I may be over reacting but she is my baby... we are in full out teething mode.. at 20weeks! It is definately teething so please don't tell me she is too young. It appears to be focused on the lower left side. Anyway, she has not eaten since around 5am this morning (it is almost 3pm now). She is hungry, she attacks the bottle when I offer it but after a couple sucks, she pulls away crying and puts her hand to her mouth. I have tried cold teethers, not cold teethers, hylands tablets, a homeopathic gel, a frozen washcloth (she usually prefers this), generic tylenol and finally put an ice cube in a holder (I forget what they are called but it is to introduce foods to the baby without risk of pieces getting through). She absolutely went to town on the ice cube and I believe drank almost all the water as it melted.
So, a double question here... #1 how do I help ease the pain beyond what I have tried?
#2 how can I get her to eat when it hurts this much?
She is currently sleeping after crying in my arms for over 1/2 hour. This may seem like nothing to some of you but I have been blessed with a baby that very rarely cries. She is miserable. Help!
Editting: when I said lower left side I meant the lower left front side. There is a white numb there that comes and goes. My pedi said this is very common and will only prolong her misery. The funny thing is she has good moments during the day too. She ended up eating around 7pm yesterday, then 8, 9 and 11, and then again at 1am. Catching up on calories I guess. Today wasn't so bad...
Try baby orajel and infant ibuprofen. The two of those always worked best with my two kids. I wouldn't worry too much about her not eating as long as shes drinking enough so she doesn't get dehydrated(4-6 wet diapers a day). The ice in the mesh bag is good, and maybe try a frozen waffle for her to nah on.
May I ask why it appears to be teething? I ask because you noted that her pain seems focused on the lower left side, and I thought "most" first teeth are in the front. Is it possible it's something else, or in addition to? I'm sorry that your little one is miserable, and I hope she recovers quickly.
I agree with the posters who say, she may have an ear infection too - which on top of teething would be pure d heck. Poor little angel. Schedule an appointment with your pediatrician to rule out ear infection. If she is hydrating using the ice cube thingee - keep giving it to her. Could you freeze some formula or pedialyte to put in the thingee? That way you could know she was getting some nutrition, electrolytes etc.
I understand - my daughter is 8.5 months and began teething at 3 months! I tried everything you mentioned here and most worked only temporarily. She is still teething now and loves when I rub my finger across her gums. I also distract her quite a bit with peek a boo and other games and toys. There is a teething giraffe called "Sophie the Giraffe" that so many mom's rave about and I have yet to buy it but plan to. Google it and find out more details but it's supposed to be a hit with teething babies.
As for the eating, my daughter does the same thing and my doctor told me she definitely will not starve and will eat when she's ready. I know that doesn't sound comforting but it's true. Sometimes my daughter would go all day without eating much and then gulp down 6 ounces in one shot later in the day. Is she eating any solids yet? I used to give my baby her baby food cold and she would eat it easier that way. I tried the same thing with cold formula but it wasnt as big of a hit as the solids. Good luck! I feel your pain!
are you 100% sure she's teething? my son used to do that when he had a really bad ear infection b/c it hurt him to swallow. so he'd go at the bottle ferociously cuz he was hungry from not eating but then after a couple of gulps the pain would get to him and he'd pull away and cry. the ice thing might just be a distraction from his ear pain. my son didn't pull at his ear or anything so we really didn't know until we finally broke down and took him to the dr. i'd take her to the dr to make sure its not an ear infection.
Personally, I don't doubt you that your daughter may very well be teething! Still, I would contact her pediatrician before giving her any medications. My son is six now, but we used ibuprofen to more effectively deal with inflammation that goes along with teething (and as a result deal with the pain). The pediatrician may suggest staggering doses between acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin). Consult with your doctor though...
Also, sometimes with teething comes ear infections. Not saying that she isn't teething, but the two often go hand-in-hand.
Watch to make sure she remains hydrated too!
Good luck! Call your pediatrician. I know how hard it is when your baby is miserable!!
My doctor always recommended using ibuprofen for teething rather than tylenol because it has an anti-inflammatory agent in it and will help with swollen gums. Quite honestly, it sounds like you are doing all you can do for her. Teething is simply a painful process for little ones.
Please be open to the possibility that she could have something else along with teething. If everything you are doing doesn't help, maybe have her ears checked just to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection along with the teething. My daughter did not get a temperature when she had an ear infection. So, you never know.
Are you positive that she is teething? Like you see the little white caps? Or can feel the tooth through the gum? A lot of what you are describing sounds like what my DS went through when he had the hand/foot/mouth virus- which is extremely contagious for the little ones. You may want to see the pediatrician before jumping into some of the more invasive teething fixes like orajel.
Some of what the virus looks like - screaming at the breast, latching for 30 seconds than arching the back and pulling away (same with the bottle), extra drooly, hands in the mouth (more than normal), sores (could be on the hands, feet, or inside the mouth- they are not always easy to see in the mouth.), not eating (DS stopped eating for about 3 days. It takes the virus about 7-10 days to run the course- but some things that make the baby feel better are cold cold beverages (which could be why the ice worked) and what the pediatician called magic mouthwash (1 part childrens benadryl to 1 part maalox- get the dosage from your pediatrician) it coats any mouth sores enough to allow the little one to eat. You need to watch out for dehydration- wet diapers, sunken eyes, dry lips- you could try watery juice, pedialyte, the ice cubes in your feeder, or there are frozen pedialyte pops too.
Good luck!
My 4 mo is going through the same thing. It can be very frustrating but hang in there. I was wondering if you were breastfeeding at all? I have found success with a nipple shield.
If the bottle causes her pain then you can try spoon feeding her. Just prop her up on a pillow or boppy and have fun with it. I recommend a bib and preparing an extra ounce. Babies R Us sells a nifty spoon that holds the food in it. It's meant for purees but it works just fine for liquids.
You're being pretty thorough on the pain management so I can't really expand on that much. Sometimes simply rubbing a clean finger on her gums will bring relief.
Good Luck!
C.
www.momsinstinct.com
