"Gaining well  and About a week ago the baby started to suck her thumb." 
So what is the promblem? Babies need non-nutritive and nutritive sucking, this is normal. Good for the baby that has figured out a way to think and self calm. Adults "thumb suck" but not in the most obvious way, we rub around our mouth, twist a finger around some hair, + many other ways. I would congradulate the mother and stress how wonderful her baby is doing. She will also be less likley to get thrush if she uses her thumb and not a pacifer.
My youngest still sucks her thumb when she is sad, hungry or in pain - yikes she is twelve - better that than overeat. The funiest thing as a baby is that at one point she would suck her thumb and end up putting fingers up her nostrils!
Non-nutritive sucking can be a problem when there are hard teats, hard pacifiers and restrictive feeds. That is not present in this situation.
Good luck
Karen Querna
Spokane WA

Date:    Sun, 13 Feb 2005 22:28:55 +0200
From:    Eitan <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Thumbsucking

I have mom's permission to post. Her baby is three and a half months old 
exclusively breastfed and gaining well. About a week ago the baby started to 
suck her thumb.  Mom is worried about this and would like to stop baby from 
sucking her thumb.  She has tried, for one day, nursing her whenever she 
begins to put her thumb in her mouth. The mom feels that his in not working 
because of the frequency that baby has thumb in her mouth.

Does anyone have any advice that I can pass on to this mom to help baby stop 
sucking her thumb.

Thank you!
Malka Eitan 

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