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 Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:30 am
My baby girl is 8.5 months old now, and has been going through her second teething episode, The first time, she got her two front bottom teeth, and had absolutely no problems in the LEAST with it. This time, her whole top gum is swollen and she is absolutely miserable.
It's been going on for weeks now, and I'm starting to wonder how long this actually lasts? Because it is, so far, showing no signs of letting up any time soon (her teeth haven't started peaking through her gums, yet), and she is just soooooo fussy. She is cranky all the time. I can't really take her places for too long, because she will let out earsplitting shrieks, and generally is just quite fussy.
Also, we are still breastfeeding and she makes my nipples SO sore and she wants to nurse pretty much all day long, with just short breaks here and there. (She sleeps fine at night, though I can't get her down before 10pm, but that's not a problem, right now.)
I just want to be able to enjoy her like I could before. Now, I try to hold her, just hold her, and she throws a fit, tries to pull away or if she's hungry she tries to get down to my breasts.
Someone else can be holding her, and she's perfectly fine and quiet, then if she sees me, she gets upset and may call to me "Mum-um-um-um-um!", and if I take her, she may want to nurse for a minute or two, then she comes off the n****e and starts screaming and won't go back on the n****e.
And I just have no idea what she wants or what to do for her! She will NOT let me massage her gums, she won't chew on a cold washcloth, she won't even drink some cool water from her sippy cup.
It makes me crazy! I have, honestly, run from the room in hysterical tears a few times over the last few weeks. (A couple times, I ran to my husband and told him that I must be the worst mom in the world and that we should try to find another, better mom to adopt her to. - my husband wasn't sure whether I was joking or serious, then sat me down, held me, and told me we would do no such thing, and generally calmed and reassured me.)
The other day, I bought some teething rings (that aren't liquid-filled). There is an assortment of three (one you can put in the fridge that is supposed to hold the cold longer, a soft one, and their 'classic' one.. all of them have little massaging bumps), and they are by NUK. I haven't had a chance to give them to her yet, because my husband wants to be present and he's been busy all day the last two days since we got them. Hopefully tonight, if he gets home before she goes to bed, I can give them to her (and hopefully she'll actually like them).
On top of all thise, her poop has changed colour -though not consistancy. It went from the mustard colour of an exclusively breastfed baby to a dark brown -and I have not yet started her on solids (I WANT to start them when she will actually let me near her mouth!) She is still exclusively breastfed. I have been eating some canned pears frequently, could that be it? (I had stopped eating pretty much all fruits for months, because it's supposed to be a cause of diarrhea in breastfed babies, but have now had cravings for them.. I stayed away from citrussy fruits, so I thought my eating pears would be okay..) Do you think this is something I should be worried about, the change in her poop? I will ask her paediatrician at her next appointement.
I guess all I'm really seeking is encouragement. This WILL pass, right? And I'll get smiles from her again, instead of shrieks and angry glares, right?
Thank you.
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:25 pm
Oh yeah it will definetely pass! Have you tried Motrin? I think that stuff is a Godsend and she is old enough to take it. Whenever Bobbi seemed to be in pain that stuff always helps. You give it to them every 6-8 hours but in between you can give Tylenol which can be given every 4 hours. That should help bring some relief. There also is orajel, which based on personal experience didnt work real well, but Ive heard good things from other moms. Popsicles might work well to.
Also I was told that poop that is any of the fall colors is just fine. Its if it goes black or.....red I think? you have to worry. And it definetely could be diet related. Ive never heard of fruits causing problems in BF babies though. In fact Ive heard its a good thing because it exposes them to different tastes and when you start giving them solids they take fruits easier because they've been exposed to the taste. As far as foods to avoid the things Ive heard are spicey or caffeine food/drinks.
Hope that helps some!
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:01 pm
First off, I have yet to talk to any mom who has not felt like the world's worst mom at some time or other. Babies are just plain challenges and every one of them is different. The teething rings should be good for her and help her to get those teeth erupted. If you have serious questions- like you expressed - most doctors have nurses that will return your call and answer your questions or some hospitals have a nurse in the Delivery and Labor section that will talk to you and answer the questions they can and tell you when you should see a physician.
I was told to eat a lot of different foods when I breast fed my babies and the only thing that really seemed to make them sick was chocolate, onions, or just plain too Hot Spicy type of foods. I was told the same thing that exposing them indirectly through breast milk to the various fruits and veggies would make it easier for the baby to enjoy his/her own foods when the time comes. I also loved the La Leche League sight to get all the info and support I could - I think Jen has the link.
Good luck and remember all of us get discouraged at times, it doesn't make us bad - just human
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:01 pm
I had a reply all typed out and stupid 'net decided to crash stressed gonk crying
I'm going to get it typed back up in a little bit. I did want to give you this link in case she is biting you during feedings.
Well, a copule of the things that I was going to mention have been addressed already...
When the first one started teething she was usually pretty good about it. The only time I really had problems was bed time. So I found I liked the baby orajel night time formula. She never took teething rings (she really never put things in her mouth to start with).
I did have problems with her biting while nursing and that's why I gave you the link above. She seemed to learn pretty quickly though that biting hurt Mommy.
I do suggest though if she will take them that you let her have the teething rings. Chewing on things will help the teeth to break through the gums.
As for your little girl wanting to nurse all day I would think that perhaps she is seeking you out for comfort. Nursing isn't just for food to these little ones. Suckling is comforting too (that's part of why babies like pacifiers and/or thumbs though no food comes from them).
She does not need to nurse any more often then every 2 hours to get the food that she needs. If it help with your stress level cut the feeding back to every two hours at most.
Mom's job (in our children's eyes) is to make everything all better. When they get hungry we feed them-all better. When they fall and cry we pick them up and love them-all better. So her frustration with you right now is that you're not making her pain from teething all better. Don't take it personally; it's not because she thinks that you're a bad mother or because she has stopped loving you. She wants you to fix it, but when you're not able to she gets frustrared and pushes away. Eventually children do learn that we can't make everything all better... though there are still times I want my mom to make it all better. 4laugh There is something special and important about a mother child bond.
She does not have the same expectations for others to be able to make her better. Daddy and other family members and friends will all play a different role in her life and since they are not the ones that she expects to comfort her it does not bother her that they can not make it all better.
Another thing that my mom told me when I got frustrated with this is that its' actually an honor that she feels safe enough with you to cry for you.
And as the others have said, a change in her poo colors is nothing to stress over and is possibly related to your dietary changes. And I will second what others have said about eating a variety of foods to expose your little one to them inderectly.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:54 am
Thank you for the help.
In regards to the medicine, my husband and I have chosen not to use those kinds of things, unless absolutely necessary. Also, I live in Germany and have never seen anything like Orajel (and, in regards to asking about it, our doctor said those types of creams were not that good and he didn't trust their safety.. there was something else he'd said about them, but I don't remember what it was). We probably could get him to prescribe painkillers (though I doubt it'd be Motrin or Tylenol, but likely something similar), we have just chosen not to.
I've been to the LaLecheLeague website, but the German one (in English) seems to require you to send them money to do anything, and there is like NO info on the website. As for the American one, I should probably check that out.
In regards to the poop, thank you for the reassurance there! I was getting worried.
Thank you for the link, Jenannen, my baby does bite occasionally (which is really painful).
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:29 pm
I honestly have very little experience with teething but i have been around a few babies who have been. they loved the frozen rings, also cold pasifires or frozen spoons. My I would cut a tooth the saliva would build up in my nasal cavities and cause and ear infection. My mom said that if I just chewed on something to let out the saliva I would be ok. She may not like the frozen rags because they may be too cold, definatly try the rings. On of my Fiance's nephews liked to chew on the leather strap on my purse, which i now keep because of the little bite marks.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:32 pm
Most of my teething advice involves giving the baby something orally, since I started my guy on solids around 4 months. I found he really appreciated having soda crackers to "chew" on when he was teething, because it gave some resistance to his gums. He also liked ginger cookies.
Dietary changes can change poo color, but also in my line of work (acupuncture) it is considered normal for a teething baby to have a color change because of heat in the digestive system - it's a part of teething, but can also mean an upset tummy. Rub the baby's instep and see if that has a calming effect.
For medication, I've always been in favor of homeopathics for kids - it usually tastes like sugar, and it's difficult to give them too much. There are a few brands of homeopathic teething pills or liquids that I know of, but the primary ingredient is called Chamomilla, otherwise known as chamomile. So you can look for homeopathic meds with chamomile in them, or as a last resort you can try giving the wee one a drink of cooled chamomile tea. It has a soothing effect, and always helped my son go to sleep. My best friend swore by a different brand, but reported similar results, as did both of my sisters.
Best of luck, it should be over soon, and I can promise you you aren't a horrible mother.
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