Would you say this is definitely teething? Baby is driving me DEMENTED

[MrsJohnCusack]

so
He is just 5 months and is fully breastfed. He is HUGE - over 97th percentile for length somewhere between 75th and 97th for weight (but that's on NZ scale, on UK scale probably on 97th, NZ babies are heavier).
He WILL NOT sleep in the day for more than 30 mins and wakes up screaming. Getting him to sleep takes ages of rocking in the pram/feeding/rocking in the car seat and often a lot of crying. TOday he has slept for a grand total of 1 hour in 13.5 hours daytime. So of course from the afternoon onwards he is knackered and screams. He wants to be held all the time, can't put him down (when I do he tries to roll and gets increasingly furious that he can't quite get onto his front and bellows with rage). If I go out and leave him with DH he screams.

Generally I can get him fed to sleep somewhere between 7 and 8, took 90 mins just now though. He then sleeps until around 4.30am (I know, this isn't bad) but then wants to feed/sleep on me for the rest of the night. Have tried feeding him at 11pm to get him through to 7 but it takes hours and/or he still wakes at 4.30.

Often when I feed him he bites, arches his back, groans, goes red in the face etc. He seems quite windy too.
Hands in the mouth all the time, quite a bit of drool. I can see the buggering teeth - the bottom two - just below the gum looking as though they're just about to break through BUT THEY'VE BEEN LIKE THAT FOR WEEKS.

so - is it teething do you reckon? He does have a cold, we've all had them for ages, but it's on the way out. Up until about 3/4 weeks ago, he was the easiest, happiest baby you could ever wish for. Now he is a miserable monster, I am knackered, 2 yr old DD isn't getting a look in and so her behaviour is awful, my sanity is hanging by a thread, my nipples are in tatters and I am in tears at least once every day because I am sad my lovely smiley baby seems so unhappy. I NEED to know it will be over & this isn't just how he is now.

THanks if you got through that. It was quite cathartic just writing it down....

[Scootergrrrl]

Poor thing. NO ideas but lots and lots of sympathy.
Have you tried those camomile tablets [look, an idea!)?

[MrsJohnCusack]

oooh what are camomile tablets? I have those Ashton & PArsons powders, which seemed to help a little bit just now (Am in NZ, hence he is in bed now)

[MrsJohnCusack]

oh I know they all go through it but please tell me it's just teeth and it'll all be over soon...

[TigerFeet]

Mrs JC

dd was exactly the same at this age.

I take it you've tried cold teething rings?? DD refused them

We did resort to driving around just to get her to sleep...

Repeat to yourself "It's just a phase. And this too shall pass. It's just a phase. And this too shall pass. It's just a phase. And this too shall pass. It's just..."

[MrsJohnCusack]

he screams in the car mostly (or else DD wakes him up if he does drop off)

have forgotten about the teething rings - thanks! have forgotten everything really - can hardly string a sentence together or remember my own name I am so knackered. thanks for sympathy!

[RubySlippers]

anbesol is the best thing - seems to be much better than bonjela etc
the teething powders are good as well

[phdlife]

ooh MrsJC, your ds does sound like mine atm at least about the feeding nonsense - though yours totally wins for PITA points!

hope it is just teething, hope it settles pronto.

[MrsJohnCusack]

can't open it malory - you're just teasing me

thanks everyone. I think the cold is still bothering him - this morning's 4.30-7am shenanigans were wholly due to coughing and sneezing I think. it's flipping freezing again tonight as well

I will look for the anbesol because the bonjela seems useless. I did give him some paracetemol as well tonight

I'm sure it's teeth really. He keeps sucking his lips over his gums like a gurning old man - quite hideous

am going to try to go to bed now. I have tonsillitis too which isn't helping - I always get it when I'm run down but this is the longest bout I've had in ages

[MrsJohnCusack]

i can open it now
they are practically half price

[BabiesEverywhere]

Have you got a sling ?

I found carrying my teething daughter in a sling, at least gave me the chance to wee, make a sandwich or walk around the garden getting a bit of fresh air.

We also apply teething gel (kept in the fridge) directly to DD's gum 5 minutes before nursing, which seemed to cut down on the majority of the biting.

Good Luck

[oremstango]

This sounds sooooo familiar! At 5 months IU realized my ds had never actually slept in his cot as I was constantly walking him around to get him to nap. I did controlled crying at around 5 months and after a week had huge success. Basically I did a wind down routine, then left him for 5 minutes, would come in and shush if he was crying, then 6, then 7 and by then he would fall asleep. After one week this stopped and he was okay on his own. The other thing I realized a month later is he'd wake after 30 in the morning especially, then I tried leaving him for a few minutes and it felt like a mircale as he fell back to sleep! He then started sleeping through the full morning nap, though sometimes still wakens after 30 minutes but gets back down. A very long answer but believe me I empathize...

[mylittlefreya]

Could be teeth. Maybe could be reflux?
I would give regular paracetamol, teething gel pre-every-feed, cold flannels to bite on. And try and get your DH to take a turn... for your own sanity.

[ramade]

I am going through the same thing right now, at the end of my wits. Same, big baby, no sleep. I'm getting really narky with dh also which has caused a few rows. Do we have to go through this for EVERY tooth??

[oneplusone]

Haven't read all the posts but it sounds like teething to me. When my DS is teething his naps go out the window too, although he lasts about an hour instead of 30 mins, but usually he'll nap in the day for up to 2.5hours.

No real advice, I used to get really p**d off too, but usually just when I thought I couldn't take anymore things usually improved. But teeth do seem to take ages to come out, don't want to scare you but my nephew had all the horrid teething symptoms from teh age of 4 months but his first tooth didn't actually appear until he was 15 months!!!

[MrsJohnCusack]

thanks everyone! I have him snoozing in the sling rigfht now - h\s been slightly better today. I'm pretty sure it's teething

matters haave not been helped by DD drawing all over his face with a fabric marker pen she lucky dipped out of my bag. I was out of the room for about 90 secs getting the sling....grrr

[yawningmonster]

Hi mjc,
You poor chook, I was just starting to feel clucky again but you have given me a great reality check of the old days....things to try that worked at the worst times for us...

Wet a flannel and freeze it, give it for ds to suck on, much better shape and feel than those teething rings designed for children with flip top mouths

We strung up an indoor swing which was a godsend at this age, it had hooks on most doorways so I would trapse it from room to room and just push push push, constant rocking really soothed ds

Weleda (sp?) teething powder rubbed on gums (never actually used this on ds as has dairy products in which at the time he couldn't have but have known others who swear by it.

Bring 'em both around here and make my ds entertain your dd and the different environment might make him forget his woes for a bit.

[MrsJohnCusack]

he seems to have adopted a muslin as a soother, so I will try wetting one and freezing it - good idea. the teething powders we have seem quite good so will try to get some more.

would love to see you and your lovely DS soon as well!

[julezboo]

I havnt read the rest of the thread sorry! But my 6 month old has been the same for a few weeks, he calmed right down once his bottom teeth come through!!

Try rubbing his gum where you can see them, it losens the gum apaprently and helps the teeth through, no idea if it works but I did it anyway!

I also us this
it helps

I have noticed they only deliver to the uk though, Im sure someone could take it for you then send it on!

Julie x

[MrsJohnCusack]

malory, I can't justfy it....amsorely temptedf though

julez, you've given me hope
I wisht heb loody things would crack on with it and emerge. This teething thing is a design fault

[mare]

Design fault - love it!! .

Mind you would you rather they were born WITH teeth?? No one would ever bfeed!! Mind you I nearly had my nipples severed once teeth came in and it became a huge joke to hear Mummy yelping!