When did your babies find their thumbs?

[Rachels]

Ethan seems very inclined to want to suck his thumb. He sucked it throughout my pregnancy and for about forty minutes immediately after birth. Now that his fist is not perpetually stuck next to his head, he has trouble making it connect with his mouth. He still tries but I'm afraid he'll stop, and I would dearly love to have a thumb-sucker this time. When did your babies get the hang of their thumbs?

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[VClute]

Hi, Rachel! I have a thumb-sucker and I LOVE it! I would say that he struggled for a while (what seemed like an eternity at the time, but was only a matter of weeks) but by 8 weeks he was able to put his hand flat on the side of his face and successfully root around until he found his thumb. It wasn't until 6 months maybe that he could bring his thumb straight to his mouth without the "side-of-the-face-slide" maneuver. HTH!

Amy in NC
mom to Dixon, born 2/14/05

[elliput]

My DD found her thumb at about 10 weeks. Kinda took me by surprise and I made sure I took a picture! She never really took to it though, as I haven't seen her suck her thumb since she was 5 months.

[lizajane]

schuyler started to spit out a pacifier and replace it with his thumb at 3 months. so i know he started earlier than that. when i would put him down for his nap, i would actually put his thumb into his mouth. we called it "helping him find his thumb." having a thumb sucker was GREAT when i was tiny because he slept like a DREAM. dylan is a binker baby and has not slept like a dream! at almost 10 months, he still doesn't sleep 12 hours (Which his brother did between 4 and 5 months.)

BUT at 2.5, the thumb sucking is losing its appeal. he hands are always dirty from being so active. (ew) he is constantly putting his forefinger up his &(@*$*%& nose because it is right there when he sucks his thumb! and we only have another year to stop him before it damages his teeth. and when he has a cold, he just licks those germs all over his hands and then right onto his brother...

(i know i still owe you those dipe loaners. i am SO sorry. we have been sick over and over again.)

[lizajane]

whoops

[Calmegja2]

Around 8 weeks, for the two that were thumb suckers. :-)

[AngelaS]

Adrienne found hers about 4 or 5 months. Gabrielle had it figured out well by 3 months. :D

[g-mama]

Paolo was a thumb sucker and he found it around 6 weeks or so. He, too, was sucking his thumb during the ultrasound. We would help him find it until he got good at it since it soothed him so much. I thought it was a great thing and since he was a very fussy baby, I can't imagine what he would've been like without his thumb.



Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
and a *THIRD BOY* coming in December '05

[JulesinChicago]

My ds was born in the same month as Ethan, just a year earlier.... middle of October 2004.
He really got the hang of thumb sucking around Christmas time -
Julie

[sidmand]

My DS licked his thumb for awhile before he found it and although he sucks it now and again (and I was a huge thumb sucker), now he's more sucking on his whole fist!

I'd say it was at least 8 weeks before he found it sometimes and later than that before he could find it on a regular basis other than "Oh, where did this come from?"

Debbie

Mom to Sawyer!
http://lilypie.com/baby1/060607/0/3/1/-5/.png (http://lilypie.com)

[buddyleebaby]

Abigail sucked her thumb in utero and then from birth until she was about two months old. We have a picture of her taking her first bath with her thumb in her mouth. When falling asleep she would suck her thumb and smooth her own hair. Then just like that she stopped and switched to sucking her middle and pointer fingers.

[Melanie]

E is just now making fist-to-mouth contact. And she's very pleased about it.

[RwnMayfair]

Taran started sucking his thumb sometime between two and three months. Elowen has just in the past couple of weeks started occasionally sucking on her hand. I'm actually hopeful that she'll eventually figure out how to suck her thumb, but I still have to wait and see. :)

-Melissa

Taran, November 20, 2003
Elowen, August 20, 2005

http://lilypie.com/pic/051031/edeJ.jpg http://b2.lilypie.com/jn4Ym4/.png
http://lilypie.com/pic/051031/bvVl.jpg http://b1.lilypie.com/9Ogqm5/.png

[s7714]

My youngest found her thumb towards the end of her third month. Since then she pops it in her mouth the instant she's getting tired. I'm happy she did find her thumb, because she goes to sleep on her own far more easily than my older DD (who wasn't a thumb/pacifier sucker in the slightest) ever did.

Jennifer
Mommy to
Annalia 3/03
Sophia 6/05

When raising kids the days are oh so long, but the years are short.--John Leguizamo

[juliasmom05]

>It wasn't until 6 months maybe that he could bring his thumb
>straight to his mouth without the "side-of-the-face-slide"
>maneuver.

DD did the "forehead slide" maneuver starting about 8 weeks. She would slap her hand flat on her forehead and then slide it down until she got it in her mouth. But then, she only sucked her thumb for about a week. Now she mostly chews the pointer and middle fingers.

Marci

Mom to Julia 4/05

[kboyle]

DS1 was a binkt babe, but around 5 mo he thumbed it for a wk. Got a pic of him thumbing!

DS2 is also a binky baby, but he also loves his fists. The one time he found his thumb I actually had the camera beside me. That was around 10 wks.

[shishamo]

Naomi found hers around 3 months. I love it and she does, too.

I don't think it is something you hav any control over...I have loved to have my older two suck their thumbs but no, it did not happen.

Coincidentally, she is the only baby I had who does not scream in her carseat!

[mom_hanna]

DD never did suck her thumb or take a pacifier! Her only real comfort thing is to suck on her burp cloths, even now at 13 months. (we used cloth diapers as burp cloths). She doesn't even have a favorite blankie. Just the burp cloths.

[TraciG]

Sydney started at 5 1/2 months when we did sleep training, so cute when they use a blanket & suck their thumb !!!!!!! She wouldn't take a pacifier, I was the human pacifier !!!!!!!!!!!

[mamalou]

>the "side-of-the-face-slide" maneuver.

Awww, that reminds me...

My son had a "forehead-down-the-nose-slide" maneuver
by 4 months.

DD had the thumb straight into the mouth by 2 months.