mummy's finger or dummy??? what's worse? how to wean baby off?

[choolie]

Sorry if this is a ridiculous post, but please help if you can, I'm getting desperate.

Am so glad this is anonymous - I wouldn't admit this to my friends, but DS goes to sleep sucking on my finger. I can't even remember how it started, i think it must have been early days when he was crying and it might have been a final resort to soothe him, then prob another few nights later when nothing was working it might have happened again etc. to the point now where he'll come off the boob, then if he hasn't fallen asleep, will grab my finger straight to his mouth (he's 5.5m) you get the picture.

Now i feel awful that I might be setting him up for dental problems - I know the answer is simple, just don't let him, but he gets such comfort from it now, that i'm going to have to go slowly slowly to wean him off. Has anybody had this experience? any suggestions? is it worse than a dummy? I don't really want to get him hooked on a dummy either, I'd rather he suck his thumb, but he prefers his whole hand at the moment, and not at sleep time. I've read the pros & cons dummy v's thumb, and would still prefer he suck his thumb.

Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution has a section on weaning babies of any age off sucking to sleep. it's not a quick solution but it's not stressful for you or your baby.

Basically, you let them suck until the frantic, fast sucking stops and they're relaxed, then you take out the dummy/finger. If they start to fuss you pop it back in, wait for the sucking to slow and take it out again. You keep repeating that until they drop off to sleep. The idea is that they become gradually less and less reliant on the dummy/finger and can drop off to sleep without it.

My ds1 as a baby couldn't get to sleep unless he had his finger in my mouth . I didn't like it but was too exhausted to try to wean him from it. The habit disappeared with time.

cheers olithan, do you know I've got that book, but didn't think to use that section for the finger too, I just read it as BF to sleep. thanks.

I hated dummies too, but if he's only using it to get to sleep, like my two do, then it's got to be easier than having to give him your finger (I wouldn;t be embarassed though, it sounds really sweet)!
Just go with the dummy, yes they're horrid, but blimey they make life a lot easier!

choolie
I have the exact same problem with gecko who is 6 months

no help at all but wanted you to know that you weren't alone

Oh I had to laugh when I read your post sixkinds, as he's now started to look up at me whilst sucking my finger with his gorgeous cheeky grin and start shoving his fingers in my mouth as if to say look mummy you can suck my fingers too, we'll do it together, it's really good you know! thanks for that I thought I might be the only one with this kind of situation!

thanks trinity. It does help knowing there are others out there doing the same. it's the sort of thing none of my friends have ever mentioned, but not really the sort of thing you discuss over a cuppa & cake! - altho' why not, we'd prob have a good laugh about it. at least i can tease him when he's 18.

I would honestly say give him a dummy as you can bin it at a later date. dd1 reluctantly gave her dummy up at nearly5, the next two will never give up their thumbs I think, the youngest has a dummy but prefers her fingers - think they will all have crooked teeth