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....

[Meglet]

my DS was a bit like this for months until his teeth finally came through . think they were giving him gip for ages. I can only suggest capol -or possibly medised for nightimes. hope it gets better soon, my DS cheered up as soon as his teeth appeared.

[elfsmum]

I used dentinox teething gel, unlike bonjela there is no limit on how many times he can have it.

Also I kept peeled carrots in the fridge for him to grip and just chomp on.

if he's got a cold have you had his ears checked ? my DS1 had 3 ear infections by the time he was 9 months, coincided with teething and colds, and no matter how long I drove him round he wouldn't settle.

[elfsmum]

p.s. my sister used medised - it either has a slight sedative effect so they sleep better or a decongestant as well as a pain killer

can't remember which one sorry but it helped hers sleep better

[julezboo]

someone reccomended medised to me, in fact I was at her house one night we where all watching a film and ds wouldnt shut up, she gave hims medised (with permission lol) , I said he would ignore it and he did, stayed awake till 1am !!

[mare]

Someone recomended medised to me too. Couldn't get eitehr DS to take it! It tastes disgusting. Calprofen worked best for my two when they were teething. None of the gels rubs helped at all. Not sure if you can give Calprofen to babies though!

AT 5 months could be actually be hungry? In Uk HVs try not to get you to wean until 6 months. Both of mine who were also big babies and fully b'fed were starving by 5 months and I caved and started baby rice then! It certainly helped them sleep longer. I lied through my teeth when HV asked about it!