How old was your LO when The Thumb was mastered?

[ErinYay]

We're at 8 weeks of valiant, but as yet unsuccessful, thumb-suckage. It's heartbreakingly sad-cute; she grips her paci with one or both hands, rubs her nose with her fingers as she nurses, tries to get any part of her hand in her mouth, kneads my skin, shirt, or her Taggie for comfort, etc. On rare occasion, she'll get a tiny thumb in, and of course, chomp down so hard she cries, or she just looks disgusted.

We know she'll figure it out sooner or later, but any idea how much longer we'll have to scramble to find a spit-out paci?

[MyZoeJane]

My 4.5 month old son mastered the thumbsucking this week. He's been putting his fingers in his mouth a lot since he was a few weeks old, but it wasn't until last week that I could tell he could easily make his thumb go into his mouth when he wanted it.

I am sort of torn about this. Of course it looks simply ADORABLE, and the thought of him having a comforting "thing" that can substitute for my boobs is WONDERFUL... (I was a human pacifier for my daughter.)

However, I can't take his thumb away, and I do admit it makes me cringe when I see toddlers and older kids sucking their thumbs. Hopefully his wont be a long lasting habit!

[Alisse]

My ds started sucking on his fingers when he was around 3months but didn't find his thumb until he was about 3.5months. He's 4.5months and still won't take a paci though. Oh well, as long as he's pacifying on something.

[MyZoeJane]

Originally Posted by Alisse

My ds didn't find his thumb until he was about 3.5months. He's 4.5months and still won't take a paci though.

My son took a paci ONCE when he was a couple days old because I think he was too tired to realize what it was... but I have not been able to get him to take once since. My daughter was the same way. So you can imagine how happy I am my son likes his thumb.

Only thing that stinks is, unlike a paci, you can't take away a thumb or send it away with the "thumb fairy"! :

[nameisrio]

We have one picture of my daughter at about 7 weeks with her thumb in her mouth for a split second. She tried, but she NEVER got it.

[ErinYay]

LOL yes, the paci vs thumb issue! I have oversupply/mega-letdown issues, so caved into giving her a paci at a week old. Poor kid couldn't comfort suck if she wanted to.

I *much* prefer to see a child over a yearish old with a thumb in the mouth than a paci. I'm rationalizing potential long-term thumbing as being an "expression of her autonomy" and a "her body, her choice" thing, but DH reminds me "her orthidontia, OUR wallets!"

Whatever, though- she clearly WANTS to be a thumbsucker, so it's just a matter of when.

[odoole]

My 6 mo sucks on his fingers and occasionally his thumb. We have a cute video of him sucking his thumb it at 2 weeks old. Around 3 months, he started sucking on his first two fingers all the time. Then he switched to thumb+first finger at the same time, and lately he has dropped the first finger and switched to just thumb. I've never encouraged this behavior (nor have I discouraged it -- though I secretly hope he'll stop ...) All in all, the fingers have never been as comforting for him as the pacifier and I'm totally fine with that. Yes, we had 6 months of me constantly popping the pacifier back in his mouth at night, but it's a small price to pay in my mind for having it be a much easier habit to break. Plus, now he's old enough to get the pacifier in his own mouth a lot of the time.

[Abraisme]

Somewhere around 4mo.