Breastfeeding and teething

[Xanderpask]

I have a ds who is exclusively bf from birth... We have has a tough time with a traumatic delivery, infections and wound problems, a Tongue tie... And now he is sprouting teeth .. he is just 9 weeks old! We had been getting into a his own timetable of a 3 hourly programme...But..since the gums went craggy and a blister appeared....That's out the window....and I'm going a little bit crazy with sleep deprivation...he now Cluster feeds in the evening from 7 pm with short naps in between, he eventually goes down to sleep at 1.30 am waking 2 or 3 times... He is awake for a lot of the day... As well!

How on earth do am I going to manage to sort a routine with this teething... I'm generally nit getting calm periods to put him in his cot to drift off so having to help him get to sleep.....And given he is getting to an age when I shouldn't be rocking him, dancing and singing him off to sleep... How do I get him to settle without all this intervention... My mother and friend keep telling me I'm making a rod for my own back with all this nursing... But how else???

I think people fall into two camps:

• either try to establish a routine, ge the baby to fit round your day and accept some crying in the process for most cases. This lot will tell you that the baby learns to self-sooth, will be calmer and easier as a result.
• or go along with the baby's rhythms, and on many days completely give up on your plans. This lot tells you that the baby knows its needs will be met and will be calmer and easier as a result.

Personally I don't like DD crying alone when she is pain, wants to eat, etc, so I fall into the second camp! Consequently some days I do nothing but bf and I haven't slept in 7.5 months! If it's any consolation 9 weeks is very very young, things will get better (and a bit worse at times...I think this is the worst part, there isn't consistent progress, you do a bit better then take a couple of steps back with teething or a cold or a sleep regression).

Hang in there, this too will pass...

Thanks booboos too I fall in the later camp just don't want the poor child to end up suffering in the long term because I feel he is too young to try and conform with life now!

If you are happy with what you are doing you need to ignore other people a bit. Everyone will give you advice and most of it will be conflicting anyway, so as every baby is different just do what makes you and your baby happy.

From what you say he doesn't sound at all unsual in his feeding habits. DD fed every 2 hours, sometimes for 10 minutes sometimes for 2.5 hours at that age, with cluster feeds in the evening and a lot of feeding at night, but then again she has tripled her birth weight at 6 months and is above the 98th percentile so all that weight gain has to come from somewhere! At around 3 months she started going to sleep a bit easier, but then we hit the 4 month sleep regression, so unfortunately it is always two steps forwards one step back.

Hang in there, sounds like you are doing a great job with the usual baby difficulties!

Just want to say it will get better and I completely agree with booboostoo about ignoring other peoples opinion if its working for you. They are not the ones who have to live with an upset baby.

Regarding rocking/singing to sleep, just do whatever works for the moment. I think its better to get baby to sleep as quickly & easily as you can and then in a week or two (or three or four) once the teeth have settled down deal with reducing the amount of comfort/assistance that you provide then, and only if you want to.

Thanks folks, health visitor has been today ... We are having a particulary bad few days.... She has told me we are too well bonded and I'm to put the baby down whenever I can... Because he is not getting enough sleep! ... I'm not sure it is possible, he is 9 weeks old and his side and back teeth are appearing.... I really can't leave home to cry, but concerned that if I don't take their advice and it all goes pears shaped then won't have any support!

Bollocks to your HV. No such this as too well bonded (certainly not at this age).

Thanks, that's what my instinct said ... But then the hormones kicked in and I started doubting myself, feel better after a good old cry ... And a reality check!

"Too well bonded"??!! A mother and her nine-week-old baby cannot possibly be too well bonded! That's just about the craziest thing I've ever heard.

I know didn't appreciate the ridiculousness of the women till she had left..she was also telling me all about the BBC headlines about a research paper that she has been reading, and suggesting it was all down to breastfeeding... My poor wee man's got a really hot mouth, is chewing on me constantly, drooling all the time, he has an incisor already through, and the back of his gums are also hard and White... I think he has enough excuses to want to stay close and is finding sleep difficult.... I won't leave him to cry ... Even if he, as she says "has to learn" he can do it when he is a bit older!