Handsucking

My son was only a couple of months old when he started sucking his thumb, which it didn't last long at all. I gave my son a passie. I would rather him suck on the passie then his thumb because I can take the passie when he is ready. YOU CANNOT TAKE THE THUMB AWAY. My doctor said that if he is going to suck his thumb there is NOTHING you can do about it. My cousins baby never had a passie and she does nothing but suck her thumb when she is sleepy and/or cranky. I hope you have better luck than she did.

I don't necessarily believe that your friend is right. She maybe starting to teeth early or she may be just going through a growth spurt and she's hungry. You can always try a paci.

hi my 3 week old daughter came out of me sucking her hand ,then thumb. So i had to give her a pasy..She doesn't really like it but it dies help..

Hi... I have a 3 1/2 month old that has been sucking her hand for well over a month now, and it hasn't lead to thumbsucking at all. I've found that it's just a soothing motion for her... she calms herself down by doing it. Also, at 3 months old, babies tend to put just about anything they can reach into their mouths (she loves her bib almost as much as her hand). Good luck with your daughter, but I'm thinking that she's probably like my daughter and just calming herself.

its possible that you could have a teether on your hands, my 3mth old son does the samething, so decided to check his gums, and there was 3 teeth trying to come in.

My son has been sucking on his hand since he learned he had one. He is now going on 7 months old, and has not once sucked his thumb. I don't think you have anything to worry about. It's an exploratory thing for her. Hey look at this, something new, it fits in my mouth....that's probably all it is to her, I really wouldn't worry about it, and it doesn't mean she's going to be a thumbsucker, she's just exploring. Congratulations on twins! Have a great day!! :o)

Hello,
Both my son and daughter sucked on their hand when they were that age. It comes from teething either your baby teeth are in are trying to come in. It will take time for some babies. What you can do is buy her teething rings to soothes her gums.

Dear E.,
While sucking is a natural stimulus that needs to be fulfilled, if this is a new behavior something else may be going on. It's possible that even at 3months she is beginning to cut a tooth. The sucking or perhaps gnawing at her hand will help ease some the pain she may be experiencing if this is the case. This may be more likely, especially if you've also noticed increased saliva production. These are both key signs of an oncoming tooth. If it bothers you or begins to irritate her skin, you might want to try a pacifier...same results, less hassle trying to quit its use. Hope this helps.

My son started sucking his thumb and hasn't stopped now he's 13months I really wish that I had pushed the binky on him more because at least you take that one away when it comes to the time to do so.

It's not a habit, it is a relex for soothing. She might be starting to teethe and that helps put the pressure on her gums to help the pain. She is also learning about her world and babies do that buy putting everything in their mouths. Later down the road it might be her foot when she finds it!! My son started out on the paci and after a few months wanted nothing to do with it, then he found his fingers, then it was his thumb and now it's nothing at all!! My daughter was the opposite, she had the paci and her 3 fingers and I just simply took the paci away when she was 1yr and she stopped the fingers on her own about the same time. And she only sucked them when she was tired, it was her way of soothing herself to sleep. I wouldn't worry about it and there isn't much you can do really to stop it either at this age. Just let her explore her world.

S.