Thumb Sucking

[tidyroom]

My baby girl is 2 months old and the past two days she is sucking her thumb alot and feeding a lot less. She is also sleeping lots. I am starting to worry that she is not feeding enough. Could this be a problem? If I see her sucking her thumb while sleeping should I be waking her to feed?

Does anyone elses little one do this?

 

[summer rain]

I'd keep an eye on it but if your LO has enough wet and dirty nappies I wouldn't worry too much, my LO learnt to suck his own thumb at 12 weeks and he did sleep better and feed less; but he was feeding a lot more than average before that and barely sleeping so the change did seem quite alarming. If you do feel despite taking this into consideration your LO is sleeping too much and not feeding enough then wake her to feed xx

 

[tidyroom]

She only has 1 dirty nappy in 48 hours. But HV says that if fine. Im not too sure!!

 

[5ara]

My LO is 4 months old (today!) and he loves to suck his thumb. When he's nursing in the evenings before bed I have to pull his thumb out of his mouth to get him to keep eating.
He also sucks his thumb when he's waking up and won't ever fuss for food. I pick him up and put him on the nipple and he acts like he's starving. Poor silly baby!
He also only has one poo every 2-3 days. He's still above the 95th percentile, so I don't worry. I just have to remind the people who watch him that he won't ask for food - they should just offer it. One day I forgot to, and LO only ate 3 oz in 8 hours!

 

[tidyroom]

My LO is 4 months old (today!) and he loves to suck his thumb. When he's nursing in the evenings before bed I have to pull his thumb out of his mouth to get him to keep eating.
He also sucks his thumb when he's waking up and won't ever fuss for food. I pick him up and put him on the nipple and he acts like he's starving. Poor silly baby!
He also only has one poo every 2-3 days. He's still above the 95th percentile, so I don't worry. I just have to remind the people who watch him that he won't ask for food - they should just offer it. One day I forgot to, and LO only ate 3 oz in 8 hours!

So do u think it is a hunger clue or is it self soothing

 

[Elmo5]

So do u think it is a hunger clue or is it self soothing

It can be both, difficult I know.

 

[5ara]

I think it's hunger and self-soothing. If he's really sucking and making slurping noises, then I know he's hungry. If he's just sucking gently, then I think it's more just self-soothing.

 

[tidyroom]

Oh I will listen out for that, thanks!!

She slept for 12hours last night and I had to wake her up for her breakfast, She was slightly sucking her thumb then and I wonder how long she had been doing that. Is it ok that she is sleeping for that long at 2 months?

 

[5ara]

I wouldn't know how that is - my LO has never slept longer than 5 hours, and is for the last month is waking every 2 hrs.
I think it's fine as long as they seem okay and eat enough during the day. Count yourself lucky!

 

[summerbreeze8]

Yes just enjoy it! My LO learnt to suck her thumb recently too and I love it! She looks sooo cute doing it and it saves me from having to mess around with dummies. (We tried her with one but she didn't like it and I'm pleased) She also sleeps longer and feeds less, it just means she can now soothe herself, she sleeps much better when napping in the day, she has sometimes gone 12 hours without feeding in the night too. When she is really hungry she will cry so I don't worry. She has always fed well and put on lots of weight, so enjoy her now sleeping and self soothing more.