Thumb Sucking
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20505
Printed Date: 12 September 2025 at 8:17am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Thumb Sucking
Posted By: kathyandbub
Subject: Thumb Sucking
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 3:45pm
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hi all my boy is 14 weeks old and about a week ago he found his thumb, (before that he he would stick his whole hand and anything else in his mouth).
i have tried pulling it out but it just goes straight back in and im not really worried bout it at the moment (and he looks so cute) but just wondering if i should be, i dont want him to do that when he is older? i have tried to give him a dummy many times but he spits it out every time |
Replies:
Posted By: hooper
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 3:49pm
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hey my dd was a thumb sucker, she stopped by herself when she was about 1 ------------- Desiree 
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Posted By: NovemberMum
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 3:51pm
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at this age I would not worry too much my girl is 9 months old and still sucks her thumb and like your boy she spat out a dummy when we gave it to her. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kathyandbub
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 4:25pm
| thats good i wasnt really worried about it but everyone else that sees it always says how bad it is |
Posted By: blondy
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 6:59pm
I think it's only a problem if they are still thumb-sucking in a few years (my sister was a chronic thumb-sucker past when her permanent teeth came in, and therefore had major teeth issues because of it). To be honest, I'm hoping our little one finds her thumb, as she won't take a dummy, and as you said also, is just sticking her whole fist into her mouth at the moment, and I have seen how it can help settle them...  From what I can gather, it isn't a problem for most babies-------------  
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 7:01pm
Oh don't listen to them. I sucked my thumb until I was 12 (and got a whole heap of flack for it) and my teeth and none the worse for wear at all. Some kids seem to go for dummies/thumbs/fingers and some not at all. I figure if it helps them self-settle, it's a good thing! And thumbs stay more hygienic than a dummy that falls on the floor  -------------  |
Posted By: pikelets
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 7:07pm
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My son sucks his thumb. I think it is so cute and I'm not worried about it.
DS spat out dummies when I tried it on him. He is always good at self-settling and I don't have to get up umpteen times in the night to shove his dummy back in. I read somewhere that 90% of children stop by age ?? (I can't remember the age LOL!!) But I know it was young and nothing to worry about. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 3 Angels - Dec10 / Mar11 / Dec11
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 7:59pm
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I have 2 very close family members who still suck their thumbs as adults (one is nearly 50!!) and neither of them have had any problems at all with their teeth!!! I guess some people do and some dont!
------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: pikelets
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 9:06pm
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No way!
I said to DH once... "It's ok. How many adults do you see sucking their thumbs?" Guess I was wrong  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
3 Angels - Dec10 / Mar11 / Dec11
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Posted By: kasbee
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 9:12pm
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Ryan and Katelyn starting sucking there thumbs at about 8 weeks old and they still suck them. I sucked mine till i was 8 and my teeth are fine. Hopefully be the time they get there adult teeth they will be over it or i might have to get some of that yucky stuff to put on them. ------------- Kelly, mother to 4 wonderful children. http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 9:32pm
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One of them is my aunt, and she has 4 children (none of them suck theirs BTW). She only does it in private and when she is watching TV or in bed. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kathyandbub
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 9:49pm
| no offence bt i hope he grows out of it b4 hes an adult lol!! if he is still doing it wen hes older i might think about doing something, but im just going to let it run its course at the moment i dont see anything harmful about it. and yea it seems to settle him if hes grumping. |
Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 10:15pm
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Brae sucked his thumb from a NB till just over 3yrs.
He was in the bath 1 day & he noticed his fingers going wrinkly from the water (as they do when you stay in too long) I told him, if they get too wet they go wrinkly & rotten & fall off & sucking your thumb makes them wet  He hasnt sucked them since ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 29 August 2008 at 10:41pm
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Rowan sucks her thumb but usually only when she's tired. It's actually a really handy visual cue for us.
I wouldn't worry. My teeth are shocking and I didn't have a dummy or suck my thumb. DH had a dummy and then sucked his thumb until he was about 5 and his teeth are straight as. And one advantage to thumbs is they can't throw them out of their cot in the middle of the night and make you get up to put them back in. -------------  
 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 30 August 2008 at 1:38am
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Caitlyn had a dummy, then we got rid of it and she found her thumb ...which she still sucks.
But hey , if she does need braces (cos as lucky as you guys were, the majority of thumbsuckers do have teeth issues later on , for eg,85% of our patients were thumbsuckers) then at least if im still working where i am, she can get a discount. I hope not (to her needing braces, and me working where i am !) ------------- 
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Posted By: Troods
Date Posted: 30 August 2008 at 3:25pm
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Emily loved her dummy up until about 4 months old. Then she decided she didn't like it anymore and spat it out everytime I tried to up it in, all drama gagging and such. So I gave up on the dummy and now she's a thumb/finger/fist sucker. Not too worried just hope she eventually grows out of it. ------------- 
Missed MC July 2011
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Posted By: Mazzy
Date Posted: 30 August 2008 at 4:01pm
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DD1 has sucked her thumb since about 8 weeks old and still does it, though only when she's tired or cuddling her pink bunny (comfort toy). However, with her teeth now all in she has developed a type of dermatitis on her thumb and hand at the base of her thumb because her teeth and the saliva are irritating the skin, so we're going to try and get her to stop.
DD2 has just started sucking her thumb at 13 weeks. I figure DH had braces and I should have (my teeth are crooked as) so a bit of thumb sucking probably won't change what is an inevitable thing for my girls! ------------- Mum to two gorgeous girls! |
Posted By: lucky3rdtime
Date Posted: 31 August 2008 at 7:53pm
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Gabs has been a thumbsucker from about 4wks old. I am not worried about it, it helps her to fall asleep, and we don't need a dummy. Hopefully she will wean herself off it later on, but at this stage I don't really think its an issue and if it helps them self-settle, then hurray!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 31 August 2008 at 9:30pm
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Chiara's working on it, she sucks her fist but hasn't figured out how to separate the thumb out yet lol. Mind you, Sienna did that too and she preferred sucking her wrist over her thumb. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 31 August 2008 at 10:30pm
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My boy is 10 weeks and he has been sucking his hand and fingers for quite a few weeks now, Plunket said that its normal and good for their brain development.
Only thing is sometimes DS makes himself gag when he shoves his fingers in his mouth too far ------------- |
Posted By: Kimber
Date Posted: 01 September 2008 at 1:36am
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I'm happy for DS (3 months) to suck his thumb. Well, maybe not happy, but not too worried. His sister has a dummy (I gave her at around 2 months or so to stop her sucking her thumb) and I don't like it at all. It's a real struggle to get her to leave it in her bed and I'm dreading trying to get rid of it.
And to be honest my ideas have changed in the last two years and now I think they are quite an unnatural way of soothing a normal healthy baby. DS gags when he sticks his fingers in to far too 
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