thumb suckers

Both of my LOs are thumb suckers and only one will take a paci. Is there anything I can do to make them do it less?? Can they grow out of it?? I'm just worried about when their teeth come in and causing problems.

 

I was wondering the samething. Emma is a thumb sucker and takes the paci, Evan is a finger/thumb sucker and won't take it.

 

I sucked my thumb and had perfectly straight teeth. According to the american dental association, it is after the adult teeth come in that you should worry. http://www.ada.org/public/topics/thumbsucking.asp

 

BOTH my boys love their fingers/flesh to suck on- on an ultrasound at 10 weeks the doc thought he saw Baby A sucking on what would be his hands... both were 'caught' doing it, in utero, though.

I have a question, though- when can they reliably get their hands in their mouths? I'm working on a losing battle with the paci, but at this point would really like them to just put their hands in their mouths if that's what they need to do to be soothed. :headbang:

Thanks,

Michelle

 

I got so sick of constantly popping paci's in my boys' mouth that I was thrilled when Brandon started sucking on his fists within the last 2 weeks. He will still take a paci some too, but personally I will be happy if he turns into a thumbsucker, because while he may not be able to find a paci in his crib later, he'll always be able to find his thumb! My brother and I were both thumbsuckers and my mom swears that is why we were good babies because we could sooth ourselves. And my teeth are perfectly straight and I never needed braces.

As for keeping those blasted paci's in place, I bought some wubanub pacifiers, and sometimes they do help keep the paci in their mouth. But shortly after that I just sewed some soothie pacifiers to the corner of some burp cloths (I folded down the corner so it wouldn't get in their way), and it works about as good if not better than the wubanub.

 

I guess I am just worried that they will be five and still sucking their thumbs. You can always get rid of a paci, but a thumb will always be there...how do you break the habit when they get to be 2 or 3??

 

J is my finger sucker (the middle and ring finger on his left hand...rock on sign...ha). Has been since he was about 4 months old...sucked his thumb from 3-4 months old.

Anyway...as time passes, he does it less and less. He used to do it alot, but now only when he goes to sleep at night (doesn't do it at nap time that I've seen). I'm not stressing about it now as he doesn't do it any other time.

 

My 10 year old was a thumb sucker from the day she was born. We didn't bother trying to break her of the habit until she was 3 & the dentist recommended that she should stop. At that point, I used the stuff that goes on their thumb like nail polish & tastes really bitter (there are several different brands) and, honestly, within a couple of weeks she had completely stopped. She was old enough to understand she needed to stop & the bitter taste was just a reminder, she never got upset about it or had any troubles at all with stopping. Many kids self-wean from thumb sucking as well, so I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. At least you don't have to get up in the middle of the night & replace pacis!