Baby sucks thumb when eating??

[poppety123]

Hi
Ive started to offer my 21 week old basic foods as she appeared to be more hungry than usual and was waking more in the night, and so far it has gone well. We started with baby porridge, baby porridge with fruit, pureed vegetables and she likes juicy fruits and cucumber to suck on. We have been doing the food with her now for about 2 weeks, she doesn't have it every day, just when it fits into her schedule and usually only one meal a day either breakfast or lunch, her breast feeds are the same.
Over the last couple of days when I spoon the food into her mouth she immediately puts her thumb in to suck it. She is a thumb sucker anyway so this isn't entirely unusual, I tried to hold her hand away and she spits the food out now if she can't use her thumb??
Why is she suddenly doing this?

Thanks
Natalie

[~inbalance~]

I'm not sure why she would be doing this.  Thumb sucking is a comfort thing, so perhaps she is tired or just not feeling like eating?

[poppety123]

Hi! Thanks for replying, I try to feed her an
Hour before her scheduled nap time, which is usually an hour after her last milk feed. She let's me spoon thr food in and then immediately turns her head to the side and sucks her thumb, she then let's me put more in and does the same again. She used to look at me during the food time and now she won't unless I hold her hand away, which she doesn't mind me doing, she will just spit out some of the food if I do this. It's almost like sucking her thumb helps her to swallow?

[~inbalance~]

What happens if you give her a spoon to hold onto, maybe she will put that in her mouth instead?

[poppety123]

She does! She will hold her water cup too and any finger foods I give her, but as soon as I spoon some food in she drops what she is holding to suck her thumb again!

[firsttimemummy]

is she exploring the texture etc?  there was a series on BBC3 recently about junk food babies - they said that babies pick up food, play with it etc to learn about it

[poppety123]

I don't think so, she sucks her thumb the same way she does to go to sleep?? The other babies in our group use their fingers to explore the food, Peggy just puts her thumb in and turns her head to the side. On occasion she takes it out, seesme coming with a spoon of food and puts it back in quick!

[~inbalance~]

Maybe take a break from solids for a week or so and try again.  She might be telling you she's not interested right now, which is ok. 

[Fiver]

I'm wondering if it's her way of controlling the tongue thrust reflex.  It may not be completely gone at 21w so perhaps she's using the thumb sucking to get the food to the back of her mouth to swallow it?  Don't know, just a random thought.

[poppety123]

I hadn't thought about the reflex, she is really good at moving the food around her mouth and swallowing it, she eats what I give her though and she eats a fair amount of it too! Surely she would spit it all out if she didn't want it wouldn't she??
Oooo babies are so confusing! Last week she was eating loads without her thumb, I don't want her to get some weird habit with the thumb though??

[okinawamama]

My friends son did this as well. He used the sucking as a familiar way to bring the food down his throat (much like the sucking brings down BM or formula). He grew out of it of course

[poppety123]

That's good to know! Thank you all for your help and advice, I've now just got to get her sleeping through the night again......

[Hedgehog17]

It's almost like sucking her thumb helps her to swallow?

Spot on! DS does this too, and it's nothing to worry about

[clairebear79]

My DS also often sucks on his thumb or finger, or a spoon, or a toy..... you get the picture!  He takes a mouthful, sucks whatever, & then stops to take another mouthful.  He's 9 months & I've accepted this is how he likes to do it!!!

[ZacsMumme]

We have the same thing, but not all the time. It is DS two fingers though not his thumb as he sucks them instead. Sometimes he sucks and then blows..for us its just exploration I think, and maybe it helps get the food down. I wouldn't worry too much, and if your LO doesn't seem that interested in the food just try again later

[poppety123]

Hi everyone, I starting using a high chair rather than her bouncy chair and the thumb sucking is better, I think because it's harder for her to sit up in the high chair and suck her thumb. She still does it but not as much - and she wolfs down whatever is on offer!
Thanks for all your help and advice, they sure do keep you on your toes!

[Smurfette]

My DD also started doing this recently once in a while and it seems to coincide with being tired (even though I feed way before nap time) and/or her teeth bugging her. I totally see it as a comfort thing too.