Thumb Sucking - Omaha, NE

Eucerin Gelly Stuff.... Works wonders. I use it for everything. You could also put little mittens on her hands while shes sleeping. My friends are also firm believers in.....
A&D Ointment, Bag Balm and good ol' Vaseline.

She's probably just sucking on them because she's found something new, you might try some baby lotion or her hands. But whatever you do, don't let her suck or her thumb, use a pacifier. I was a thumb sucker until I was in junior high, yes junior high. I had to have braces put on twice, the 1st time for 4 years and the 2nd time 2 years. It cost my parents a lot of money and my teeth still aren't as perfect as they could be. When I was in grade school and they tried things to make me quit, I would always find a way around it...take the sock off when they left the room, wash the bad tasting stuff off. I've vowd that none of my children will ever be thumb suckers, I have better things I can buy for them if I don't have to spend it on braces!!

I have seen it several times. You could do a couple things.

1. pull her thumb out every time and offer a binky. That way you just nip it in the bud from the start.

2. Buy that purelan or lansinoh breast cream. It is 100% lanolin and it is save if they get it in thier mouth.

3. If you are breast feeding you can put breast milk on it. Breast milk cures cracked nipples so I would imagine it would do the same thing to her thunb since it is caused by the same thing. Her sucking. And it is natural and would be safe if swollowed.

4. You could also use Auquaphor or Eucerin (sp) then put little socks on her hands. At least while she sleeps.

Good luck and I hope some if not all work out for you

They have those chapsticks for babies at WalMart, they are in the baby aisle and look like glue sticks, but it's non toxic (obviously) and perfectly safe, and pretty cheap.

I actually prefer thumb-sucking to using a pacifier. When my daughter was littler, we tried using a pacifier, but found it more disruptive than helpful. It would fall out of her mouth as she fell asleep, but she couldn't put it back in by herself. Now she just sucks her thumb when she is sleepy and her hands are too busy exploring things to be in her mouth much when she is awake. (I was a thumbsucker and never had braces.) She does chew (not suck) on a pacifier when she is teething.

Though thumb/finger sucking is harmless, I would give her a pacifer quickly! You can "lose" the pacifer when it is time, and I think they do minimal damage to teeth, but it can be extremely hard for a child to give up his/her thumb/fingers and this is a huge cause for braces (though I realize that some kids will need braces regardless if they suck on anything, it can make it worse). I sucked my fingers when I was little and I remember trying to quit. It was hard and I was embarressed as I got older. When we decided to take the pacifer from my daughter, we just took it. She had one hard night and that was it. It was pretty easy and I don't think affected her negatively at all.

If you'd rather not "battle" the pacifier problem later (like we are at 5 mo.) then I suggest letting her have her thumb/fingers. However, the fact that they are getting chap is a slight problem. I agree with using the Lanolin based creams for breastfeeding, b/c it'll rub into her skin well and it is completely safe for her to ingest. Also, you could try putting mitts on her hands. They can be found at Babies R Us and I'm sure some other places may carry them. I wouldn't worry too much, b/c her hands/fingers will get used to it.

My daughter went through this also, but mostly when she started to get teeth and it rubbed on the knuckle. I just let her have her fingers, she didn't seem to think it bothered her, so I let it be. Mine started sucking her thumb at 7 weeks and just stopped on her own at 12 months....some kids stick with it and others let it go without anything. The pacifier is an issue you have to decide on for yourself. There are pros and cons to both. With their thumbs they have to take it out of their mouths to play, but with a pacifier you can just take it away......good luck! I never thought of using lanolin...that sounds like an awesome idea!

Aquaphor is FABULOUS for red, chapped skin. My sons issue is his drewling when he is teething (or concentrating lol!) We put this on his red chapped chin and it clears up within one day. It is in the baby isle and pharmacy area. Good luck!

My son is almost 2 and sucks on 2 of his fingers and has what looks like callouses on them but the dentist and ped both said that it was ok and that he will probably grow out of it. Do you put lotion on her after her baths? Try keeping lotion on her skin to keep it from getting chapped. I also think there is a cream that you could probably get to keep them from getting so red. Also both the dentist and ped said that him sucking his fingers was way better than him having a pacifier especially since he never wanted one from the start. They said that it wouldn't affect him unless it was his thumb and he doesn't suck on that one.

My oldest child (who is now 6) sucked his thumb regularly and to the point where eventually he sucked the nail right off........twice! It was gross, but it grew back and you can't tell anything was ever wrong with it. As for the redness or chapped hands I would put vaseline on her hands and cover them while she sleeps.....no harm done there and it won't bother her at all.

Hope this helps!
A. C.

i found with four kids thumb or finger sucking is a form of insercurity , the more love they get the less they will use thier little fingers, don;t try to stop them, just love them , we had our last daughter sucked two fingers they were always the cleanest on her little hand , we still joke about it ,she would sleep with us for a long while till she was 4 it was confort to her i gave her lots of well balanced attention , she is now 20 and in the air force she is very well behaved and well balanced , kids suck fingers and have for years i don;t think sucking your fingers changes your teeth either , but some say it does
i never sucked my fingers and i still have an over bite , finger sucking from what i have learned is just a form or usage for kids to find peace of mind and sercurity ,use vaseline to confort her chaped hands she has dry skin , i used a cream from the drugest ask them at walmart most drugest can help

BAG BALM! That is the most wonderful product ever! Smother it on her little hands and then put mittens on and it shouldnt take a few days and she should be better!