[nen-c]

I've a 4 month old DD, who is an extremely easy baby, and is developing a serious thumb habit. She uses her thumb to get to sleep (through her love to dream wrap) and often sucks it whenever she isn't engaged with me or a toy or her big brother. I just tried her with a dummy today (out of interest) and she was happy to suck it. I've heard people say that a dummy habit is better than a thumb habit, and that thumb sucking can be bad for their teeth, but I'm not sure if I should start replacing her thumb with a dummy? I'm interested in people's thoughts and experiences with this.

TIA

[lamarque]

Both of mine had dummies and had no problems giving them up. Unfortunately you can't give a thumb up!

I had a cousin who sucked her thumb for years (she was school age and still doing it). She had a very large callous on her thumb and needed braces etc. I think some dentists say it has no effect but others will say it does.

[qak]

DS still uses hos thumb ( at 6 ). I started out with nothing, then a dummy which he spat from 4months. Then he reverted to a thumb. Unfortunately I can't throw his thumb away ...

DD used a dummy until about 18m when the dentist said we had to get rid of it as she was getting an open bite (front teeth not meeting). It was relatively easy to get rid of it (lots of distraction) and her teeth are great now.

So if you need to I would go the dummy!

[mummy~2~two]

Neither of my girls were thumb suckers and we didn't go down the dummy path but this has always been my thought.
You can always take a dummy away when the time comes but not a thumb. You may find though that your DD won't take a dummy in preference for her thumb.
Sorry not much help but I always told myself if my child started sucking their thumb I would introduce a dummy.

[lsolaBella]

I prefer dummy as you can get rid of a dummy, but not a thumb.

My cousin turning 40 will still put her thumb in her mouth unconsciously when stressed.

I had a major dummy habit (parents took dummy away as I turned 4), but never felt the need to suck my thumb. All three of my kids had dummies until 2-2.5 yrs of age. Only DD who lost dummy at 2yrs has made any reference to the dummy after that initial week without it. She has just turned three and still occasionally looks sad and says dummy lost, but none of them have sucked thir humbs.

So I am team dummy.

[Lcasey]

My eldest was on dummy, my youngest on thumb. My eldest had no problems loosing the dummy around 2 years (He wasn't quite 2), and has never sucked his thumb. My youngest is 3.5, 4 in May, and we are having so many troubles trying to stop him sucking his thumb it's ridiculous. I wish we'd let him have a dummy instead. Needless to say, we are having dummys for this baby. They are so much easier to deal with for us.

[SummerStar]

Dummy!
Have never had issues getting rid of a dummy but I'm still telling my almost 9 year old to get her thumb out of her mouth.
Drives me mad.
Luckily only 1 out of 4 was a thumb sucker. (Still one too many)

[Above rubies]

Dummy. A thumb sucking habit is way harder to break than a dummy habit. I sucked my thumb until some ridiculous age. I never ate because I always had my thumb in my mouth, my 2 front teeth now slightly stick out & I also have permanent ridges on my thumb nails.

[Sassy Girl]

Thumb, that way she can self soothe instead of crying when the dumb falls out of her mouth and she is too little to put it back in. Plus dummies look stupid. They are generally used when a parent can not be bothered figuring out what is wrong with their child so they stick a dummy in to shut it up

[-Belinda-]

DD had a dummy until 3 and when it was taken away we had no dramas, took us a couple of weeks to realise she had replaced with her thumb instead. She is now 4 and we haven't got rid of the thumb!

Sorry to be no help!