Fist sucking/chewing!

Lauren is only 8 weeks old and constantly chews on her fist as of last week. She is not at all hungry, is gaining weight at a million miles an hour and is a very energetic wee thing. It doesn't bother me at all that she has does this, but I just wondered why she does it?? She is quite advanced for her age already apparently.

I guess its just something they all do, I thought only when they started teething though?

Its just how they explore and experience new things, everything ends up in the mouth.

Oh yeah, and it lasts for ages. hannah has only just stopped putting everything in her mouth recently...

kabe I thought that too, sometimes the thumb slips in and I'm like eekkkkkkkkkk!!! Oh well!!

It's an exploring thing. There are more feelers in the tongue at that age than in the finger tips. So they like to feel everything with their tongue.

It is super cute although sometimes she tries to get hands, fingers and fists in her mouth and my boob! Needless to say they all can't fit in at once and she gets mighty frustrated by that !!

As others have said it's their way of learning - they get alot of info about something from sticking it in their mouth, not only how it tastes but texture, contour etc as well.

Also.. it's how babies brain and motor development develop, they develop head to toe, inner body to outer body.. ie, feet come last.. walking etc, for lauren she has mastered some control over her hands finally instead of them just getting to mouth by pure chance, she can now actually purposefully put them there and wow it's great! .

As others have also said beware the comments of "oh she's teething" we got that for 12 months till paris finally got her first tooth. also you get the comments of "oh she must be hungry still, maybe you should try solids" argh.. hate those people. It you know she's happily not hungry then let her go to it and make sure you have a super-absorbant bib on her!

at 8-12 weeks thay learn to bring their hands to their mouth and thay start to dribble this is their taste and smell comming in.

So funny last night Lauren put her hand in her mouth so far that she gagged on her fingers! I quickly pulled her hand out and she started screaming like I had done something to her! She did it to herself silly billy!!