Teething questions please...

[snowboarder]

SO I realise it's conceivable that 5 month old baby snowboarder is starting to feel the effects of teething...Current symptoms seem to be a lot of dribble and biting of lower lip. He also is feeding really badly and crying - is this to be expected? He feeds for about 5-10 mins only during the day every 3 hrs or so. Seems to top up over night (lovely - sigh) when he seems ok...

So - just really wanted to know if this all sounds normal? The feeding thing is annoying me as I worry he's not getting enough...but really if you saw him you wouldn't be worried about his weight! Day time naps are more rubbish than usual too.

Thankyou all...

(PS have bought the what mothers do book and I love it...)

[snowboarder]

Oh yes and ear pulling/holding and grumpiness...

[lorraineliyanage]

All sounds like teething symptoms. My daughter also had slightly runny nappies that went an odd colour, plus her face got a little bit spotty around the mouth from dribbling so much. She also did the ear pulling thing :)

[Citrovie]

Sounds like teething! If it's JUST dribble it can be months before the teeth show up (my daughter needed a bib on all day from 5 to 7 months of age but the first tooth didn't show up until 9.5 months!) but if it's combined with bad feeding and ear pulling etc the first tooth is probably quite close... good luck. Nurofen, calgel and teetha are great for the really bad nights if you're not against using those.

[Moos]

Definitely sounds like teething, including the going off food. Try not to worry, and personally I'm of the give-them-painkillers camp, as I believe they really do suffer, but of course that has to be up to you. We found teetha did help, although I believe it can only be because of distraction and placebo effect.

Teething will come and go in waves, but annoyingly you may not see any teeth in conjunction with the teething phases. I've heard that the teeth moving around in the gum cause the most pain, and the actual cutting of teeth is not as painful.

However, ear pulling may be a sign of ear infection, which you might want to get checked out by the GP. Prescription? Calpol! :)

[trinity]

I was going to suggest an ear infection. My little one had a bad ear infection that I didn't spot and put down to general teeth grumpiness. It affected his sleeping quite badly but wasn't obvious as his ear wasn't hot or red. The ear pulling made me take him to the doctor in the end.

[legalbeagle]

You could try rubbing dentinox teething gel on his gums - worked for both of mine. It does sound very like teething to me!

[snowboarder]

Oh no please don't let it be an ear infection - cannot bear a trip to the doctors for the inevitable brush off!

Can I just ask - when does this start to be fun? For me and/or for baby?!?

[carrieon23]

When they're old enough to take you to the pub!!

My son dribbled constantly from the age of about 5 months and we have only just seen a tooth at 8.5 months. Had alot of ear rubbing and poking, so much so we went to the doctors to be told they couldn't see the ear drum but it was prob just teething. Good job it was.

As said above, the actual cutting of the tooth wasn't bad I didn't even notice until there it was poking out. I think its the moving about that causes them the most pain, or it certainly seemed that way in our vast one toothed experience!

We must grab a coffee soon. We are recovered from the last cold although I can't quite believe it, I think little one has started with the snot again. Is that never ending? This will be his 4th really snotty cold in about 10 weeks and its the summer- oh roll on winter!

The joys of parenting!

[The Nappy Lady]

HA, don't talk to me about snot.....both baby C and I have had the most awful cold (I've been on antibiotics and steroids for the past 2 weeks). So, not only do I feel awful, but I have Baby C's snot being wiped all over me, and her screaming every time I try to wipe her nose. So glam this motherhood thing!

Sorry SB don't mean to steal your thread.

Sounds like teething to me, but as others have said don't assume you'll see a tooth that soon. Also some teeth seem to appear with no upset at all whilst others cause days of misery. None of it makes sense to me. I believe that as another poster mentioned the teething moving around in the gums is a big issue and can go on for ages.

It does become fun, but everyone finds it happens at a different point - one friend only likes children (including her own) from the age of 2 onwards. I love the tiny baby bit, and then love them from 2 plus, but don't enjoy the 9 to 18 months stage half so much, there is loads of cute stuff, but the mobile, into everything, no common sense, and very messy mealtimes part of it for me is very wearing! The one certainty though is that every stage, however good or bad it is does pass.......so, as I always say I know....HANG IN THERE!

Just waiting for you to find the stage you love, it will come.

Molly

x

[Moos]

snowboarder Wrote:

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> Oh no please don't let it be an ear infection -

> cannot bear a trip to the doctors for the

> inevitable brush off!

>

> Can I just ask - when does this start to be fun?

> For me and/or for baby?!?

Understand reluctance to take him to GP but at least you might get some free Calpol?! But do whatever you think best - ear infections that Moosling has had don't seem to have been very serious.

Honest answer to 2nd question? For me, around 7 months when he started to sleep through and I started to feel less exhausted and enjoy motherhood, which has the doubly good effect of taking away the guilt of not enjoying it, which one gets the impression one is supposed to do. Stories of other people's wonderful birth experiences, loving the babymoon, enjoying the newborn cuddles stage... well, bless the people who feel that way, but it's certainly not universal. My son is now twoannaquarter and he's just the nicest, funniest, sweetest, most delightful thing God ever made. From about 10 months on, it just got better and better. Good luck, ride it out and don't feel bad!

[legalbeagle]

Hang on in there snowboarder, it does get better. The first 6 months seem to be all about baby working out how to eat, sleep, poo, fight off colds, and sleep. It gets better, much much better, once they've worked that lot out!

[Citrovie]

legalbeagle Wrote:

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> Hang on in there snowboarder, it does get better.

> The first 6 months seem to be all about baby

> working out how to eat, sleep, poo, fight off

> colds, and sleep. It gets better, much much

> better, once they've worked that lot out!

Agree 100%

[snowboarder]

Thank you...it IS getting better..slowly!

Think def teething pain as he's been biting my hand today.

x

[iaineasy]

When they're old enough to take you to the pub!!

hahaha very funny! I look forward to that one day!! hope its allcokay for you soon,looking forward to all these little problems believe it or not, although I am sure that will change when they actually arrive!

hugs

Iain