P.H. asks from Jacksonville, FL on December 04, 2007
2 Month Old Already teething???????Need Advise Please.
My little boy has just recently started sucking his hand & fingers constanty. I know what your thinking, is he hungry? But trust me he's not.
Just yesterday he started to wimper & cry unless he has something to suck on, such as a passifier or me. He can't seem to keep a passifier in his mouth though. He accidently keeps spitting it out after a minute or two. Is it possible he is teething already? Do you think something else could be wrong?
So What Happened?™
Thanks for the great advise. He has learned how to suck his thumb instead of the pacifier.
So I am glad that he can soothe himself instead of having to rely on that. He does drool like crazy now but as long as I keep his little chubby neck clean it's no big deal. I read that you shouldn't give oragel to infants under four months old, so I will try the damp cold washcloth. That is a great idea. It will be easy for him to hang onto seeing he is still learning to control his hands and fingers.
Featured Answers
T.C. answers from Tampa on December 05, 2007
Hi P., yes, it sounds exactly like teething. You can give him a little baby tylenol. Brendan liked sucking on a damp wash cloth. Good Luck!
K.M. answers from Tampa on December 05, 2007
My little girl is 2 months also and she is doing the same thing and I was wondering if she is teething... reading the advise on here is great! She doesn't take a pacifier either and I'm actually happy she doesn't so she learns to self soothe and doesn't developed a habit for it. She sucks on her hand and I thought she was hungry too, girl I know what you are going through... she's my 1st baby. It's good to see it's normal!
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T.C. answers from Tampa on December 05, 2007
Hi P., yes, it sounds exactly like teething. You can give him a little baby tylenol. Brendan liked sucking on a damp wash cloth. Good Luck!
D.L. answers from Tampa on December 05, 2007
It absolutely could be teething. My daughter (now 15 months) got her first 2 teeth by 2 1/2 months. We had no idea that she could be teething so early until one day she was sucking my husbands finger and there were her 2 bottom teeth. We don't know for sure when they first appeared, they were already through the gums when we first noticed them at 2 1/2 months. Now at 15 months she is getting her 2nd (final) set of molars which the doctor told us to expect sometime after she turned 2. Trust your instincts early teeth are very possible.
F.R. answers from Pensacola on December 05, 2007
I've got 4 kids and they have all done this. The paci falls out of their mouth every couple of minutes at first. They are learning how to do it, but it takes time. Their little mouths aren't used to having to hold onto something. He coule take months to learn how to keep it in his mouth. You could try a different shaped paci and see if that helps.
They naturally suck to soothe themselves. My 3 year old will still make the facial movements of sucking while he's sleeping. It's ingrained into their personalities. Some go for the thumb or fingers, others need some help with a paci. It's frustrating, but it'll change and he'll grow. Keep up the good work!
B.G. answers from Ocala on December 05, 2007
my oldest started that at 6 weeks and just before she turned 4 months broke in 2 teeth at once, she teethed all her teeth in 2's and had all her teeth including 2 yr molars at 13 months, nuk is good but check it out if he is brest feeding it may be it doesn't fit like the nipple so he's pushing it out he'll get used to it. my second was a thumb sucker and only way i knew she was teething and yes that early as well was 2 days before they broke she would get diarea then bam teeth.
J.F. answers from Orlando on December 04, 2007
P.,
Hunnie! I feel you're anxioty.
When my daughter was still with us, she was just like this, I don't like paci's...too much of a habit to break later on. I knew that she wasn't hungry and I felt like I was a self-service milking cow. So I would take my middle or pointer finger(wrist upside down) and press it to the top of her mouth...she would suck instantly...and because it was my finger I could control how long and how much, and if you're just sitting with him it works...however, when you're not, I don't know what to tell you, my daughter wasn't with us for very long, and we never really had to deal with me not being by her side. I hope that this at least helps for when you're holding him in your arms.
K.H. answers from Jacksonville on February 17, 2008
Yep...he is teething. My three month does the exact same thing. He can't keep a pacificer in his mouth for the life of him, but he sure knows how to keep his fist in his mouth. Make sure you have plenty of tylenol and teething tablets by your side. Those work like a charm.
J.O. answers from Jacksonville on December 05, 2007
I don't think that sounds too out of the ordinary. I have heard of babies getting their first tooth at four months... and before that happens I think the teeth are moving under the gums. They may not break the surface for a couple more months yet, but it's possible they can just be moving around and causing Tyler to feel uncomfortable. Ask your doctor, but you might want to try a little bit of orajel and see if that seems to help. My son got his first tooth just after 5 months, but he was drooling and mouthing things for a couple of months prior to that.
J.O. answers from Orlando on December 04, 2007
Like she said, it is not teething. Sucking on the hand is a soothing motion. If he spits out the paci after 2 minutes, get rid of it. It is one less habit to break in the future because it can become a crutch for learning how to "self-soothe" when they get older. My daughter did the same thing and she is more peaceful without the pacifier. Just don't offer it anymore. Become accustomed to the child wanting to chew on you. My daughter still does a little at 10 months, but she is trying to break in her top teeth. Good luck
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