https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:13:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-795352 Mon, 20 May 2013 11:38:57 +0000 banana 795352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son took to a pacifier well and he dropped it completely on his own at around 9-10 months. And then used his A&amp;A blanket as his lovey. My DD is 9 months old and never took to a pacifier or fingers so I figured I would try a lovey. I gave her this one and she loves it. My son loved his A&amp;A blanket so I thought she might like the same type of fabric. And she did! I would agree with PPs about trying the lovey!</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/aden-anais-Security-Blankets-Butterfly/dp/B004DCA204/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/aden-anais-Security-Blankets-Butterfly/dp/B004DCA204/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-794279 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:46:59 +0000 sarac 794279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter sucked on her fingers to self soothe for a while, and then stopped well before a year. I think that most children stop before toddlerhood ends - I've never really understood the big concern about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-794214 Sun, 19 May 2013 17:24:01 +0000 Andrea 794214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: she is 4.5 months. Maybe you can try leaving one arm unswaddled so that she can have access? I wouldn't worry too much about it becoming some huge problem years down the line. I think most kids quickly outgrow sucking on their hands/fingers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-794205 Sun, 19 May 2013 17:15:06 +0000 lemondrop 794205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>C never really took to a paci, but he did gnaw on his hand for the first several months- I think he stopped doing that by around 6 months. He hasn't really gotten into having a lovey yet either at 16 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-794199 Sun, 19 May 2013 17:09:32 +0000 birdofafeather 794199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: we started swaddling her hands up to her mouth a couple weeks ago and it's been working great. Honestly, at this point, she's too young for me to worry about thumb sucking until she's a toddler. If it soothes K, I say go for her. FWIW, we were anti-paci to begin with but by the time we were desperate for her to take it, she totally doesn't get them. Hands were the winners. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-794002 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:57:45 +0000 immabeetoo 794002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: Honestly I think Moms (and MILs) just forget convenient details. My mom swore up and down she didn't do something then we were looking at my baby book and.. she did! Lots of kids thumb suck (or use a pacifier) and outgrow it normally or give it up without a fight. It's only the exceptions that get talked about that scare people off :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793981 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:38:16 +0000 shopaholic 793981@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: eek! 6 months is so far away still it seems! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793976 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:34:55 +0000 mrbee 793976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: he rubbed his own onesie sleeve from a very young age... he only recently actually started using my shirt as a lovey.</p> <p>Olive started using her burp cloth as a lovey around six months? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793973 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:30:54 +0000 shopaholic 793973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: Side-lying BFing hasn't really worked for us. I think my boobs are too small or something. lol! That's good you could just explain to your LO when it was time to stop the hand sucking. </p> <p>@chopsuey119: Thanks for giving me hope. The thing is K can't hold anything to suck on by herself yet. I'm hoping that soon enough I can just give her an object (Sophie, a lovey, etc.) to suck on when I see it happen, and she'll hold onto it soon!</p> <p>@Weagle: Lucky!</p> <p>@Andrea: We still swaddle, so she's not sucking to sleep. But I feel like when she wakes up, she wants them to self-soothe, but can't because she's all swaddled. How old is your LO?</p> <p>@photojane: Thanks for making me feel better and I will watch out for that. DH does keep telling me her hands are her "new toys!" Can't wait till she can hold onto something instead!</p> <p>@scg00387: Exactly! My MIL and mom are like "we never used a pacifier", "Don't let her suck her fingers", etc. But as soon as I was gone for an appointment, my MIL gave her a paci - said "she wouldn't stop crying". So I feel like either way I'm being told I'm letting her have "bad habits" but then they're being hypocrites?</p> <p>@StbHisMrs: OMG! That is scary and crazy! One of the reasons I don't want thumb-sucking either is because my classmate's sister got tapeworm from sucking her thumbs in elementary school. </p> <p>@mrbee: How old was Charlie when he started doing that? I know I'm kind of trying to force a lovey on her pretty young. But hopefully she'll pick a lovey soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793927 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:52:19 +0000 mrbee 793927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We noticed that Charlie likes to rub my shirt between his fingers, so we gave him my shirt as a lovey and now it's his lovey!</p> <p>Olive's lovey is a burp cloth haha... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793803 Sun, 19 May 2013 10:31:08 +0000 StbHisMrs 793803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From the get go I was very opposed to thumb sucking so instead of risking it we agreed on a binky. Now that she is 19 months she doesn't need and only demands it around me, ugh. I try to only give it at very fussy times, naptime or bedtime. C had one and gave it up easily at her age, she's going to be a struggle.<br /> I'm not sure that we'll give this baby one or not, it might cause a jealousy issue.</p> <p>My husbands ex-wife has no problem with thumbsucking and the girls sucked their thumbs well past 5. To me it's gross and unsanitary, not to mention expensive when it comes to teeth. The oldest has stopped, but the younger one will be 5 in July and still does it. She sucks it so hard at night that it wakes me up. She was hospitalized at close to 2 years old for a staph infection in her spine that entered through a blister on her thumb from sucking. You'd think that'd be a wake up call to make her stop, the girl couldn't walk for months. It wasn't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793720 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:54:51 +0000 immabeetoo 793720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We offered a pacifier for a while but he never took to it and eventually acted like it was poisoned (so we stopped offering). We unswaddled pretty early when he started rolling and introduced a lovey at 4 months - now he sucks his thumb or lovey to sleep. My inlaws seem troubled by it and tell us stories of kids who sucked their thumbs forever but it's not like I'm going to go in and take his fingers out of his mouth when he's trying to fall asleep??</p> <p>FWIW he doesn't thumb suck during the day, just when he is trying to sleep. I give him a teether if he is trying to gnaw on my hand.</p> <p>I think there is only so much you can do, especially when she is this little. I personally would encourage whatever self-soothing she is developmentally and physically capable of :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793713 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:51:09 +0000 photojane 793713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sadie takes a paci, but I just wanted to say that at K's age chewing and sucking on her fingers is norm and developmental! Sadie does it too. It can become a self soothing technique, but all babies suck/chew while they're discovering their hands! If you dont want her to be a finger sucker, I'd just be careful to watch her if she starts sucking just the thumb. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793707 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:46:42 +0000 Andrea 793707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: good question. I was wondering the same as my LO does not take the paci and doesn't seem to suck her fingers for sleep although she does it when she is awake. I will try a lovey when she is a bit older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793690 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:30:24 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 793690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: I did early on. Now I just snuggle<br /> her. She still sleeps with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793688 Sun, 19 May 2013 08:28:22 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 793688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: that's true. At 3, Lala loves her jellycat and does have a blankie... But I'm still her lovey at night. She has her hand tucked under my chin right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793652 Sun, 19 May 2013 07:42:05 +0000 BananaPancakes 793652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son never took a pacifier or sucked his fingers. He just didn't want them. Unfortunately, when he was very little, that meant he either wanted the boob or the bottle to soothe. Once he hit 6 months or so, though, he switched to sucking blankets. At a 13 months, he stilk sucks his blanket to go to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793632 Sun, 19 May 2013 07:15:07 +0000 Weagle 793632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO has never took a paci, sucked her fingers, or had a lovey. She just figured it out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793619 Sun, 19 May 2013 06:52:00 +0000 chopsuey 793619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter went through the hand in mouth stage. She got over it naturally on her own.<br /> DS is going through it now and I trust he'll get over it too.<br /> I just give him a Sophie, terthing rings, winkle to hold when he's awake </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793608 Sun, 19 May 2013 06:22:35 +0000 honeybear 793608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We somehow skipped (mostly) the thumb-sucking. I<br /> BFed on demand and LO self-weaned, so a paci was never really an issue. LO had one in the hospital, and my MIL gave him one, but otherwise, he wasn't into it. I really think every child is different on this (I sucked my thumb and I was BF and have little evidence that I ever had a paci (no pics)), and I don't think a little finger-sucking is a huge problem in infants. (I'm not really into self-soothing, but some infants seem to like fingers.) For a toddler, it's kind of gross--their hands get into everything!--so I just don't let LO suck his fingers anymore. We went through a phase for a few weeks around 1.5-2 yrs where he wanted to put his fingers in his mouth, but my experience with braces gave me validation in removing them from his mouth, with a gentle explanation that that could hurt his teeth. </p> <p>Can you side-lie BF when you're getting her to sleep? I did that and then just rolled out of bed once he was out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793606 Sun, 19 May 2013 06:05:51 +0000 Charm54 793606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was curious about this ! My 3 sisters and I never had soothers - my mom didnt believe in them. But we all ended up sucking our fingers/thumbs into childhood and needing braces/headgear etc. As our LO is on the way, I've been thinking about this. I think I will just give the soother! I wonder what my mom will say...lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793600 Sun, 19 May 2013 05:06:30 +0000 Smurfette 793600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>R doesn't take a pacifier either really. Maybe in the car if we hold it in her mouth for her. She will suck on her hand, the area between her thumb and pointer finger, when she is hungry but that is all. She still doesn't soothe herself either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793590 Sun, 19 May 2013 03:27:40 +0000 lamariniere 793590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. Jacks, hahaha, my son was totally the same. However, after he turned 1, he became more interested in a lovey so now he has a bear, an A&amp;A security blanket AND loves to sleep with/hold the A&amp;A swaddle blankets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793582 Sun, 19 May 2013 02:22:22 +0000 MamaJ 793582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO doesn't take a pacifier or suck his fingers. He isn't a great self soother but in the car he kinda sticks his tounge out a bit and sucks on that. Or sometimes he will suck his bottom lip. He only seems to do it in the car though. If he would do this all the time to sleep that would be fantastic haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793574 Sun, 19 May 2013 01:07:57 +0000 shopaholic 793574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MaisyMay: I'm going to ask my BFF and my cousins tomorrow what they did. I can honestly say for BFF's daughter, I never saw her sucking her fingers and she doesn't have any lovey. (We had a whole discussion about loveys.) And BFF is against pacis. So... I have no idea. I've been trying to get K to associate the Angel Dear lovey I got her with bed time, but I know she is still really young. She can't hold on to anything herself yet, and she doesn't try to grab anything like a blanket yet.</p> <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Do you mean you BF to soothe when she's fussy? I've had to do that, but she hasn't been able to fall and then stay asleep from doing that in over a month. As soon as I move, she'll wake up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793572 Sun, 19 May 2013 01:04:16 +0000 cheert16 793572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>B uses a paci, but he likes his fingers just as much- I think he just likes to have something to suck/ chew on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793569 Sun, 19 May 2013 01:01:57 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 793569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lala never took a binky or a finger. She also never self soothed very well! I'm her lovey. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793564 Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:53 +0000 googly-eyes 793564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no idea. C takes a paci, which she now usually gives herself back in the middle of the night. There was a point where she went to sleep without one, but then she stopped and I don't have the heart to take them away. :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793563 Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:24 +0000 MaisyMay 793563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A lovey? I know some babies rub a lovey to fall asleep. My LO sucks her two fingers next to her thumb. Also, she likes to chew on the soothie, not suck. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-paci-no-fingers-then-what#post-793559 Sun, 19 May 2013 00:52:35 +0000 shopaholic 793559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've mentioned it several times before, but both DH and I were both on the "no pacifier/no soothie" bandwagon pre-baby. We gave in for car rides and turns out K isn't too big of a fan of the soothie. She'll take it sometimes in the car if she's fussing, but refuses when she's full-on pissed. </p> <p>Now she has "found her fingers" and loves to suck on her fist (or rather, just stuffed in her mouth)and most recently, her thumb. And now DH is like, "It's almost better if we had just let her use a pacifier than to be a thumb-sucker."</p> <p>I've been told by parents and grandparents, etc. "We never used a pacifier" and all the evils of pacificers. The same parents and grandparents will also tell us "don't let her suck her thumb!" *finger wags* I have to admit, I can't recall some of my closest friends/family's LOs using pacifiers OR sucking their fingers.<br /> How is this achievable? If your LO didn't use either, HOW do they self-soothe? </p> <p>I'm really wondering now as K has been waking me up to unswaddle her just so she can gnaw on her fist the past few nights. What is an alternative? </p>