My daughter has a agonizing need to suck on everything.

Question

She is 3 and half months old, she is not teething yet. My wife breast feeds so she does not get a bottle. We don't really want to give her a pacifier bacause we can't find any that are orthopedic in the stores were we live.

However, she has this tremendous need to suck on everything including:

- the carpet (its her most common)

- her clothes

- out clothes

- her blanket

- stuffed animals

- her fingers

- her toes

- other's fingers

- and pretty much anything she can get in her mouth

I am very worried that she will end up choking on something, or sufficating in her bed.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what we should do?

Answer 1

you probably should use a pacifier. If you don't have access to the ones that you want/need couldn't you order them online. My daugther is 4 months and doesn't really take them, but the MAM pacifiers worked best

Answer 2

This is a very normal stage for your daughter.  She is not only grabbing the world, but tasting it as well.  Just make sure everything is clean.  My son had never chocked on anything.  I do not leave anything within  his reach that he could choke on.  I give him clean washcloths to chew on all the time.  He loves them.  with suffocating, just make sure when she goes to bed that you take everything out.  Or as I do I have a mirror that has thing attached to it.  No way my son could do any harm there.  I know how hard it is not to worry, but just try to enjoy this time.  My son is almost 6 months old, and cry's to let me put him down and let him crawl around already.  again this is normal.  Good luck with your little blessing :)

Answer 3

Go online and find the pacifier that you want her to have. All babies have a need to suck. This comforts them. In the meantime you need to give her the ones that they sent home from the hospital. Better for her to learn how to self-sooth then trying on chew on everything and anything. What she wants and needs will always outweigh what you think she needs especially when being picky about a pacifier. Goodness

Answer 4

This is totally normal.  Babies experience the world through sight sounds, touch and taste.  It is entirely normal for babies to put things in their mouth.  

The best thing to do it to make sure that you have nothing smaller than a toilet paper roll (about the size of her windpipe) laying around for her to choke on.  As far as the bed goes, if she can roll and there is nothing small you shouldn't have to worry.  Just don't leave extraneous things in the crib at night.  I have my son with just a blanket, which is usually in his mouth with his thumb. Remember she can breathe through her nose as well.

The sucking action is very soothing.  It may also indicate that she is preparing to start teething soon.  If that is the case you will start to notice redness in the gums.  You won't necessarily see the tooth buds yet.  If you wet a washcloth and put it in the freezer.  This does wonders for sore gums.