Pacifier/Thumb Sucking Question

dalzien

Hey Ladies,

I was out shopping with my MIL yesterday to pick up some things for the baby. When we walked by the pacifiers she grabbed 4 packages (for 8 in total). Hubby and I have decided against using pacifiers at this point in time (we realize we might change our mind later). When I mentioned this to MIL she said it was either pacifiers or baby will suck her thumb causing even more problems later. She told me that her brother sucked his thumb until he was 7 because he never had a pacifier and had really bad teeth and suffered from other palate issues. I made a comment that thumb sucking at age 7 isn't exactly the norm, and she responded "Well a pacifier would have prevented the thumb sucking". I didn't end up purchasing the pacifiers, but was wondering if this is true/common knowledge? My parents never used pacifiers and as far as my mother remembers we didn't suck our thumbs. Is thumb sucking inevitable if we don't use them.. even as old as age 7?