[Mum2TwoDSs]

Anyone with or had young bubs needing a dummy to settle/resettle for sleep? Anyone tried weaning dummy and ended up with a bub who sucked hands instead?

Was it hard to kick the habit hand/thumb sucking eventually?

[Mum2TwoDSs]

Nobody ever in this situation before?

[tibs]

I have 3 kids, youngest is 4 months. None have ever had a dummy. But my youngest is a thumb sucker - she just started doing it at 3 months to self settle My older 2 never did that. So I'm sorry I'm no help but I'm worried she'll be 5 and still sucking her thumb too

[Musk Sticks]

I'm also interested in responses here.
DS is 3 months and won't take a dummy but has started sucking on his hands.

[bettymm]

My eldest never would take a dummy but started sucking her two fingers (pointer and middle) on her left hand at about 3 months. She LOVED it and would self settle with her fingers. She is now 4 and STILL sucking those same two fingers. Not quite so much now.mainly only when she is bored or tired..it usually goes hand in hand with her blankie..which she still loves. When she has her blankie the fingers go in.

I wouldnt even know how to go about stopping the finger sucking..its not like i can tie them behind her back. As she gets older though im assuming with starting school and all other things she will grow out of the need to suck them

[MahnaMahna]

My first two kids showed an early tendency for finger sucking so I gave them dummies. When we weaned the dummy they did not return to finger sucking.

I chose the dummy over fingers as I had a cousin that sucked her fingers til late teens and her teeth and fingers suffered from it.

This post has been edited by MahnaMahna: 10/02/2013, 10:34 AM

[bettymm]

I think its preferable to offer a dummy and if they take it great! But if they wont take it or if you wean off it and they start to suck the fingers, there really isnt much you can do. Its an instinctual , natural urge for some babies/toddlers that is really hard to stop.

[Mum2TwoDSs]

Thank you so much for your responses. They are really helpful.

[-Belinda-]

DD had a dummy until 3.5 and we had no trouble getting rid of it, then after a couple of weeks we realised that she had just taking up sucking her fingers or thumb at night - which is what her never-had-a-dummy cousin and best friend did. A year on and she still does it when tired or in trouble. No answers here!

[bjk76]

DS was a finger/hand sucker from very early on. He was in the zip-up swaddling suits (where hands are up next to the baby's head) and his hands would get totally wet from him sucking in his sleep. I tried giving him a dummy a couple of times, but he preferred his hands. He grew out of it by 6 months. After that he'd chew on his fingers occasionally due to teething, but no more finger or hand sucking. He is demand breast-fed though, even still overnight, so I guess he gets his comfort sucking from me!