Could this be teething?

[natalie_1982]

My baby is six months old and I think she has just started teething but as there are so many symptoms i will post them in an answer below!

Thanks x

[natalie_1982]

My daughter is six months tomorrow. Last weekend she had bright red rosy cheeks, although the rest of her body was normal temperature; by Monday she was back to normal and she started her first day at nursery. Obviously now she is around lots of other babies I expect her to pick up lots of new germs and so wasn't surprised when she finished Thursday evening with a cough and snuffles. She was a bit fretful Thurs night / Friday morning but easily settled; this is unusal for her as she has been sleeping 6pm-6am from 10weeks old, and was the first time I had had to get get up to her during the night since then. Friday day time she point blank would not eat any solids and would only sip an ounce at a time of her formula and just generally seemed neither interested or hungry; previously she had been having 3 meals a day plus 3-4 8oz bottles and eating well. She went to bed 6pm Friday night but was awake screaming by 9 and then screamed through the night until 6:30am Saturday. She wouldn't leave my side atall, although she seems ok in herself when she is with me, she just wants me to hold her all the time which is unlike her. Her mouth seems so painful that she wouldn't allow me to put tetthing gel on her gums, let alone a teething ring. Saturday morning I went to the pharmacist to stock up on teething gel and the like and he gave me some Calpol nighttime because he seemed to think that her gums were probably enflamed hence the reason she was off her food and it would also help her sleep. After her medicine last night, she slept from 7pm til 5am, had a full bottle and then slept again til 8am when she had somebreakfast but since then she has stopped eating again and is only taking sips of formula! Also, her nappies have gone quite runny. I have left two messages with the health visitor but as yet nobody has called me back! I can't see any white patches for new teeth, but then I am not entiely sure what I am looking for and it's hard to get a peep in her mouth!

[natalie_1982]

She seems happy in herself so I am not too worried about her but I wondered if others had experienced this as I don't want to put the symptoms down to teething when it may not be!

P.S. I have been giving her Ashton and Parsons powder, Dentinox gel and Calpol nighttime (only once last night).

Lastly, my pharmacist suggested to me the Calpol night yesterday, but when I spoke to my friend about it last night she was told by her pharmacist that it is no longer given to children under 2years despite the box stating "From 3 months". I only found this out after I had given baby 2.5ml of it!

Any comments (within reason!) welcomed x

[redcrx]

the red cheeks are a sure sign of teething, as is dribble, constantly chewing of hands or anything, nappy rash, nasty nappies and going slightly off food.

Teeth often come with what seems like a cold too, runny nose and sniffles.

When teeth are coming through they move a lot up and down before breaking through the gum and this can cause sudden pains resulting in baby crying for what seems like no reason. This also affects their sleep and their eating habits.

If she does develop and signs of fever or gets dehydrated from not feeding then see your GP but for now Id say continue as you are and see if any teeth appear.

Im so lucky that my 2 have only ever cried just as the teeth pop through gum although the stinky nappies, red cheeks and drool are in abundance.

Baby CRX has 2 teeth now and another 2 are on the way down.

[redcrx]

as for the calpol, a lot of medicines have been advised not to be used for babies under 2 although last year it was fine and health visitors still advise a dose of calpol to help with baby's first injections so id say its your own call really.

[natalie_1982]

Thanks Red, she still isn't eating so MrNat took today off work to stay home with her and took her to the doctors. The GP prescribed some decongestant nose drops and when he asked her about the Calpol night she said that the reason it is not given to parents of children under the age of two is because it encourages lazy parenting!! Thankfully she wasn't implying anything towards us, although he did say he felt really defensive and had to outline that we had only given her 2.5ml at bedtime the previous two evenings! She is still wailing through the day and not eating (doc said not to worry as long she is having tiny amounts to stop her becoming dehydrated), and coughing through the night, but we are hanging in there. Still no bumps or white signs of the tooth though! Hopefully it shouldn't be too much longer.

[redcrx]

awww poor little thing, Im sure she'll pop them toothy pegs through soon.
I have heard of parents who used calpol (medised is worse) to keep babies sleeping, I cant imagine doing it myself as i love babys playing etc but then Ive never had anything ut placid babies so cant imagine what id be like with a very unsettled baby.
Tell Mr Nat that its normal to be defensive even though nothing was being implied, its part of being a parent. Good for him though helping you and talking bubs to the GP :)

[natalie_1982]

Hmmm.... the saga continues.....
She anaged three 6oz bottles yesterday but since the early hours of this morning she has been suffering with diahorrea so I am now thinking that it mightn't be teething atall. It's not even "loose" bowels now but scraping-off-her-back and seeping through her sleepsuit type mess :-(

She took a 6oz bottle at 5am but has had nothing since and is still not interested in solids. She's taking small sips of water from her beaker (never from her bottle though, the strange little bird) so I am glad she is getting some form of fluids. Doc seems to think it will be around a week from when she started getting poorly, which was Thursday evening so not long to go now.

I have managed to get her to sleep this morning, which we haven't been able to do for a while during the day so in that sense things are looking up, and she does seem more herself today, just a more stinkier version :-)

Hope all is well with you and yours xx

[redcrx]

we have a toddler with the same problem here today! yucky mess, so it maybe that shes got the bug thats floating around. Hope not!
Nappies here tend to be very runny with teething though so its hard to say, they leak and go everywhere too lol