Could my baby be teething?

[mamahill]

I tried doing a search, but couldn't find an answer to my question. Dd is 6 months old, so it could very well be teething, but she doesn't have a fever. She's cranky a LOT. I feel like we've regressed several months. A week ago she would sit and play and jabber quite happily for half an hour or more. Now she needs me right there and preferably holding her. She is constantly chewing on her thumb - though she doesn't suck on them like you'd think - she sticks them way back on the side of her mouth so she can bite on them. She is also pulling in her bottom lip and sucking on that. DD used to be a beautiful napper - the past few days I've been lucky to get 2 45-minute naps out of her. She's cranky a lot (I know I already said that, but she IS) and I don't know if she's in pain. I'd like to help her some way, but don't know if Tylenol is the best thing, especially since she doesn't have a fever. I don't want to become a Tylenol-obsessed mom (it was my mom's answer to everything "take 2 tylenol and go lay down" even when i had broken my wrist - not that she knew it at the time :) kind of like the dad on "my big fat greek wedding" and his obsession with windex...). When I told my mom I thought she might be teething, she said, "Maybe. Or it could be a new phase." aaaaaaah - say it isn't so!

Ok, I'll stop going on. I guess I got giddy since her eyes are closed. If anyone could lend advice, support, etc., would appreciate it tremendously...

TIA!

[Rachels]

It sure sounds like teething. You could try Tylenol and see if it helps. A little certainly won't hurt her. Homeopathic chamomilla and Hylands Teething Tablets also work well (and FAST). You can find both at health food stores or online, and they're a really good option if you don't want to medicate her. My daughter also likes chewing on a moistened, refrigerated baby washcloth. Hang in there!

-Rachel
Mommy to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[twins r fun]

The biting the hand and not sleeping sure sound like teething. Not all babies get a fever with teething (mine never have). Try the tylenol and if she seems less cranky-it is probably teething!

Nicole

[KathyO]

If Tylenol doesn't work, try Advil. Tylenol didn't do a thing for us. Actually, there are some scary warnings coming out regarding Tylenol and liver damage, so if using it, follow the dosage recommendations TO THE LETTER. According to several recent news sources, Tylenol (acetominophen) has caused more liver-failure deaths in the US than any other drug. Many of these occurred where the drug was combined, even in small quantities, with alcohol, but a large part of the problem is the thin line between a safe dose and an overdose. Even exceeding the dosage by a small amount can cause havoc if done over a longer period. Plus it seems to have some nasty interactions with certain other drugs, so check with your doctor or pharmacist if your child is receiving anything else.

That being said, Advil is more likely to cause stomach upset than Tylenol (although we never had that problem). If you use it, try giving it (Advil) with food/milk as a buffer.

Best,

KathyO

[egoldber]

Here's a link to the study that looked at Tylenol/acetaminophen overdosing in children. http://hsc.virginia.edu/cmc/pedpharm/v6n3.htm

Most of these overdosages were as the result of parental confusion. Many parents accidentally overdosed their children by one of the following means:

a) confusing INFANT Tylenol/acetaminophen drops with CHILDRENS Tylenol/acetaminophen liquid which have different strengths and different dosing mechanisms (dropper vs teaspoon)

b) not understanding that acetaminophen is the generic equivalent of Tylenol and "double dosing" their children by giving multiple products that are medically the same and

c) not realizing that many cold/allergy products also contain Tylenol/acetaminophen and then ALSO giving their children regular Tylenol/acetaminophen.

There is also relatively recent information that Tylenol/acetaminophen overdosing is more harmful at lower levels than had been thought previously. It is always important to read the label and understand ANY medication you give your child. But Tylenol/acetaminophen is still a safe drug for your child when used appropriately.

HTH,

[mamahill]

Wow - thanks for all the great information! Scary what can happen if you over/doubledose - guess it's better to underdose. I'm going to go find those homeopathic tablets today (when I mentioned them to dh, he said, "Oh yeah, a woman at work was telling me about those." thank you dear). Ainsleigh has been asleep for 2 1/2 hours now - I think I'll go make sure she's alive. Thank you for all the information - I feel more confident going into a new phase of her life equipt with all the knowledge I can get!

Thanks,

[suzska]

Evan never got a fever when he was teething, but he does get cranky! He'll chew on anything he can get his hands on. We would usually just give him a dose of Tylenol at night, to get us all through the night. We didn't usually give him anything during the day unless we were truly desperate. My mother always freaks out about the over-medicating. But with Evan it would be the dose at night for a few nights in a row until the teeth broke through (and only after about 3 nights in a row of everyone not sleeping very well until we realized it was teeth time again). I think my mom thinks we were giving it to him constantly around the clock.

[luvbeinmama]

One thing you can also do to avoid the overdosing, is switch between Tylenol(aceteminophen) & Advil/Motrin(ibuprofen). They are totally different drugs, so there isn't the issue of overdoing the tylenol by giving a 2nd dose too soon. When DS was in pain I would give the Tylenol if he needed something in the evening but give him Motrin for overnight (the Motrin lasts longer, too). DH was an EMT so I was totally aware of the Tylenol overdosing issue.

[mamahill]

Great idea! I guess that was why they switched between tylenol and motrin for me in the hospital post-delivery. Never thought about using that technique for dd. I don't know if it's just my nerves wearing thin by the end of the day, but I find myself wanting to give her something in the early evening and before bed. Anybody know how long it takes for teeth to break through? I check every morning and from what I can tell (dd is not so cooperative), nothing has broken through. If it's taking this long, maybe she isn't teething?

Thanks for all your help!

[suzska]

It can take a really long time. Although the front ones are easier than the molars. DS has been working on those back molars for what seems like months.

With the front ones you should be able to see the white bumps just under the gumline before anything breaks through. Once they're through, you'll be able to feel the teeth with your finger. If you run your finger over the gums it will catch. But then it still takes a while until the teeth are all the way "in."

I can't remember much with the first ones, but I know DS was working on 9-12 while we were on vacation last January. We didn't realize that's why he was the way he was when we were on vacation (the only thing that would calm him was chewing on Grammy's purse strap). The last day of our vacation I noticed a tooth had come through. Then it all made sense. He got the next 3 within the next 4 weeks.

Evan was born 03-11-01, and here are the dates for his teeth (if that helps). I went back and looked them up:

#1 07-28-01 (4.5 months)
#2 07-30-01 (4.5 months)
#3-4 08-20-01 (5.5 months)
#5-6 09-21-01 (6.5 months)
#7 10-14-01 (7 months)
#8 11-15-01 (8 months)
#9 01-22-02 (10.5 months)
#10 02-06-02 (11 months)
#11 02-14-02 (11 months)
#12 02-22-02 (11.5 months)
#13 05-03-02 (13.5 months)
#14 05-09-02 (14 months)
#15 05-10-02 (14 months)
#16 05-26-02 (14.5 months)

They often come in pairs, but Evan didn't always follow the "typical" order. And he certianly didn't follow the "typical" age since the first ones were at 3.5 months. I guess looking back at the dates, maybe it did take a month for those first ones to come in because I remember thinking he got his first teeth at 3.5 months, but that says 4.5 months. Then he roughly followed having as many teeth as as many months old he was. The average age for the ones he's working on now is 20-24 months. I just hope they come in before we go on vacation again in January.