# Baby question (not theological...I think)



## xirtam (Nov 16, 2013)

My lovely wife has continued to breastfeed. Thank you all for your advice and prayers.

However, I remember when we had the "helper" lady here the first two weeks that I "caught" her putting my baby's hand in my baby's mouth to keep him from crying. I quickly told my lovely wife to tell the lady not to do that, but from around that time until the present day, he constantly puts his hands in his mouth.

I constantly tell him to stop, but I am wondering whether or not I should be too concerned about this. My thinking is that I don't want him to be a thumb sucker and I don't want him to have any issues with his teeth. 

Any suggestions? Is this a worthless battle? Our first child did not do it as much as him. 

In Christ,


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## jambo (Nov 16, 2013)

Babys do their own thing regardless of what you tell them! Our oldest sucked his thumb or used a dummy until he was about 2 then suddenly stopped. Our other 2 didn't suck their thumb at all. If your baby gets comfort from putting his hand in his mouth then fine. I wouldn't worry.


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## Pergamum (Nov 16, 2013)

Thumb-sucking is not unhealthy and causes no damage (unless done after age 18, I suppose).


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## Logan (Nov 16, 2013)

Babies will suck their finger/thumb in the womb, seems pretty natural to me.
We allowed our oldest to do it until he was about 18 months and then had a "talk" about being a big boy now and stopping. He has of course had to be reminded several times but now (almost 2) he's stopped. That was our approach.


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## Mindaboo (Nov 16, 2013)

I had three thumb suckers...everyone of them sucked their thumbs in the womb, (all four). My oldest sucked her thumb until she was four and stopped. I took my son's thumb out every time I saw him with it in his mouth as a baby. It broke the habit, but those pacifiers are hard to find, get dirty, and I often had to get up at night to pop it in his mouth to keep him sleeping. With number three and four, I let them suck their thumb. Each of my kids stopped on their own...one at age six and one at age seven. My third child has a lot of dental problems, but none as a result of thumb sucking. The other two who sucked their thumbs have no issues, and the one was seven when she quit. Her teeth are fine.


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## Edward (Nov 16, 2013)

The child sounds normal. You, on the other hand, may have an issue.


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## Miss Marple (Nov 16, 2013)

Consensus seems to be: this is not a problem. I raised five and I concur.


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## Scottish Lass (Nov 16, 2013)

Not a big deal in my opinion, either. Enjoy these days; they will pass too quickly.


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## Hemustincrease (Nov 16, 2013)

Babies suck for comfort. Toddlers suck for comfort. It is perfectly normal and nothing whatsoever to worry about. Don’t force him to go against what is natural and will in no way bring about any ill effects. I find one very positive effect of my son sucking two of his fingers, is that those fingers are always spotlessly clean. Now as for his other fingers! You just don’t want to know. LOL


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## xirtam (Nov 16, 2013)

Edward said:


> The child sounds normal. You, on the other hand, may have an issue.



Edward, you made me laugh.  I mean, unless you were serious and then we might have some words.  Then again, you might have to be more specific as to which one of my issues that you were referring...


Other than that, thank you all for your advice. That is why I brought it up, because I was not sure. From this point on, I will allow my son to suck his little hand clean until his little heart is content (not that I was winning the battle anyway). 

In Christ,


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## JoannaV (Nov 16, 2013)

You were probably right in stopping it right at the beginning, in that I suspect the problem there was that the helper was promoting self-soothing at the expense of his real needs being met. But I agree with everyone else, that it is normal and fine etcetc.
So glad to hear your wife managed to keep breastfeeding!


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## xirtam (Nov 17, 2013)

JoannaV said:


> You were probably right in stopping it right at the beginning, in that I suspect the problem there was that the helper was promoting self-soothing at the expense of his real needs being met. But I agree with everyone else, that it is normal and fine etcetc.
> So glad to hear your wife managed to keep breastfeeding!



Thank you, Joanna. I am glad, too.


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## ZackF (Nov 17, 2013)

You're lucky it is only one thumb. My two year old daughter sticks her whole hand in her mouth a lot. I thought it was a little weird until I saw another girl at church doing it.


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