Amy has discoverd her thumbs and now sucks her thumb which is cute. I don't have a problem with her sucking her thumb and she comforts herself if she wakes during the night so we don't need a dummy much. I was wondering if you can tell if they are going to be left or right handed depending on which thumb they suck? Also, how long do they usually do it for? She was originally sucking on her right thumb but now does both. Could this become a problem? I'm not too worried ATM but she does suck her thumb a lot during the day now but I think it is more exploration and her natural sucking. I suppose it does have it's advantages over a dummy and she is not really interested in a dummy anymore.
Also something unrelated, Amy is 16 weeks today. Do you class that as 4 months old or wait until the calendar month of the birth date? ie 4th November for Amy.
i dont know if it reflects if they are going to be left or right handed. i would say if over time she always sucks the same thumb, maybe that would indicate that. i remember when i was little i sucked my thumb (for too long) and it was always my right hand and i am right handed.
Hunter is a committed thumb sucker & has been since 5 weeks. People rave about how it is better than a dummy & then other say it is bad because at least you can 'throw the dummy away' so i felt quite torn.
I did do some reading this week & basically I feel like a. He is only 8 weeks old, it doesn't have to be a serious issue at this stage b. It gives him comfort & i am all for that c. The orthadontic concern only comes into play on the adult teeth & they are quite a long way away d. There are just as many incidence of non-thumb suckers who require orthadontic attention.
Overall I decided it wasn't something to be too concerned about.... my nephew was a thumb sucker & at 15 he is still doing it instinctively (secretly when he thinks no-one is watching) & one of my nieces was but stopped suddenly at 15 months. It can go either way I think....
I have heard that the particular thumb does denote left or right handedness also.....
Those are just my thoughts at the end of the day, hope it helps
btw, I say 8 weeks until he hits the 20th on a calender month & then say 2 months. Not sure if that is correct?
Angus sucks his thumb and has done so since he was 6 months. He decided he didn't like the dummy anymore. I think he was teething at the time too so he must have had some releif from chewing on it.
He likes to hold his ear at the same time and will alternate thumb sucking and ear holding depending on what side he lays on, but I think he prefers his left thumb to suck.
He really only does this when he is tired and I have no problem with him settling himself like this. Maybe if he is still sucking his thumb when he gets older I will try and discourage it as it can cause problems with the adult teeth.
Kynan sucks both his thumbs as well (he hates dummies LOL), more his left now though. My CHN gave me some info which said that at this age babies aren't left or right handed, that doesn't develop until quite a bit later (can't find the papers now so I'm not sure at what age it does develop). She also told me not to worry about the thumb sucking causing any problems and that in most cases they stop sucking their thumbs before school age.
the right hand and left hand thing isn't meant to show through until someone after 2?? That's what I've heard/read anyway.
Also I wouldn't worry about the thumb sucking. Matty was sucking his thumb alot when he was around 3 months, everyone commented that he would be a thumb sucker and oohh I am going to have trouble getting him to stop and oh why didn't I get him to use a dummy?!
Matty is now 8 months and doesn't do it at all. It did last a few months though.
Jack had a dummy but wouldn't suck on it and now 7 years later, still sucks his thumb! He is getting better and usually only sucks it when he is tired or sick. He has always sucked both thumbs but his right more than his left. He is right handed.
After having two non thumb suckers and then having a thumb sucker I found it to be an absolute dream. Olivia was able to self settle and had her comfort with her all the time. Sammy has just started sucking his thumb too and we are thrilled about it. We have not had any dental problems at all. I was also a thumb sucker and had no probs with my teeth. I think people get too caught up in probs later on but really all its doing is helping a bubs and toddler to settle.
Maggie started thumb sucking at about 2 months, she had refused all attempts as using a dummy. She is almost 4 months now and does not suck her thumb anywhere near as often as she first did. I am quite surprised by it, as I thought she would be for ages. I still occasionally sucked my thumb till I was 5 and my teeth are fine.
Maggie does do a funny thing though, sometimes when I am BF'ing I notice that it does not feel or sound right. When I look down I see that she has slipped her thumb in her mouth beside my nipple! LOL
Thanks everyone for your replies! It's something we can't do anything about nor do we want to at this stage, so we will see if she continues or not later on.
DD is 7 and sucks her thumb. I don't mind at all. It helps her go to sleep, she doesnt' do it at school or around other people. Her teeth are fine etc. I would recommend thumb over dummy any day. Dummy was a nightmare.
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Thumb Sucking
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