Teething/growth Spurt Symptoms and Remedies

I have 2 boys ages 12 and 6 years of age. My older son, teething almost didn't phase him. Both of them HATED the numbing gels. My younger son, would cry and scream and was inconsolable, and this ususally started at 10:00pm (I don't know why). Whenever I put my finger on his gums, he would scream. I tryed EVERYTHING short of taking him to the hospital asking for a morphine drip for teething. I tried different numbing gels, teething tablets, infants Motrin, teething toys that were in the fridge. I even tried Whiskey and applied it with a Q-Tip onto his teeth (I only did that once-it's a wifes tale and doesn't work). I called my pediatrician one evening while he was having an episode. She offered to see him that night, and I felt it was ridiculous to take him in for teething.
Then she told me, "well you know you can give him 1 dose of infants Motrin/Advil and 1 dose of Tylenol at the same time."
No, I didn't know. I was just giving him one or the other, but not both at the same time. She told me one was for immflamation and the other was for pain, and she didn't recommend it all the time, only when he was screaming like he was (she could hear him over the phone). I gave him 1 dose of infants Advil and 1 dose of infants Tylenol and within 20 minutes-he was fine and he slept. I only did this when he was crying and screaming the way he was-until his teeth came in. He is growing in his 6 year old molars, and he was with my husband-out to breakfast for some one-on-one time. He was eating his waffle, and he started to scream, like he did when he was a baby. My son told my husband his teeth hurt really bad, my husband called me and asked me if I thought it was a cavity. I wasn't sure. They got home, I looked in his mouth and the back of his gums were swollen, and I poked a Q-Tip in the back of his gums and he screamed. I said to myself, here we go again. This time, I only gave him childrens Advil, and he was okay. He's been selective about what he eats. No chips, crackers, things that are hard.
At night time, everything gets exaggerated and is worse- pain from teething or anything, colds, coughs, fevers, swelling, etc. There is no medical explanation for it (that I know of), it just is. The pain of teething is worse at night than it is during the day.
Giving him Advil or Motrin and Tylenol at the same time was the only thing that worked for us, and it lasted well over 8 hours.

Good Luck!

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Hang in there. Mother of 3 here. All of my kids hit that fussy period around 5/6 months. For all the reasons you've read about including the fact that 6 months is a HUGE dvelopmental jump and they really are changing/developing their personalities. No longer infants, full-fledge babies with wants beyond eating and sleeping.

First bit of input. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. This is for your emotional benefit. Nothing will drive you more quickly to the point of motherhood insanity than to isolate yourself. He's going to fuss at home and away from home. It's way better for you to be at the park, zoo,GYmboree, playgroup with a fussy babe than home alone with a fussy babe. This in turn is better for him. Happier mommy, happier baby.

Also. try delaying the morning nap a bit. You don't say when he normally goes down but try to keep him up a bit longer. His body could be realigning his sleep needs-- something they seem to do just as you've gotten used to the schedule :) When they get off sync with their bodies sleep schedule (whether due to teeth or other factors) it really wigs them out and can take a while to get them readjusted. The old adage "the more they sleep, the more they sleep" really is true!

Finally, don't panic. This too shall pass. The best way to get through these phases-- and there will be more along the way-- is very similar to getting through labor. The more you fight it the harder it is. The more relaxed you are the faster and easier it seems to go by.

Sorry I didn't have any magic beans for you, but hopefully the encouraging words help.

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It is very common for babies to have rapid/temporary changes in their behavior patterns, and while you can drive yourself crazy trying to "figure it out," the only thing that ever worked for me was to just relax and adjust. I know that's easier said than done, but once you stop insisting on keeping whatever routine you had established, and just go with the flow, your baby will pick up your new calmness and things will settle back down.

Also, never underestimate the ability of your baby to understand your words. When my son was 6 months old, he started waking up every night around 3:00 AM, screaming, and it took hours of cuddling and rocking to calm him down. Needless to say, I was exhausted. So, one night, when I put him down to sleep, I told him gently and firmly, "If you wake up and the sun isn't up yet (pointing to the window), go back to sleep." He slept through the night. I did this again for the next couple of nights, and he slept great.

Six month later, we had to repeat the process, and then that was the end of it.

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I have experienced this too. The next to the last thing I tried was peppermint OIL. Use a q-tip to swipe a tiny bit around baby's belly button. Then, right when my sanity was just about to go, I got a battery operated swing and that's where my baby slept (beside my bed) for about a week. He preferred a speed a little faster ten I was comfy with, but we all got sleep.

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My twins, who are 7 months old, started similar behavior about a month and half ago. They wake up more in the night and sleep a lot less during the day. One of them cut her first tooth 3 weeks ago and her second 2 weeks ago. Once the first tooth broke through she was less fussy and started sleeping more both at night and during the day. They are both cranky once again, I can see the bottom two teeth on my daughter that has not yet had a tooth break through.

I use the teether rings, only I keep them in the refrigerator. I learned with my older chldren (22, 20 and 17) that frozen teether frustrated them more than helped, they all hated to hold the freezing teether but loved it when they were cold. I have about 4 for each girl and rotate them in and out of fridge.

I also learned with my older 3 that swaddling them when they were extremely tired and cranky helped them calm down and relax. So I swaddle (their torso and legs) and rock them, sometimes I use the white noise to assist in triggering their calming reflex.

I wish you the best of luck and from expereince will say that this will pass. Your calm, sweet baby will return once his little month stops hurting so much.

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I'm going through something similar with my 14 month daughter. She was on a great schedule with a morning and and afternoon nap. She's always been relatively easy to put to sleep but isn't so good at staying asleep. The last week or so it's been draining to get her to fall asleep and I'm lucky if I get her to take at least 1 half hour nap a day. She's fussier than normal and wants to nurse all the time. My daughter is getting a tooth but that doesn't explain the degree of fussiness in my opinion. I think she might be going through a growth spurt as well. There are moments when I want to cry out of frustration and exhaustion but I keep telling myself that she probably feels uncomfortable and just not like her usual self. She needs a more comforting and love right now and my job is to give it to her. So I guess that's my recommendation, if you can, give her that extra bit she needs. It won't last forever. She'll be more secure and confident on the other side knowing that you were there for her. Hope this helps.

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Hang in there. Sounds like teething to me. Just too uncomfortable to sleep, but so tired that he's not happy. A long drive in the country does our family well when teething time comes as there is car noise, distraction out the window and we get out of the house. My son also loved a Razberry teether (can buy online), and I use homeopathic teething drops (from Target), as well as Oragel/Tylenol or whatever it takes. Let him nurse lots (the pressure usually feels good on the gums) and hold him lots. It may take a while for the teeth to come through so get breaks when you can. This too shall pass.

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At about 13 months my son cried or nursed for what was 5 or 6 days straight while he was teething. He refused food and didn't sleep well unless it was right after nursing. There were other symptoms, but it felt like teething was really a two person job the way he seemed to need my attention at all times. I use homeopathic chamomile and Hyland's teething tablets for teething, but the most efficient remedy for teething discomfort was acupuncture. Within 30 minutes of a treatment my son was playing independently for the first time in days. What a relief. Our acupuncturist uses only a couple of needles for baby treatments and she makes house-calls. She's great with babies and parents....feel free to call her to ask any questions about baby health and behavior. She's my main source of information for baby care: Caroline Carlson L.Ac. ###-###-#### (Seattle area).

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Just throwing it out there, but are you sure your milk supply hasn't diminished? My son had several fussy days like that, and it turns out my milk supply had decreased because I was pregnant again! After getting him to take a bottle and supplementing with formula, he was much happier.

But, I agree with the other moms that babies change a lot -- just when you think you've got them/their schedule figured out, they change. I also relate to how crazy it can make you when they're fussy all day. Good luck!

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Hi L.,

I'm an 'older' mom too! Anyway, what you are going through it totally normal. Don't pull your hair out just yet. :-) And the good thing about parenting is all things are phases which come and go so as fast as this has happened, it will end too....Have you tried carrying your son around in a baby bjorn. All kids are so different and my first one, didn't really need it but my daughter who is 11 months now, she was fussy like you are describing. If I would just carry her in the baby bjorn all day, she wouldn't cry and would just sleep, etc. It's certainly worth a try. Also, have you tried going for a ride in the car. Bring a good book or magazine and after your son falls asleep, just sit and relax. That's what I used to do when I just had one. The thing about over tired kids is hard because they get so tired they actually get themselves all fired up and can't sleep. It's a frustrating cycle. Just remember all things come and go fast with kids and he'll be back to his normal happy self soon. Hang in there.

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Hey L.,
I know where your coming from. My little girl is going through this too. I talked to her (because the orajel would make her more upset??) pediatrician thinking that maybe she wasn't teething at all. Her Dr said that she could very well be teething and NOT to give them orajel. Because orajel is a non controllable numbing agent, when they swallow they swallow orajel which in turn numbs their throat. Which seems to make them more irritable and they think might be another cause of SIDS (which is highest in children 3-6 months).
The not sleeping through the night all the sudden. My daughter is also doing this. Which her dr said is probably because when she wakes up in the night now, she can see much better. So she is so busy looking that she "forgets" to fall asleep on her own. And an overly tired baby is even harder to get to sleep.
I really hope I helped which this information. Good luck! And just know that you aren't alone.

The changes you describe are pretty typical, though you may be experiencing a heightened version. I agree with the other mom that you might consider getting your little one checked out just for your peace of mind in case of possible ear infection, etc. But it's probably just teething/growing.

Have you ever heard of hazelwood necklaces for teething babies? They were originally used by native americans to help calm the pain associated with teething. The hazelwood actually has the property of absorbing your body's excess acid. We just discovered them and they have been a miracle for healing our 5 month's old eczema(they help with a variety of ailments from teething, to eczema, to acid reflux; all associated with excess acid production) and helping with our 23 month old's teething (he's gotten like 10 teeth in the last month 1/2 including 4 molars) The necklaces are designed to be safe for babies to wear. If you're interested, check out www.hazelaid.com

Hope you can find some relief for him. I know how hard it is when things shift just when you thought you had it figured out! Good luck,

S. (mom to Kate 3 ½, Ben 23 months, Emma 6 months)

We saw similiar shifts in my daughter when she started teething. Teething could certainly cause that behavior shift. not sure if you are ok with it, but infant tylenol and infant motrin were god-sends in my house. Teething can be really painful!

My children seem to do something similar just before hitting a developmental milestone like sitting up rolling over etc... It's like they get really frustrated that they can't do what they want to do, until that one morning it clicks in their head and I will see them do what they haven't done. Mine get very discontented to sleep, nursing turns into a nightmare, and they want to be on me all the time.

You haven't indicated if your son is trying to do anything or where he is developmentally, but it could be possible for that. The only option I can tell you about is Bach Flower essences. When my children start acting like that I give them Impatiens and Mimulus and that seems to work like a charm, most of the time. These can be picked up at New Season's or Whole Foods.

Have you tried putting him in the car and drive around playing soothing music? Gets you out as well. As an RN, I would suggest staying away from medications. Go homeopathic or chiropractic if you really feel that you need professional intervention.

i cant say that my kids have had exactly the same symptoms... but everything you have listed I went through at some point.... When all else fails, I would give infant tylenol. When we would get to the point where baby was really tired...and so was I - I would let baby sleep with me.

additionally.... i must say, all babies change as they grow and go through different phases..... you might have a baby who is a great sleeper at night and then all of a sudden - they wake twice per night for a few days, weeks, months.....

if baby is consistently inconcolably happy -= it might be worth taking them in just for a once over to make sure that there is nothing going on..... for example... it is possible for there to be fluid in the ears or ear infections with no symptoms, headaches (hence giving tylenol) - eye problems etc........

relax though - for the most part, it sounds as though you are going through the typical variations of life and routine or lack thereof with an infant....

One thing you probably didn't find on Web MD is chiropractic.

Sometimes babies who get out of alignment at birth and are "colicky" are fixed in just one visit ... but it can take more than one of course, especially for an established physical problem.

The sudden new fussiness and uncomfortability sleeping etc. suggest to me that something that was in alignment got knocked or bumped, and hopefully one visit will pop it back in. The baby is probably in vague pain, or maybe even pain that is sharper if you put him in his normal sleep position ... ?

The great thing is, the younger a person is, the less pressure is needed to correct things, and the better chance they have of staying corrected. The pressure my chiropractor uses on a baby is just a gentle finger-push ... you can ask them to show you on your hand.

The two times I've had a baby get their alignment corrected, they were a bit fussed coming in but just fine once the doctor moved the right bones back. :)! Yay!

Anyhow, hope that helps :).

I have a 5 month old daughter who just started doing similar things. I nursed her for a long time, but my body just would not produce as much as she needed as she got older. I think that was one of the causes for Sienna's fussiness- I don't think she wasn't getting full. I have started to give her rice cereal and green vegetable organic baby food. I found it in the health food section of Fred Meyer and it is for 4 months and up. That helped the fussiness a lot.
She drools a lot and wants to chew on everything- so I think she is starting the teething process as well. We have a teething toy that has water in it and I put that in the fridge for a while before I give it to her and she loves to chew on it. Also- she likes to chew on the plastic rings that you link together. They kind of look like a chain link fence.
Also I did notice that she wants to try and stand all of the time so I got out the toy where she stands up and jumps. It has all sorts of things to push that make noise and things to grab at. That has been a saving grace because I realized that a lot of the time when she was fussy, she was just bored. She didn't want to be held like a baby and needed something entertaining. She also loves her play mat that has toys hanging dows she can grab.
After doing those things she is sleeping a lot better again. I just think she needed some food and excitement in her life! HA! She is just growing up!
These are just some of the things that I tried. Don't be worried, your little guy sounds like he is being perfectly normal. Hope you two find a good solution!

Maybe he is trying to cut out a nap during the day. I think that is about when my daughter dropped one.
As far as teething soothers- hylands tablets didn't work for us either. Tylenol/ibuprofen at least soothed the fever with teething. Nursing was her typical comfort.

I'm a mother of two and believe me you can not predict their sleeping habits. Just when you think they have settled into a pattern they will change it up. Just relax and realize that it is just a faze and it will be followed by lots of other fazes so be prepared. It could be teething. It could be a growth spurt. It could be anything. Any mom who says their children slept through the night every night and took their naps all the time is not telling the truth. Hang in there. He'll be fine and so will you!

Hello L.,

My daughter, now 9 months, changed her sleeping pattern around about 5-6 months of age. She use to sleep through the night and now she wakes every 3-4 hours. I think along with teething, it is a time of big change for them. They are becoming more aware and interactive with their environment. Sometimes it quite a lot what they have to process in a day. My first daughter, now 3, stopped taking naps completely at about 6 months. She was afraid she'd "miss out on something". The only way I'd get her to nap was in the baby buggy or in the car that was pretty tiring especially during my second pregnancy. I also agree with Carlotta, that with the change in their sleeping pattern they have trouble falling asleep by themselves. I'm going through that phase right now of finding a new sleep routine for my little one.

I wish you a speedy adjustment time, K.

Well, coming from the mom of a 7th mo old, we have been going through this on and off for the last 2 mos. I tried everything and nothing really worked consistently, so I just got everything that was recommended and would try each until I found what was going to work that day, at that moment...I had finally given up on the idea that it was teeth, when I woke up one morning (just recently) and could actually see a tooth! It has been very fun for us as parents, however she has gone to a little one that sometimes won't eat, won't nap, irritable and uncomfortable, etc...my best advice is do what you need to keep your sanity, and have a lot in your bag of tricks...like I said we go through the list of items and wait for the "ahhh" noise that she makes...eventually we find one...I have: lots of different hard toys to chew on, several that are soft and from the fridge,a vibrating teether, yogurt, tyleol, Hyland's teething tablets, oragel. Good Luck

Hi L.,

I am going through exactly the same thing (her schedule was a little different but the change in her isn't). My daughter was born on November 17th and within the last week has turned into a total fussbudget who I can hardly put down. Her first tooth just broke the surface last Sunday and I really do think it has to do with the teething. I KNOW how you feel as far as being worn down but it will get better! I have two other children and they went through these kinds of phases as well. Here is a suggestion that works well for me. I either wrap crushed ice in a washcloth and tie off with a strong rubber band (I only give that to her when I am right there paying attention) or I wet and wring out a baby washcloth and then roll it up and put in a baggie in the freezer until frozen and then give to her to chew on. That is her favorite. I do lots of them at once so they stay rolled. You can cut them in half if you don't mind losing/ruining them. I don't know where you are but if you can get your hands on Mama Rose's Naturals Peaceful Baby that is a huge help. On occasion I will give her baby pain reliever if she is horribly tired and can't go and stay to sleep but I try to exhaust all other remedies first. Hang in there....this too shall pass!

Hi L.,

I don't have any advice, but I can share with you my experience and you can see if any of it rings a bell. My child was also very happy-go-lucky and slept well until about 5 months and then she started waking more frequently and taking 30 minute naps. She is now almost 9 months. So looking back I think this is a typical time when babies go through a change in sleeping habits. My guess on my daughter is that she doesn't know how to go to sleep on her own without sucking and she was leaving the "newborn sleep state." She was crying going to sleep, crying waking up and it was very frustrating. I think she was frustrated that she was tired and couldn't go to sleep, didn't know how without sucking. I've been working on building sleep routines and teaching other ways to fall asleep, but it is a very gradual process because I don't want her to cry excessively. A little crying or fussiness with me I think is just part of learning a new skill, but I feel like if she gets too distraught, she is not going to sleep or learn anything new. I moved nursing away from right before sleep or if I did nurse I stopped before she was flutter nursing (alseep) and put in a binky. Then I take out the binky out to let her try to finish falling asleep on her own. Often have to replace the binky and try again, many times. These ideas are from the no cry sleep solution by Elizabeth Pantley. I also find wearing her down (Sears idea) in a front or back pack helps get her into sleep mode. Also sleep begets sleep if he is sleep deprived, then it is harder to sleep. Because I am dealing with my own insomnia, sometimes I slip and start letter her nurse more to sleep . . . And I notice more difficulty with getting and staying to sleep for her, but it is easier to get back on track now. Good luck.

C.

Hi L.,

My son wasn't a great sleeper until I found the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child written by Marc Weissbluth, M.D. It took about a week and then we've had mostly smooth sailing since then. What this book did for me and him was to give me the information about his sleep development and what to expect and what he needed. So when he did have changes developmentally I wasn't thrown for a loop. I knew what was normal and what might not be ie ear infection, teething, etc. Anyway this is my sleep bible and has treated my family extremely well through 2 children who are totally different. It will give you info from birth through adolescence. Above and beyond anything else remember " this to shall pass ". Hang in there because most of us have been there or are there too!

um.....I know you probably don't want to hear this, but what you need to do is nothing. Just wait a few days and he will be back to normal. I went through it too, lots of moms do. The teething tablets helped a little. Mostly I just nursed both of my children lots and cried a couple times myself out of pure exhaustion. But in hind site, it was a very short period of time. Practice patients, you will need it in the years to come.

Hi L.,
I have 2 sons, 28 months and 13 months, and they both had/have hard times getting their teeth. It seems to last about a week or so each tooth and I've resorted to giving them baby Motrin and/or Tylanol. I've tried ice, teething tablets, orojel etc. and they don't seem to help. The medicine does help them and I can tell when it wears off because they start to get fussy again. I would wait for a while in the morning until they seemed like they really needed it so I could get away with giving them maybe just 2 doses a day. The first few times I was worried too wondering if it would ever stop, am I giving them too much medicine etc. because I don't like to use medicine unless it is really necessary. Good luck! Remember, everything is a phase.