Thumb Sucking 5 Month Old

Hi T.
Remember she's just a baby ... if she was one going on two then you have a problem. Try different shapes of the binki's
there are so many shapes that forms to the baby's mouth go get a variety and see which one she'll keep. Her gums maybe itching so that maybe why she's using her thumb.

At 5 month's I wouldn't worry about it.

I hope this helps a bit.

hey there-
My little one also sucked his thumb when he was really young, from about 4-7 months. Then he just stopped and hasn't done it since. My son was also breastfed for the first 3 months exclusively, then was started on a bottle and was never given a pacifier. I would just wait a little while and see what happens. It may be that she just needs to self soothe a little and since she doesn't have a pacifier, this is what works for now. It may just be a stage and she may outgrow it rather quickly. Good luck!

Babies have a very strong desire for sucking, and it will not hurt your baby to suck her thumb. I have friends who never sucked a paci or thumb and still needed braces on their teeth, so don't worry about her teeth. Most kids give up the habit on their own within a few years anyway.

You can relax about this one, mama. Let the little one suck her thumb away. You won't have to worry about it affecting teeth until she's 2 or 3. Right now, it provides her comfort and helps her develop self-soothing skills. Just put a little nontoxic lotion on her hands regularly to keep them soft.

My daughter did the same thing. When i was dressing her or putting her in her car seat and took her thumb out of her mouth, the other one went right in. Fortunately, she quit all on her own after only a few weeks, so I really can't offer any advice.

My friend has the same thing with her daughter. She tried everything but now, at almost 9 months, her daughter sucks her thumb mostly for sleep purposes or when overstimulated or getting tired. My opinion is like hers that some babies suck their thumbs and some do not and you will have a very unhappy baby while trying to "break" her of it. You should have opportunity as she gets older to address this and will be able to communicate the reasons better. It could be beneficial to you as you won't have to worry about her losing a paci in the car and going into a crying fit because her thumb is always present. Just trying to help you look on the bright side!

Dont sweat the small stuff

If I were you I would just not make a big deal out of it. My daughter who is 4 now was a thumb sucker. we never even mentioned it to her and around 2 she stopped using it during the day and soon after I noticed she wasnt using her thumb to go to sleep. My 1 year old is now a thumb sucker too and we just dont make a big deal out of it we never take it out or say stop sucking your thumb I think she will just stop on her own. Remember at such a young age this is one of theri only ways to sooth themselves.

T. are you familiar with lovies(blanket or favorite stuff
animal)that comforts babies and toddler's. I'm a nanny I've
had three babies that started sucking their thumbs as in-
fants, this was their comforter they were able to put them-
selves back to sleep if awaken during the night, sucking the
thumb during teething eased the pain for them we didn't have to use baby oral-gel or tylenol. It wasn't hard to get either one to stop the pediatrian reccommended working on
stopping before by 15 months old. Babies have a strong de- sire to suck this was their comfort in the womb. Believe it or not each one stopped on their on by the age of 28 months
and completely by three this is when they began to make fr-
iends. Sometimes it is OJT (on the job training. Good Luck!

She's doing it as a comfort mechanism. She's a little young for a lovey yet. I think you need to let this pass on its own. She could be teething (or starting to) and it probably feels really good to her. All babies put their hands in their mouths in some form or fashion.

With all due respect, NO to the mittens! I'm not offended by your concern, I just don't think it's a big deal or anything to worry about, especially now. I have even heard that thumb sucking can be good for them and it's actually quite impressive she can find her thumb at that age. Let her do what she wants and if it's still going on down the road, ask your pediatrician.

Wow - the advice sure has changed a lot since the days of "put hot sauce on their thumbs," huh? Yikes! Poor kids.

But the truth is that there are a lot of moms whose babies are crazy about pacifiers (that always get lost or dropped in the dirt) that would LOVE their baby to learn to thumb suck. (And as one other person pointed out, there is something completely adorable about it.)
And there is a lot to be said for having a child that is able to soothe herself.

Personally, I'd look for some baby wipes that I could use to keep her hands clean when she's out and about -
mayeb something like "Seventh Generation" that will use safer ingredients - not those hand sanitizers that taste TERRIBLE. (OK, I haven't tasted my fingers after cleaning them with those wipes. Maybe just a warm washcloth with a dab of soap in a ziplock would be better.) Besides, those are harsh to be using all the time, although they do have thier place. They are good for occasional use.

I wouldn't worry about having to break a bad habit, because right now, it's kind of a *good* habit (because of the self-soothing aspect.) Many, if not most children grow out of it on thier own (my little niece announced a few weeks before her 3rd birthday that she was going to stop sucking her thumb when she turned three, and bang! she did it. All on her own. Maybe it was easier for her, since it WAS her decision. Possibly it was her 4th b-day.) Others may need come external pressure, but I think right now the benefits outweigh the downside (the downside being that it *might* be harder to break later on.)

Another option is allowing her to freely "comfort nurse" even if there is no more milk. Maybe not the answer you were hoping for, but having access to... uh... the Real Thing... makes substitutes like pacifiers and thumbs unnecessary.

Adults have numerous ways to alleviate stress or comfort themselves; a 5 month old has one -- thumbsucking. So what's so bad? You can't reason with a 5 month old or talk her through breaking a habit. Give her time -- years if necessary -- when she's ready AND she understands, there are ways to help her stop. In the meantime, envy her her ability to use an age-appropriate and non-destructive method of coping with life.

She sounds adorable!!
Is there a particular reason for not wanting her to suck her thumb? It can be a wonderful self soother for a baby/young child. I have been assured repeatedly by pediatric deintists that the teeth/mouth are not a concern until permanent teeth start to come in around 6. Maybe you could talk to your ped and see if it is really something you need to worry about from a medical/dental persepctive. Of course, if it bothers you then you should do whatever feels right for your family. Wish I could help more but I let mine suck away as little kids!

N.
SAHM 39yr mommy of ds8, dd6, dd4 (all bottle fed too)

I think you will find that this is a normal developmental stage for your baby. Her stimulation and familiarization with her mouth is not only a comfort, but will help her form words and talk to you in a few months. I have three children and they all responded to thumbs or pacifiers in different ways, but eventually at around 12 months they were too busy walking to care about putting anything in their mouths. BTW, her feet will become the next interesting things to mouth...and it's the cutest stage in the world. You'll love it. Perhaps the wait and watch method would be best?

T., let me start by saying I can totally understand your concern.

However, there are a couple of very important things to focus on here. The first is that she started on her own and at night. This means she was looking to comfort herself which is actually a good thing. Most babies use something for soothing, it isn't a bad thing, God gave them the NEED to suck for survival. It is deep in their central nervous system and something that we cannot take away.

Second of all, since you nursed her and she prefers her thumb to a pacifier it seems like she craves the skin to skin contact. I think that to take that away at this age wouldn't be a good thing. She obviously needs the comfort! As others pointed out, all children put their hands in their mouth for different reasons...they are there and can be toys, teethers, and soothers. My son takes a pacifier at night and nap time AND he still sticks his fingers in his mouth. He chews on his thumbs now that he is teething. I personally would like my son to suck his thumb because it wouldn't get lost in the middle of the night like his pacifier does! :-)

I would just take comfort in the fact that she was independent enough to learn to self soothe, be happy that you don't have to search for pacifiers and start researching now for how to transition her off of her thumb when she is old enough to understand.

Congrats on having a happy and healthy baby and relax, you are a smart and loving mom. You will find a way to take care of this when she loses that NEED to suck!

Good luck!

T., you are obviously a hands-on Mom trying to to do your best for your angel. I CAUTION you strongly about halting her ability to fulfill a natural NEED. Please give her a pacifier or allow her to continue sucking as it is important for her development. Children who aren't permitted to suck develop some nasty habits as kids or adults.

Please, dear, I mean no malice. It's hard being a Mom. Try and relax a bit. The baby isn't an achiever, she is just a baby doing something she is supposed to do for now. There are MANY challenging things coming your way as a parent. Use your WONDERFUL concerns on some of the more pressing things that will come. THANK GOD YOU LOVE YOUR CHILD AND WANT ONLY THE BEST! You will be an awesome Mom! L...

I would let her suck her thumb. It will help her put herself back to sleep and sooth herself without you - how lucky is that? If you worry about her teeth I sucked my thumb way too long and have perfect teeth.

My son is 3-1/2 and still sucks his pointer finger and middle finger, both fingers together and upside down. (His other hand, by the way, is usually down the front of his pants.) He's done this ever since he was a baby. Whenever I try to get him to stop, he laughs at me. It's become a game to him. Obviously, I have no idea how to stop it, so I have stopped worrying about it. But since it is important to you, my only advice is to nip it quickly, before your daughter becomes old enough to recognize that she has the power to annoy you with it and uses it as a game. Hopefully she will not be as strong-willed and mischievous as my little guy!
Good luck.

I personally wouldn't sweat it- she is too young to understand and grasp on and most likely is using it as a comfort and way to soothe herself.
My twins are 6 years old and they still suck their thumbs when they watch T.V. or really tired- I don't bother with it much because I know that most likely they won't go off to college sucking their thumbs! lol!
Plus, gentically speaking they have no chance of straight teeth and will most likely need braces anyhow due to family history-I have bigger things to worry about and I know eventually they will stop on their own. However, I will try to call them out on it when I see it but pretty soon if they continue with it other kids will start to make fun of them so that in itself will take care of the situation I think. They actually stopped altogther at one point at a certain age but then started it back up. I know they can stop - so at this point I'm not going to really worry about it-call me crazy but I just feel they will stop on their own. I think your baby will too and I wouldn't worry about too much.

T.---I am a forty one year old mom of four. When my oldest, who is now 13, was born I did not want him to have a pacifier; my niece, who was four, was talking through her pacifier and it drove me nuts.

He did not like a pacifier anyway and I thought I had my problem solved. For him I did. And for his sister who came along two years later. My third, a precious boy who is now seven, however, found his thumbs. Oops! Mom is not in control of thumbs. I cannot remove that when I want or hold a ceremony banishing/burying or passing it along. So I thought my third child was my lesson about pacifiers.

He soon quit the habit during the day. He was not sucking at all when he was awake by the end of his first year. He was still sucking it at night though. By the time he was two that was also gone. His dentist tells me there are no orthodontic repercussions to his momentary affair with his thumb. I worried about it for nothing. I think that a well adjusted little one will just give that up on their own. The need for it will be gone.

I don't think you should worry about thumb-sucking babies too much. I'm a mother of four and have had two thumb-sucking babies. One simply stopped when she was about a year and the other one is 3 and has usually sucked his thumb when going to sleep, but I have noticed a big decline in this activity in the last few months. Sometimes as moms we worry about our kids so much we turn little concerns into huge problems. Your baby has found a way to self-soothe, that's not a bad thing. Give her a few months and she may give it up on her own.