Yummy Fingers

3 months old

some weeks ago, I started feasting fisting, i.e. "eating" my fist or what my korkor calls "cucumber".

now I promoted to "eating" my fingers.

did you know that sucking fingers is also a milestone?
It means baby can control her hands and fingers to go to her mouth!

"Parents often think that it is better to let their baby suck on a pacifier instead of their fingers or thumb. They figure that they can always take away a pacifier, but they can't take away their baby's thumb or fingers.

The problem with this reasoning is that:

• few parents actually take away the pacifier
• there is nothing to stop a child from switching to their thumb or fingers if you don't let them have a pacifier anymore.

...

Thumb or Fingers versus Pacifiers

Although you often don't have a choice and it will be up to your baby's preference, you likely don't need to discourage thumb or finger sucking, since:

• your baby has ready access to her fingers or thumb
• parents often overuse pacifiers, putting them in their baby's mouth every time they cry, while your baby can use her fingers or thumb when she really needs it
• your baby can stop sucking on her fingers or thumb when she is ready, while you may continue to use a pacifier longer than necessary, making it more likely to become a habit."

~ italics taken from pediatrics.about.com