CM CLUB - How bad does a babies teething have to be before you send home???

[looneytune]

I have a baby who started with me last Monday and she been screaming for ages. I've given Bonjella and Calpol as her mum said she's been battling the painful gums since Friday.

It's really hard as she's so tired and in cot trying to nap but she's obviously in a lot of pain :( Thing is I have two 3 year olds to look after so I can only spend so long going back to baby to try and comfort her.

I've always been soft and never called for a mindee to be sent home and yes, I've had the other 2 babies crying lots with teething - but not this bad!

How bad do you let it get before asking for them to be collected?

Don't want to send mindee home when only 2nd week but she really seems to be suffering :(

[jollyfolly]

i think i would rather be called if it was my ds, he has an awful time teething and if he was that upset then i would just want to be with him.....

[Isyhan]

well can understand both sides of this but my dd has been teething on and off now for quite a few weeks and as a working mum if I was to collect her everytime she was teething I would prpbably be facing the sack. That is the point I was trying to make.

[looneytune]

My point was she wasn't just teething. I've had both other babies teething badly for weeks too, this one was HYSTERICAL.

Never mind, I know what I mean :)

[alison222]

Just wondering if the baby is as bad at home if she might possibly have an ear infection.
the reason I ask is that in October I had a LO start with me who had been teething, not eating etc etc at home too. She was very clingy with me - but for a long while I put it down to settling in (she was 11mthsBTW)but in the end I was asking the parents to take her to the GP and get her checked out. They didn't until her eardrum burst one sunday morning. It took 3 different lots of Anitbiotics to clear it up and kept recurring for a while. She is now a completely different girl now she is healthy.
It may not be relevant but just wondered if the parents had considered?

[looneytune]

She's been like it since Friday from what they said and I did tell the dad that I personally would take her to the GP to check there's not something else wrong aswell as this is possible when they are run down from teething. I got the feeling he didn't think it was necessary but I've made the suggestion and that's all I can do really.

I may actually send a friendly email to mum saying I hope she is ok etc.

I personally felt it was more than just teething but you know what it's like when babies are teething, easy to put all problems down to that! (my ds had his first ear infection whilst he was teething as a baby).

That poor mindee of yours, how painful - glad they are ok now :)

[saltire]

I knew what you meant looneytune. As i said i have had experience of a hysterical screaming child - i had it every day for four days. Unlike yours though the parents wouldn't give Calpol/bonjella etc.

You have made the suggestion to the parents to see their GP, there's nothing more you can do. I would like to add though, that from my own expericence with hysterical mindee, if i ever got a child that bad again, i wouldn't hesitate to call the parents. As you rightly pointed out, many of us have encountered teething children before, but this is totally different, and can be quite stressful for CM as well.
I hope they do take the wee soul to the GP just to make sure there is no other problem

[looneytune]

Well I mentioned GP yesterday and sent a 'how's things' email today and mentioned that ds had an ear infection once when he was teething and said how hard it is to know there's something else on top of teething etc. Hopefully they will decide it's worth a trip to Dr's?!

Mum was lovely in reply and had nothing but praise and apologies for it so at least keeping her whilst she was like that shows I don't just call at the first whimper! :)

If it's ever that bad again then I will call the parents and ask for her to be collected (if she's just normal crying due to teething then of course I wouldn't make them come, I expect that! )

[riab]

Actually as a mum I would want to be called if my baby was screaming hysterically, especially in the first few weeks. Seperation anxiety can kick in at 7 months and on top of teething I'd prefer to have th eoption of coming and collecting baby than pick up at end of day and find out they had been that upset.

There is a world of difference between crying a bit and screaming without breath, I think you are right to point out that you cna niether give the baby the best attention or your other mindees in that situation

[looneytune]

Cheers riab - I had called mum and after that was updating via email (she was working from home). I was wondering when I should insist she goes home iyswim :)