Lil General is the thumb sucking Mr. Thumbelina

Lil General started sucking his right thumb a day after we returned from his ever road trip - the one to Madurai, when he was just 14 weeks old. I passed it off as a momentary thing he had resorted to because of the tiredness from the journey, the heat and all the sudden changes he had been subjected to. I was proved wrong with time.

Initially his thumb sucking habit was a blessing to me. Since the day he was born, he didn't know how to sleep. He would cry, beat his own self, toss and turn, rub his eyes, bang his head but not sleep. Eventually I would have to pick him up and walk him and put him to sleep. When he started thumb sucking, he slept by himself and the crying for various reasons also gradually dropped. This was indeed a pleasurable activity for him. Though it worked well for both of us, I discouraged it from the beginning sleeping next to him, holding his finger. The adamant boy didn't cave in.

With time, the habit intensified so much so that he was sucking all the time, even while lying on his tummy, he still does. It got difficult to find out when he was hungry. The height of this was when he started slipping his thumb while nursing and giving that sheepish smile from the corner of his mouth knowing fully well what he is doing.

It has reached a point now one thumb is not enough, he actually slips in both his thumbs and those of the feet as well. And in the middle of thee night too. And even while I bathe him. If I take out his, then he reaches out for mine.

I'm concerned that this will be a difficult habit to forget for him and something that would interfere with his teething ? He is still too young to apply something bitter to his finger that would prevent him from doing it. So far distraction and talking to him works in keeping him from doing it. Lets see how successful I get.