11/09/2020
🖐 Babies sucking and mouthing their hands 🖐
Oh, I’ve heard this a million times before: Look, your baby is hungry, you should start feeding solids! Or…Your baby is teething; you should give something to reduce pain.
🖐Why does this happen?🖐
During the first few months (1-3 months), your baby really tries to bring their hands to their mouths, but they don’t have the developmental skills to keep them there. At around 3-4 months, they “discover” their hands and learn to control them by keeping them in their mouth. This is actually a huge milestone.
👅They become their favourite playthings. There are an enormous amount of nerve endings in a baby’s mouth, and so they use their mouths to explore and discover their hands. They get the most sensory input from their mouths. You will see later on; they will try putting everything in their mouth due to this.
👅When babies become overstimulated, they may start sucking their hands and fingers to calm themselves.
👅Babies have the sucking reflex, so when anything comes near their mouth, they start sucking away, thinking it’s a b**b. They don’t understand the difference yet.
👅Sure, teething can be uncomfortable, and they may want to gnaw on something to relieve the discomfort. But they will also show other signs like increased drooling, swollen gums, and irritability. Do not give your baby unnecessary medications for teething; instead, soothe them by giving cold teethers to chew.
👅This is not an indication your baby is ready to start solid foods. There are many other signs of readiness. Do not start your baby on solid foods before 17 weeks, and before they don’t have a pincer grasp, they can sit independently and have lost their tongue-thrust reflex.
🖐Should you stop them from eating their chubby hands?🖐
No, please don’t! Your little one is learning about his body and how it works. Please don’t put little mittens on those hands. Let them touch things and move their little fingers. They learn so much by this.
🖐How long does this last?🖐
It usually lasts until about 8/9 months. If it persists after this, it might have become a habit. Distraction is the best way to break this habit. Give them a toy to play with. If it persists after your baby has gotten their teeth, it can affect the teeth' positioning.
