Thursday, November 5, 2009

What have I done?

One week ago, I decided to start weaning Ila off her pacifier. I read that now is the best time and after 3 months old it becomes a habit. Well, it was easy... too easy. She didn't miss it at all, she continued to be the sweet little well behaved baby that she is. Everytime she got fussy I fed her and she never seemed to miss the pacifier. Until the dark clouds of Tuesday rolled in. She started acting like she couldn't live without it. She didn't want a bottle, she was fussy and kept sticking her fist in her mouth. And, she got better and better at finding her thumb!!!! I said, "H No you don't!" and stuck her pacifier into her mouth. Last night it got really bad, she woke up for her 1:00 am feeding and while I was making her bottle, she was so starving she kept knocking her pacifier out of her mouth and her thumb would go straight in! I will not have a thumbsucker and the pacifier is the lesser of 2 evils so she wins. Now, how do I deal with the fact that she has found her thumb?
First, I camp outside her crib all night to rip it out of her mouth anytime she sticks it in. I am willing to do this, I did it for awhile last night. I just need to know how long babies usually have this need to suck on something, when does it start to go away? 4 months? 6 months? please somebody tell me.
Second, would it hinder her small motor skills development and/or be considered child abuse to perhaps, tape her thumbs down? Cause I think that sounds like a great idea.
Third, have you had a baby that occasionally put their thumb in their mouth but didn't make a habit of it?
I'm scared.

4 comments:

  1. put a thin sock over the hand she wants to suck and strat giving her the mute plug again...try that:-) good luck. You don't want a 10yr old closet thumb sucker, lol

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  2. You might get lucky and she will give up both after a while. Quincy at 4 months kept throwing her pacifier and sucking her thumb and then as soon as she got teeth she quit sucking her thumb. So maybe if you ignore it she might quit, it's so hard cause they all have their minds made up!! little turkeys!!

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  3. Hey Cherie! This is Steph (Hermansen) Chugg from high school? I don't know if you remember me or not :) I just thought I'd say that when my baby found her thumb, she liked it for just a little bit and then kind of forgot about it and never sucked it.. Then again, she never took a pacifier either so who knows? Good luck though, she sure is cute!!

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  4. hey it's Kara...I didn't want to start using a pacifier with Dallin but my mom told me that it is so much easier to get them to stop using one than it is for them to stop sucking there thumb!!!! Zabrina is 21 and still sucks her thumb. I just try to keep up with pulling Dallin's hand or finger out and putting his soother back in.

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