F-ing Teething

[CheeseSandwitch]

Please please give me some pearls of wisdom on dealing with teething. I don't even know if this behaviour is all from teething but I'm losing the will to parent.

DS is 10 months and had been a difficult baby most of his life. Extremely clingy, Velcro baby, issues with digestion and weight, won't let anyone touch me or get too close to me if I'm holding him.

He started teething at 2 months but has only just had his first tooth start to cut through. I've been trying my best with teething powder, gel and Calpol and teethers.

But in the past two weeks he keeps blocking me from going in or near his mouth. This isn't like weaning where he would turn his head, he's putting his hands in front of his mouth and physically stopping me. Whenever I pull them away, they're back in the way of his mouth in a second.

This means I can't get Calpol in him or teething stuff without paying him down, restraining his hands and forcing him to take it.

Food is the hardest bit. He won't eat. Even finger food he's only mildly interested in. He'll eat bits from his hands but I still spoon feed him meals and he will not eat enough if I don't spoon feed him his meal. His weight isn't good and he's tiny, we've seen a dietician and he's strictly on three meals a day and needs to eat these. I can't just let him go hungry. So how the hell do I get him to eat? The dietician doesn't know what to suggest as it's not that he's not hungry because when I do get a spoonful into his mouth he eats it, it's that he won't take the food being put in his mouth without a huge fight that usually ends in both of us angry and covered in food and doing this 3 times a day isn't right. And unlike Calpol or liquid, he has to sit up to eat so I can't pin his hands down and sleep his head still to get food in his mouth.

I've asked for a call from the health visitor but does anyone have any advice for me?

I've tried putting food in front of him, letting him get messy and play with the food. Finger food can't be used as a replacement as he needs the calories in his food. He's still breastfeeding and drinking that fine, and will drink from his cup with no issue, that he takes without any fight.

Thank you so much for reading!

Oops, sorry for all the spelling and word mistakes! My phone is very upity on the autocorrect going wrong atm.

Ibuprofen and anebsol were the only things that worked for us. You have to ask for anbesol over the counter. It's either a gel or a liquid, the liquid I think is stronger and more effective, but the gel is a bit easier to put on. I remember it, it's hard work for them and for you. Good luck!

@beargrass Thank you! I'm assuming you mean ibuprofen suspension? I've got neurofen so will try that!

Yes, nurofen I always found was better for teething pain that Calpol. Anbesol gel is good too. Cold teething toys out of the fridge, or wet a clean muslin, tie a few knots in it and freeze it for him to bite on.

With regard to the not eating I would try not to stress too muchas long as he's staying well hydrated. Give cold hard food to chew on - chunks of cucumber etc as it's soothing. Yoghurt is good too, high in calories, fills them up and it cool and easy to eat. Fruit pouches in the fridge too. Ella's do a banana and coconut one which is good. Not ideal as a normal diet of course but when they're like this anything you can get in them is a bonus.

Anbesol was the best thing everrrr. Can only buy it from behind the counter in the pharmacy. About £4 I think but lasts for ever and is really really good.

For calpol and things like that you just have to wrap him in a towel pin him down and squirt it in to his cheek it's not nice but has to be done

Hope he's over the worst of it soon I don't miss those days

Have you tried putting spoons out with little bits if food for him? Mines was like this because she wanted to do it herself.

Very messy but worked and eats fine again now! Weaning and teething are a nightmare combination!

You can also freeze yoghurt with chopped up soft berries into little ice lollies and he'll likely eat those a lot better. The cold will be good for his poor gums and there's nutrition in yoghurt.

Thank you everyone so much for your advice! I've been out and got everything in the photo, and the pouches are in the fridge and freezer.

I've put anbesol on his gums that look very sore and he's munching on some melty puffs. He had nurofen just before we went out too.

Thank you all so much, you have really helped make things better already!

I couldn't get the gel unfortunately as we only have the one pharmacy this side of town (small town problems) and they only had the liquid but it's definitely working!

About to freeze a muslin too, and teething toys we already have luckily are in the fridge too!

I'm so happy I asked for help because this is helping so much. Thank you!

Another one for anbesol. It's the best thing ever when they're in pain

Hope he starts to feel better soon

What about splitting his meals? 6 half meals vs 3 bigger ones.. same intake by the end. And higher calorie finger food. Peanut butter dip for apple or on toast, avocado fingers etc along side his spooned meals.

There’s also a mould set on amazon for ice lolly’s for babies, they’ve got like a round handle. Or a fruit feeder dummy thing and letting him chomp on cold fruit.

www.amazon.co.uk/Annabel-Karmel-NUK-Moulds-Teething/dp/B005697Z1C/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?psc=1&keywords=baby+lolly+mould&sprefix=baby+loll&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVDJPVlhWWDBURklPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDkwMTQ1MzUzQURIT0tUMzMwNCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODcyODYxMUk2MTdVUzNCVlBCWCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1574427889&sr=8-1-spons
The Nuby ones are on prime but a couple quid more.

Yes, I did mean that!! Glad you found the Anbesol. It worked wonders for us!

teething since 2 months but only cutting his first tooth now. I would imagine most of this behaviour has absolutely nothing to do with "teething"

Painkillers and teething gel for the few days that it actually causes discomfort and rise it out.

With food do you eat at the same times and the same foods? That worked for us. Also yogurts were good when all else failed.

@queenofkale He has had teething issues since two months but on and off. I even had the health visitor check at 2 months and she confirmed he was teething. I don't think most of his issues are from teething easier, it's just another thing on top of what he has to cope with already.

@Lunafortheloveogod Love the username! Thank you, I'll pop one of those on the huge amazon order I already have building! I already feel like I spend most of the day feeding him or he's asleep. And he had his dinner at 4:30, but I eat my breakfast and lunch with him. It sort of works but mostly if I'm eating with him I find I don't actually eat, just feed him.

Try cutting a banana in half and then each half in half again lengthways and freeze it. Wrap the bottom of each frozen half in foil so he can hold it and let him gum it. Messy but it helps. You can also buy things that are like a mesh bag with a handle that you fill with fruit for weaning. You can fill it with frozen fruit for teething.

Peanut butter is a great way to get calories. Peanut butter with banana. Obviously not good if anyone is allergic. You can get it salt free at Holland and Barrett’s.

If it's really bad you can piggy back calpol and ibuprofen so eg calpol at 7, nurofen at 9 and then keep to the dosage guidelines for each.