Thumb Sucking - Los Angeles, CA

there is nnothing wrong with thumb sucking. Ihad 4 children who sucked their thumbs, all grew up to be great adults. with children of their own .. when they were they stopped doing it on their own don't worry A. age 85

Hi S. -

I hope some of the idea offered here are of help. I myself don't have any suggestions for you; my daughter wasn't a thumb-sucker, but I sure was (had to be bribed with a Shirley Temple doll when I was in 1st grade).

I do want to suggest you switch to a different product other than Polysporin. It's a great thing for avoiding infection, but if there's a chance your baby will end up sucking it off his little thumb, it might not be such a good thing to have in his mouth or tummy. Once it heals, if he goes back to it & before it become a sore, maybe try something like Alba's Un-Petroleum Gel. Nice stuff, looks just like vaseline, but it's made of ingredients safer for our insides (that doesn't mean I advocate eating it ;-)

All the best, and DO accept the word of the mama who responded with reassurance that this is a natural impulse - your baby just has a powerful suck. He'll either develop calluses, or switch to something else. And he will outgrow it.

Colleen

Trying looking on line for a product called Thumbguard. They also have at your local pharmacy a liquid you can paint on the thumb as well. Good luck!

Dear S.,

Well, pacifiers are good if you can find the right one that the baby likes. I know how you feel, I felt the same way. My son sucked the two middle fingers until he burned one of them on the tippy end. After it healed he went back to them for about 2 weeks, then it was over. He was two. I felt like a bad mom, but that is not true. They truly do need to do that sucking. Just try all sorts of things, and let him suck until he quits. You can save yourself for a 'fight' that really is more serious. no kidding. C. N.

S.,
I think that most moms go thru this dilema. It's a stinker. I am just sorry that it's gotten to the point where he is hurting himself. Poor guy.
If none of the other methods you try aren't working-I would stick to mittens on his hands. Or socks. Stores are also carying guards for the hand. My girlfriend used one on her two year old and it seemed to work pretty well.
I hope that helps. Hang in there. You are doing a great job.
P.
PS. Two hour commute every day? You must REALLY love your work!

Hi S., all's you can do is each time you see her do it take her thumb out, i would not do the pacifire, rocking is good, hopefully she will get tired of you taking it out, and she will stop, when my first was a baby he would suck on his
fist and I just keep taking it out, eventualy he stoped. she's to small for the chili, or hot sauce method, I have heard that some moms have wrapped tape around it, but i would just keep taking it out, she's still young enough to grow out of it. Hope this helps. J.

Thumb or finger sucking is a natural instinct and natural way of self-soothing for babies. Even in the womb, a "baby" will suck their fingers/thumb. Your baby is doing what is natural.

Sucking is something that is just part instinct...and just what babies do. This reflex is for survival... so they can feed. ALso, "twiddling" the breast (a movement they do with their fingers) is also a survival instinct... they "twiddle" the breasts to get the milk-flow going... so that they can nurse....In older babies, who have "lovies", you will notice that a baby/child will "twiddle" a corner of their blankie or stuffed animal...this is their natural reflexes and it soothes them...it's instinctual. Nothing wrong with it.

Yes, but the general advice is for them to stop it. But when?
You tried lots of different things, to no avail. It is making your more tired and than him.

Now, there are some who say "so what? It helps my baby to self-soothe, he/she will stop sooner or later..." Even many child experts say that it is "fine" if a baby can learn to self-soothe and using pacifiers or thumbs. This is what your baby is doing. I researched this and this is what I learned.

It does not contribute to "bad sleeping habits." That is my opinion. What I found, is that a baby/child will "find' their own way to self-soothe... and if they do that's great.

In our culture... we want our baby to self-soothe..but don't want to give them anything to help them. We don't want them to get "attached" to anything.. we take things away from them if they do get attached to something that "soothes" them. That is the emphasis-- Detach them, wean them quick, and take things away so they are not soothed or comforted by anything and they have to cry it out. Now, is that really nurturing? In other cultures, it's normal and natural for a baby/child to self-soothe if they have a "lovey" or pacifier or thumb, or blankie. No big deal. It's normal. They DO grow out of it. I myself was a thumb-sucker. I don't do that anymore. I slept great and was a perfectly fine baby growing up, according to my Mom.

Everyone is different.

For me, my eldest child would not self-soothe although I tried everything. My second child, could self-soothe and "found" a favorite stuffed cow that he just LOVES to cuddle and he uses a pacifier. We don't mind. It's perfectly fine. The dentist and Pediatrician said no big deal. It won't last forever.. .and they will grow out of it. Both my kids by the way, have great sleep habits.

Just do what you think is best for your baby.. and your sanity. I know these things are not always easy for Parent or baby... but, I found that if you "let" your child/baby have their own rhythm... they will be fine. You are lucky your baby even found a way for himself to self-soothe. Many don't. It won't last forever.

Good luck,
Susan

might be a little stressed

Well S., coming from a hispanic origin we took care of my sons problem this way. I have 2 boys now 16 & 14. We put a little bit of jalapeno juice on his thumb, while we were with him to make sure he didn't rub his eyes at all. It took about a week or so and it stoped. Maybe it will work for you since you have tried everything else. Good luck
D.:)

too bad the pacifier doesn't work. How about his burping cloth, maybe the chew toys is a big hard for him, but the burping cloth is soft. Or a satin handkerchief, let him play w/ the handkerchief before you put him down to his crib. Also, try to play soothing sound like ocean wave or rain or white noise in his room thru out the night. My son love the sound, he's two and half now and we still play that for him thru out the night and in the morning when we want to wake him up, we just turn off the machine and w/in 5 minutes, he's up.

Good luck w/ everything,

wow 2 hrs of driving to & from work, that sucks,,, this is important, what will happen is from also sucking to much on the thumb is nerve damage to the thumb... when it heals ask the doctor about this nasty stuff you put on the thumb it tastes really nasty, I had to do this with my 19 yr he chewed on his thumb all the time. they have baby gloves also, he might be teething also buy him some teething rings, to chew on.

good luck