Breastfeeding and Thumbsucking?

I've breastfed all three of my children and none of them have thumbsucked.

I was bottlefed and sucked my thumb until I was around six years old.

Why am I telling you this?

Well I read an interesting article today stating that

“There is a widespread belief among child specialists that sucking is an instinct — an automatic habit borne out of the necessity for breastfeeding especially in toddlers and very young children...”(Dr Rais Ahmed, specialist paediatrician at Medcare Hospital.)

The article went on to state that research shows that babies who are breastfed are less likely to thumbsuck than babies who aren't. And furthermore, of those breastfed babies who do suck their thumbs, babies who are breastfed every three hours are also less avid thumbsuckers than those fed every three hours!

Funnily enough, it was only after I stopped breastfeeding that my children showed signs they were missing the comfort they had become accustomed to. Since stopping breastfeeding my son has taken to sucking on his fingers when he is tired; one of my daughters sucked on her arm and the other grew very dependent on her soother (the other two absolutely refused soothers full stop!)

I'd be interested to hear your stories on this topic.

Comments

[Melissa]

Hmmmmm, I was breastfed and sucked my thumb until I was 7. My niece and nephew were/are both breasted (the former until 18 months, the latter is 10 months and still going strong) and they both are avid thumb suckers and have been since day one. I can see the reasoning behind the article you quoted but I'm not convinced there is a correlation.

My $0.02!

[Ben Palmer]

This is borne out in my own family's experience. My son was breastfed for six months and has never in his six years shown an inclination to suck his thumb. My daughter was (as you know) breast fed for less than five days before her Mum died, and is still sucking her thumb hard after over three years.

It always upsets me when mothers who can breastfed don't.

[Ewokmama]

Similarly to Melissa, I was a breastfed baby (until around 7 months) but sucked my thumb until I was 9. There were other factors going on in my life, so perhaps that skews the results...

[Michelle Bowen]

My daughter was breastfed, and began to suck her thumb at one month old...it helped her sleep through the night, so it was fine with me! She is three and still going strong! My son is also breastfed and does not suck his thumb, but he does sleep through the night.

[Heather]

I was breastfed and sucked my thumb until around 8 years old. Now, my 5 1/2 month old daughter is exclusively breastfed and sucks her thumb as well. She has even tried to nurse and suck her thumb at the same time! So I'm not sure I agree with the "research."

[Corin]

My seventeen month old daughter is still breastfed, has never wanted a pacifier, has never taken a bottle and has never put her thumb in her mouth. When she wants comfort or to go to sleep, she knows where to come.