Teething Baby Refusing to Eat

Good morning S.,

I empathize with all of the teething symptoms and not eating is definitely one of the top 3! During all of the teething bouts my 18 month old daughter has gone through so far, I always made sure she had lots of liquids, of any kind as far as various juices diluted with half water and plenty of popsicles, italian ice, things like that to make sure she got her fluids so she didn't get constipated in addition to her teething. Once the teething is over, she will make up for lost meals!

R.

Hi S.,

Although she may be teething, babies go through another stage at this age...refusing to eat because they want to feed themselves. I agree with the other moms about frozen blueberries for the teething. You might also try giving her some Cheerios or other finger foods on her tray, and let her try to feed those to herself while you feed her baby food at the same time. It can be messy, but that way she gets to feed herself, and you can be assured that she gets enough of what you want her to eat!

When my son was teething, he had a runny nose along with the drool, etc. He also would not eat a lot during that time. He had a fever, and so I took him to the doctor. Turns out he also had a sore throat...which was why he wasn't eating as much. I wouldn't worry about it too much. She probably just has a sore throat. She will continue eating normally when it feels better.

I would have her checked for an ear infection, to make sure that is not the problem. Even get a second opinion from another doctor.

Hi,
Don't worry too much! Your daughter will eat when she's hungry. I know, its very hard but, I promise, she will eat when she is hungry enough.
It may seem early, but this is a good time to start getting the kids into the habit of eating only when hungry and stopping when full.
I took this approach w/ both my boys. Received alot of raised eyebrows for it, especially from M-I-L. But, once kids turned their nose up or refused to open their mouth we were done. Why force them?
Hope that helps. If you need another boost of support you can email me!

When my daughter was teething I was told to give her frozen blueberries cut in half. It gives her nutrition and helps numb her gums. She's 4 and it's still her favorite fruit.
R.

My boys LOVED frozen blueberries too! I also gave them frozen peas which they enjoyed as well. Not only did they like eating them, the small round shapes were good fine motor skill toys. I would just sit them in the high chair, and pour some peas or bluberries onto the tray. They were involved for awhile, so I could actually do the dishes or read the mail :)

S. H.

Something I found that helped with teething is the Hyland teething tablets (homeopathic). They melt in the baby's mouth and had a most amazing calming affect. My boys LOVED them. Would ask for them all the time. I had a bottle in the nursery, kitchen and diaper bag! I found them at Albertsons, in the baby isle. It has been a couple of years since I used them, so hope you can find them. I also used the frozen peas, as mentioned in another response. Best of Luck!

You might want to try some completely SAFE and very effective herbal formulas for her. The inflammation and pressure are making her mouth hurt and any stimulation is unpleasant. Let me know if you are interested in what herbals I can recommend.

After raising 3 of my own, I understand your concern. as long as your daughter is healthy, you shouldn't have any problems. Ask you doctor about pedialite pops or yogart pops. Usually children will eat those and the frozen pedialite will feel great on her gums. Good luck