3 Mo Old Refuses Pacifier and Sucks Hand/fingers Only--leading to Thumb Sucking?

I think everyone has a different perspective on this. I was quite happy to have my son suck his thumb because it was always with him, couldn't fall out, etc. From my perspective it was much easier to deal with than a pacifier.

Thumbsucking is about self-pacifying. Think of it this way...if it helps your baby sleep, be calm, etc. rejoice!

And they grow out of it when they are ready - my son didn't suck his thumb in public and stopped on his own completely when he started preschool.

Just like anything else, when the time comes it will be easy to establish rules on where sucking her thumb is appropriate, etc. In our world, blankie doesn't leave the house unless we are going overnight someplace. As your child gets older (over 2, etc) just establish that she can't suck her thumb unless she's at home, and then in her room, and then in her bed.

In the scheme of things, this falls into the little things category for me.

Hi L.,
My son did a similar thing. He refused the pacifier for several months, and only sucked on hands/fingers for awhile. At about 5-6mos, he started taking the pacifier again as he was teething a lot. Now we love the pacifier b/c it saves us when we are in a pinch at a store or just needing to calm him down. He'll suck his fingers, but in general not his thumb. I bet when your little girl starts teething the picture will change. Hang in there.... I know it feels like forever when there is nothing that calms them like the simple thumb or pacifier. Good luck!

I tried to introduce my daughter to the pacifier, but she too was not into them. And she did very early on learn to self soothe by sucking her thumb.

At first I was not sure about the thumb sucking but after talking to many mothers, my lactation consultant and pediatrician i learned it was actually a good thing and have found it to be a good thing for her.

Thumb sucking helped us to get my daughter to sleep easily through the night and was able to put herself back to sleep without a problem. When she was old enough to hold onto a toy or blanket, she lost interest in using her thumb all the time. She now uses her thumb only in the middle of the night and I think she will drop that habit on her own when she is older.

My brother was also a thumb sucker, much more so than my daughter currently is and he made the decision after one day in Kindergarden to never suck his thumb again after seeing that no one else in class had their thumbs in their mouths. I think most thumb suckers do drop the habit very easily when they are ready.

Hi L.,

I agree with the other response that pacifier vs. thumb is a totally personal decision...that is if your baby will let you make it. I was always pro thumb, but I can tell you, when they are screaming at 2 am you are looking for anything to calm them. For some reason both my kids refused the pacifier. I am thankful for that now as I was able to easily break them of their habit around age 2. I have seen 4 y/o kids walking around with pacifiers before they go to bed. That was shocking to see. Not to mention not good for their teeth. At that age you are at a battle of wills. I say if your son is smart enough to calm himself just go with it. Just be on top of it as he grows and tell him that he doesn't need it anymore when you feel it is appropriate.

Good luck,

J.

Maybe you could try getting her some of those shirts with the fold over cuffs to cover her hands, so she won't stick her thumb in her mouth. The only downfall is that she won't be able to grab anything either.