it's easier to wean them off something that can physically be taken away. She might stop of her own accord though?

I thought my DS was doing this. Turned out he was actually chewing his knuckles.

I would have loved it if mine sucked his thumb. There would have been no need to get up in the night and put the dummy back in his mouth. Or trying to remember to always have one wherever we went. Id just let her do it tbh. You never know what'll happen. I assumed id have to wean DS off his dummy but, sadly, he decided he didnt want it anymore when he was about 7 months old.

She's tiny, why try and take comfort away from her?

She is three months old and trying to find some comfort for herself, why would you prevent her from comforting herself?

I'd let her do it when small, but if she carries on as she gets her permanent teeth she'll probably end up needing orthodontics later.

I sucked my own thumb and my teeth are quite uneven, and I spent bloody hours taking formerly thumb- and finger-sucking DC to orthodontists. Fingers were the worst.

Thanks for responses I'm an FTM so just trying to figure out what the right thing to do is. I'm not trying to take away her comfort. The only thing is I let her suck her thumb last night and she was vigorously going for it on and off all night. How do I know that she wasn't hungry for milk instead? Would she cry and let me know she wants milk instead of thumb?

My youngest sucked his thumb. I hated dummies, so I was pleased. It gave him comfort, he stopped the habit himself, it didn’t cause any problems. I think it’s natural and quite sweet.

I would say avoid the dummy just to avoid the need for constant replugs. Also once my son realised the dummy put him to sleep (about 7 months) he started throwing them out of the cot so we stopped giving him his dummy. He found his thumb and hes happy out sucking that

If she was hungry I think she'd loudly let you know about it! When my DS went through a reduced appetite phase that babies will never let themselves go hungry. Dont worry, im sure you're doing a fab job

I was the same as you OP - FTM and had no idea what was right or wrong! Mine had a dummy for a very short period and then found her thumb. I chose to pick my battles and that its not a big deal, it hasn't hindered her in anyway. It's actually become quite useful because she only sucks it when she's tired so we know when she needs to go down. You can't really stop them doing it, so I'd suggest just leaving her to it - if she's hungry, she will absolutley let you know!

Mine did this. It was a vigourous suck and really she was hungry.
When it was a gentle suck it was comfort. I could see a difference.

When she was 2, she choose her own "thumbsie", and that has stopped her sucking habit.

I hated dummies.

Luckily DD sucks her thumb - I checked regularly with HV and dentists and they all said it was fine. She's nearly 5 now and largely grown out of it except for the odd time when she's asleep

Let her suck her thumb. As others have posted, it's far easier for her to find her thumb at silly o' clock in the nighttime/ very early morning, than for you to be looking for a dummy after she's woken up and couldn't find it

Let her suck her thumb. Just try and stop them before they reach double figures - speaking from experience!

I'd give her a dummy. It's can be taken away when you feel it's the right time, you can't chop her thumb off. And once they get past the cute baby age thumb sucking becomes unsightly and immature, and is quite unhygienic too.

I know 3 people who each have one misshapen thumb from sucking.

I know people who sucked their thumb into teenage years at school and they aren't taken seriously by their peers as a result.

I definitely would swap for the dummy, that was one of the reasins i gave dd a dummy early on. Sucking comforted her and i didn't want ger to suck her thumb

My sisters kids would’ve been thumb suckers she just put gloves on in bed etc distracted them from it when she could and it never happened. My eldest was a thumb sucker he’s 19 now teeth are fine as I was worried about him having a brace. I sucked my thumb too so did my sister thumb is fine so are teeth my 3 youngest all had dummies much easier to Chuck in bin can’t chop thumb off

@LadyEloise

Let her suck her thumb. As others have posted, it's far easier for her to find her thumb at silly o' clock in the nighttime/ very early morning, than for you to be looking for a dummy after she's woken up and couldn't find it

I like these for that:

www.toystreet.co.uk/shop/bears/mary-meyer/wubbanub/oatmeal-bunny-wubbanub%C2%99-pacifier/?gclid=CjwKCAiAuoqABhAsEiwAdSkVVD6DEsOmfODlak-Q9-7YVPj-riPpSDHwA2kVU8OgVRpwrGyVsZz_uBoC9IUQAvD_BwE

Easy to keep hold of and find, plus the dummy but can be cut off at an appropriate time, leaving the toy as a nice transition object.

Bought one for my eldest because she wouldn't get off my breast at night aged around 4 months but she never took a dummy (or sucked her thumb) despite our best efforts. I'm glad overall now but it was a pretty exhausting month!

Has a dedicated thumb sucker - only gave it up (with help from stop grow) at 7 when adult teeth came through. She has perfect orthodontics. It was great when she was little because she could always self soothe. I encouraged it tbh!!