Please help, I'm barely keeping it together right now, 18wk old dd is screaming, refusing feeds and generally unhappy. So worried.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsSOH]

For the past couple of days she has been quite unsettled, particularly when feeding. She seems to find it uncomfortable- arches her back, cries and pulls away. She also has quite loose stools which are slightly watery and smell more than usual- she is breastfed. She has a slightly raised temp.

I can't see any teeth and she has no redness in her cheeks. She is however drooling an awful lot- has a slightly spotty chin as a result, blowing raspberries and ramming everything she can find in her mouth and gnawing on it. DH has suggested teething and I have tried a gel but it did nothing. She spits Calpol out.

I am so worried. What if she gets dehydrated? She is used to feeding every few hours and is only feeding when she's too exhausted to fight it. What if my supply goes up the swanny? What if there is something seriously wrong?

She was such a happy, content and smiley baby three days ago. She does still smile and laugh if you work hard at distracting her but soon goes back to the grizzling. I can't bear seeing her in what is obviously discomfort. I don't know if I should be at the doctors with her or what. Any ideas?

dont fret she might just have a little upset and it will pass over, try nurofen instead off your clean finger?
your supply wont go, let her be, watch her carefully, offer her the breast every hour til she comes round

take her for a stroll or get dh to, have a cup of tea and then settle with ehr to see if she ll feed

Could you try Ashton & Parsons powders, or teething powders? They are homeopathic and although for teething babies, they are generally calming, and easy to administer as you pour the granules in their mouth.

Try to stay calm and not worry. It is hard if lo is fretting, but take a minute or two to yourself if it gets too much. Good luck.

Oh, and do you have a syringe for the Calpol? Makes it a bit easier, and the chemist will give them to you free of charge generally.

Take her to the drs I reckon, worth ruling out a medical problem

She could well have a sore throat which makes her scream when she swallows/feeds

So prob calpol or baby nurofen would help a lot, as others said

Try some Calpol, but if it doesn't help go to the GP. It does sound like teeth to me.

she might well have an upset tummy. have you been eating/drinking anything more acidic than usual? (orange juice is a common one and upsets my dd)

if not i agree a trip to the doc if she hasn't settled by tomorrow.

I'd second a trip to the doctors.

She could have an ear infection which makes it painful when they swallow. Can cause temp too.

Hope she's better soon.

This is my patented givng unwilling baby/small child medicine method.

Use a syringe very important, spoons lead to sticky mess in a far wider area than you ever thought possible.

Lie baby on back on a towel. Have another towel ready to wrap round their neck and front in a kind of swaddle. Kneel over baby using your legs to pin their arms to their side.

Push syringe down the side of their mouth under their tongue(or they just push it out) squirt a bit in and blow sharply in his/her face causing them to swallow. repeat as necessary.

If absolutely necessary use your free hand to hold their face still. All over and done with in a very short time.

Not nice but effective and keeps the distress time down to a minimum.

The thing is, I'm at my parents' house for my Dad's 50th (today) and therefore can't see a GP can I? We're driving back tonight. There's an A&E on the way but I don't want to be that dramatic if it's unnecessary. Our medicine syringe is at home too.

I can see a GP in the morning but am worried about leaving it overnight if it's something that needs treatment.

Everything on the web says that loose stools/nappy rash etc is nothing to do with teething and neurotic mothers- er, me- just put everything down to that.

Can teething symptoms just appear like this?

Did she get any baby jabs recently?

Mydd1 when teething had the stuff you describe but there is a school of thought that a lot of mini viruses get put down to teething as babies seem similarly displeased.

Will she drink water from a sippy cup? Suck on a cold wet flannel? V nice for sore gums.

NHS direct can advise if there is a walk in clinic near you.

Maybe check for thrush too.

I don't think you're being dramatic. If she's refusing to feed and seems unwell then you need to get her checked out. She's still very young. You know her best and this isn't normal for her.

I would go to the nearest minor injuries.

SOH, I'm sure she'll be okay. Just keep offering milk and keeping an eye on her for any changes/worsening? And your supply won't go anywhere if my experience is anything to go by.

You can go to a local gp on an 'emergency' basis, I do this whenever I go to stay with my mum in wales and need a dr

How are you both today?

Sorry to rush off yesterday and not update you. Her fussing and moaning continued so we took her to a drop in clinic, referred to A&E, eventually sent to see a paediatrician at the Child Assessment Unit, all precautionary they kept reassuring- 1.30am by this time and 7hrs of waiting around in clinics. One fairly unhappy baby was now uncontrollable in her absolute rage. She was checked over and thankfully heartrate, temp, blood oxygen levels, responsiveness and hydration were fine. They are pretty sure she has a viral respiratory tract infection, backed up by her starting to cough a bit overnight and throughout today. They also weighed her and she has gained a pound this week so I am also assuming that the 16week growth spurt which lasted a hellish 9 days hasn't actually gone away yet and the crying and fussiness might be her frustration. She is currently working on sitting up supported, squeaking and sprint commando crawling so I suppose frustration is not helping her mood.

However...

Just a minor rant about the paediatrician. She advised that at 4 months dd probably needs weaning and she would remain moody whilst hungry. After I had shoved a stethoscope up her nose she accepted that I probably didn't want to consider that as an option and informed me that breastmilk alone is not enough for a 4 month old and I should introduce some formula feeds as they are "heavier". DD is on the 98th centile for weight, thriving and an excellent feeder I must point out. I started having flashbacks to being in hospital after a 24hr labour and em cs and the same bunch of staff offering formula because there was no time to help with breastfeeding. Oh and was also informed by the same paed that teething at 4 months is "impossible".

DD today has fed 6 times so far since 8am, at least 20 minutes each feed. She is still grumpy and clingy but I think a mild virus and the end of this developmental spurt might be the culprit.

Thanks everybody, am off to allow dd to gnaw on a brick as presumably it's "heavier" than breastmilk.

Oh! I thought paediatricians were supposed to know something

the medical profession can be really weird. Some of my cousins were born with several teeth and gained a load more well before 4 months-really odd advice.

Well done you for telling her.

Big baby - formula
Small Baby - formula
Fussy baby - formula

If you caved I presume it would then be change milk, try this one no that one. .

Despite you managing to nourish her on a high percentile - formula. Bollocks to illformed paeds.

loads of feeds could be to stimulate you to produce the correct antibodies.

I have always slightly suspected that babies get growing pains too, after all they grow at a terrific rate and older children can be quite sore with them at times.

Oh I second the Ashton and Parsons they work briliantly on fussy babies for any reason. Anbesol good for teething too.

since when is teething impossible at 4mths, all three of my boys had their first tooth by 4 months.

and as for your dd needing something 'heavier' what a load of crap, god they talk such bollocks, if hse has put on a pound in a week then she is obviously thriving on just bmilk alone.

well done to you for ignoring them and i hope she is feeling better soon.

incidentally all of my boys have got extremely grumpy and irritable when they are about to learn something new, rolling over, sitting up etc, combine that with a teething, poorly baby and they will indeed be miserable, it does NOT mean that they need formula, just lots of love and cuddles and plenty of bfeeds. keep going sounds like you are doing brilliantly

and if i were you i would consider writing a letter of complaint about the useless 'advice' you were given.

my daughter is 16 weeks and has a tooth