H.S. asks from Murrieta, CA on August 23, 2008
Teething at 3 Months! Growing So Fast!
OK, My son is 3 months old and he started screaming the other night. Very much not his usual self. The next day he was very fussy and he wanted to nurse constantly. I took him to the doctor to R/O ear infection. It turns out he is teething! I was in such shock that I didn't really ask the questions that I now realize I have about this.
How long does it take for that 1st tooth to appear? It has been 3 days and I still feel the bump and see whiteness under the gum with a tiny spot of white on the gums. I also see a small white spot on the gums next to the bump. Is this a second tooth?
I bought the homeopathic teething tabs and they work great. I have only had to give him the tabs 2x so far.
My baby is kind of experiencing things a bit early... I think.
He is right on track developmentally, but Physically he is ahead.
He was born 7lbs
-and he is now 17lbs 1 oz!
he is wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 4 diaper.
Is this how everything else is going to be.
Does anyone have a similar experience with their baby?
What to expect about teething.
He is fine for the most part, but he will have an afternoon or morning or occasionally the whole day of being very uncomfortable. It kinda comes and goes- the fussiness-.
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A.B. answers from Las Vegas on September 05, 2008
My son who is now 4 years started teething at 3 months also and didn't get his first tooth until 6 months! I also used the teething tabs and orajel before he went to bed, but the best thing for his teething was actually letting him chew on a cold washcloth! My daughter is 4 months and she started teething a month ago and she still has her bump in her month but no tooth! Sometimes it's a long process and sometimes it's a quick one, just depends on the child.
A.H. answers from San Diego on August 25, 2008
This was normal for my kids. They grew quickly and then seemed to plateau around 6 or 7 months. All is well, enjoy!
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E.S. answers from Los Angeles on August 24, 2008
Hi H., I think it depends on the tooth and your son, too. My son's teeth always seem to take a long time to come in once I've seen the bump... I'm talking weeks, sometimes more than a month. He usually seems a lot calmer once the tooth finally cuts through the gum.
The white spot on the gums could be a tooth (it's hard to say without seeing what you're seeing)... or it could be thrush. Look and see if he has white stuff on his tongue or cheeks that doesn't come off if you rub it. That usually means thrush.
Wow on his growth! My son is a year and a half and still wears size 4 diapers (size 5 at night with diaper doublers). But my son was the complete opposite of yours. He was born 8 lbs, 1 oz., but his growth rate was pretty minimal for the whole time I was breastfeeding. Once he went to table foods and whole milk he started growing like a weed. I say as long as he's healthy don't worry too much about the growth (especially if you and/or your husband are tall). My friend's son was always in the 90th+ percentile until about 9 months old and then he started slowing down and is now below average. My son at a year and a half is just above average in height and just below average in weight but was often in the 10-25th percentile when he was little. I don't think it really means much unless there's some underlying health issue.
Keep in mind that the fussiness may not just be due to teething, so try not to over medicate him just because he's fussy. He may be overtired or gassy or anything. I like the Hyland's pills but keep in mind their active ingredient belladonna can be dangerous (especially since some people notice the effects at lower doses more than others) and has lots of negative side effects. Tylenol, while mostly safe, can also harm your organs if given frequently enough, so by all means give your son relief if he really needs it, but try to be conservative (which it sounds like you are), especially at three months old.
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V.R. answers from Los Angeles on August 25, 2008
Hi Hollie:
Wow your son is big, but precious I'm sure. My grandson started teething when he was 2 months old but didnt cut a tooth until he was 7 months. He is now 10 1/2 months and has 6 teeth. 2 on the bottom and 4 on top, all within a span of 3 months. When we took him to the doctor because we didnt know what was going on he told us he was teething early but we might not see a tooth for a while which to us was sort of strange, but he said it was pretty normal. Sure enough he did teeth most of the 5 months which was pretty grueling for my daughter and us, but we used all sorts of remedys to keep his pain at a minimum. We used the Hylands, the frozen pacifiers, the frozen towels, Self feeders with ice chips and of course the whisky and the rum. Which from everything else seemed to work the best. I guess grandmas do know what they are talking about. Anyway be patient, they will come maybe sooner then later, but if not, just try and keep him as painfree as possible. Oh and BTW, there is nothing wrong with using a little liquor on the gums, if thats what works. Our Ped even suggested the rum because he was so bad, so its not a bad thing. Just dont put it in the bottle! HAHAHAHAHA Good luck!
B.B. answers from San Diego on August 25, 2008
We had similar experience with our DD. She was always off the charts size wise...rolled over at 12 weeks...crawled at 5 months and now it standing and climbing stairs at 7 months. Every baby is different. We got our first tooth at 3 months ....it took about 5 weeks (she started at 8 weeks old) from the onset of the drooling and gumming to an actual tooth popping in. We had a few rough days and nights in there. Now her top 4 teeth are coming in and it has been a miserable couple of days for both of us. Besides teething tablets...we give tylenol on really bad days...teething rings in the freezer, wet washcloths to gum on, and even have tried orajel(kind of works). I also put ice cubes in the mesh teether by Sassy and she will go to town on that. Later on, you can feed him frozen bannanas in it and it works great. Good luck!!
S.V. answers from Los Angeles on August 25, 2008
I have two boys but they are presently in grade school. When they were teething, I would rub their gums with Baby Anbesol, use the teething tablets and give them Tylenol for infants. Also one of my cousins suggested putting clean damp baby washcloths in the fridge or freezer in a baggie so the baby can suck on them. You can also use the teething rings but some babies prefer to chew on something a little softer. My older son started teething about 3-4 months and now is 10 yrs. old. Oh well I hope these things work for you. Just hang in there because some babies go thru different milestones a lot faster than other babies their same age.
Good Luck!!!!
S.N. answers from Seattle on August 25, 2008
Hi H.!
My son is 3 months old as well and the other day I thought he might be teething too! We're in the same boat as far as developing early. Lately, I have noticed that he loves to munch on his hands and when I rub his pacifier on his gums he seems to enjoy it. My little guy has a white spot on his gums but I haven't taken him to the doc yet, so far he is just a little more fussy then usual. My cousin who has a one year old sent me a Razbaby Raz-berry Teether pacifier. She said it worked great on her little man. Good luck with your little one!!!
L.C. answers from Los Angeles on August 25, 2008
Hi H.,
My son did everything early too - you just get used to it. He is also big for his age (he is the youngest in his class but one of the biggest so the older kids don't pick on him). The problem is that there is no set time for teething. It all happens over a 2 year period and every kid will be different. Some of his teeth may come fast and some may come slow... so you just have to soothe him best you can because the teeth keep coming until he is 2 years old. I do remember that the teething wasn't as bad after the first few teeth came in. But I think you're doing fine by just keeping your son comfortable until they come in. You may also want to put a pacifier in the freezer then let him suck on it... the cold helps.
You can check out some websites like parents.com or babycenter.com for approximate timetables for teething. But again - your son won't necessarily follow the schedule (I think most babies don't!).
Good luck!
E.M. answers from Los Angeles on August 25, 2008
My son started teething early and every time he got a new tooth, 3 more came up within days. 4 at a time so by the time he was 9 month he had 16 teeth. Way ahead of schedule. Make sure you are cleaning them as soon as they come out. No real help because each time he just needed soothing, tylenol, something to chew on. His chew toy favorite changed every time.
Evelyn
C.S. answers from San Diego on August 25, 2008
Every child is different. I have three and my oldest cut her first tooth just after her first christmas. She was only 5 months old. I thought at the time that was early. My next proved that wrong. My son cut his first tooth at four months. He also ran on the big side and is a total gross motor child. My oldest sat rear facing in the car until she was 22 months old. My son was well over the weight limit by a year and the car seat was fliped. Both of them got second and third teeth rather fast but my sons complete bottom roll took longer that I thought it would. Now with my third she has been teething like crazy for the last two months. She is almost 5 months old right now. She is my chunky baby. She weighed more at birth but was an inch shorter than my son. She seems to have all of the fine motor of her older sister with all of the gross motor of her older brother. Quite frankly we are all a little scared as she seems to smash through a new barrier everyday. She just can't seem to slow down and enjoy being the baby.
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