Teething advice

[Sadeyedladyofthelowlands]

DD is 7.5 months, she has two front bottom teeth, one top front tooth and the 2nd front top tooth is still lingering just under the skin, poor love.
She is so stressed out and I'm really concerned that this is more extreme than normal.
She is:

1. Not drinking her bottles
2. Not sleeping and crying all night
3. Wanting to sleep all day
4. Very clingy to me
5. Crying if I leave the room
6. Has constant nasal congestion / cold symptoms

DD has always been a very self sufficiant baby, always got herself off to sleep, rarely cried and has always been a very happy, content child. The disruption from the 2 bottom teeth was nasty but short lived, but the top teeth are causing big trouble, she had screamed almost constantly every night for a week, wont go to sleep without being cuddled and wont sleep in her cot. I have been comforting her when she cries every time and picking her up and co-sleeping with her. I'm desperate to keep the independance dd has developed until now but with all this disruption and pain she's gone through I'm afraid we have started a habit of crying to get picked up / waking up at night just for a cuddle / to get into my bed etc.

Can anyone answer these questions:

1. Are these all normal teething symptoms?
2. Has anyone experienced such a dramatic change in the personality of your baby during teething?
3. If so is dd likely to revert back to her happy independant ways once teething is taking a break? 4.Am I doing the right thing by constantly cuddling her and co-sleeping?

q1,2 and 3, yes yes yes.
my ds was very much the same with his teeth. the only thing that helped him was "medised", it takes the edge of the pain helps unbloke their noses and helps them to get to sleep. with ds i ended up most night in the empty bed with him around 2am, but always made sure he started the night in his own bed. ds now 3 is very independant and i only ever get a clingly boy if his unwell. as for is q4 the right thing for you do to, well thats up to you. with kids you have to do what you feel is right at the time. HTH

yup
yup
yup
yup

We had hell for about 18mths, DD survived on approx. 2 fromage frais per day, although did still drink her milk, and I was loath to do any CC or sleep training when she was so obviously upset. However, when she was 18mths old we did CC on the advice of the HV as she was starting to take the p*ss and the rest of the molars came through without as much fuss, but still disrupted her (& our) sleep. She is a sunny, confident little 3yo dictator now!

Teething is hell. Hoping to never go through it again!

Agree with trophywife and second the vote for Medised. My dd LIVED on it and I did become mildly concerned about how much she was getting through a week. I heard a wicked rumour that it had been withdrawn??

oh no it hasnt, i have a new bottle in the bathroom, that i got yesterday. but they have changed to box it comes in. must be to stop us junkies finding it.

Phew!

Also - on the last point - the cuddling and co-sleeping, this is such a personal thing that only you can answer that. If it calms & comforts your DD, makes you both happy and above all, allows you both to get some sleep, then do not listen to all the harbingers of doom who will declare that you are spoiling your baby, creating a rod for your own back, etc., etc. Stuff 'em! Personally, I am not into co-sleeping as we both sleep so lightly, but I could never leave her to cry with teeting pain. She started when she was 14weeks old and was so little that I paced and cuddled on and off every night for the next year, although I could happily have chucked her out the window some nights too! Go with what you feel is right and then you know that you have done the best you could!

I'll try medised, thanks for that.
Last night she cried constantly, dropping asleep while crying and waking up crying, it was hell. She was in my bed and it didn't help, she was just so upset, she wouldn't be held or anything. Shed a few tears myself!

Hang in there and repeat the mantra "it's just a phase, it's just a phase" until you feel better. It will pass, although it is hard to see how you can keep going to get out the other side sometimes, I know!

Public Health Nurse (Irish HV)has just called round to me, she's made an appointment at the docs for dd tonite at 7:20, she said that knowing dd, she is very off colour and quite poorly right now. Might not just be teething. She's scared the crap out of me now.

Oh poor DD, and poor you....yes, teething was hell for us at times too, can relate to lots. That said, the only time my dd was utterly inconsolable at night even with painkillers was when she had an ear infection - no fever with it - so its definitely, definitely a good idea to get her checked out.
Hoping for good news from the docs, good luck. xx

She also advised me against medised, aren't HVs great....

hv's dont like things like that, one of my mates told me about medised and my hv told me not to use it. i think they get more points by advicing calpol. if i were you i would use it ( i must say that i did too) and see what the doc says. good luck. Tw

What was theeir problem with Medised? I'm intrigued.

Hi Chicca... it has a mild sedative in to help them fall alseep when their all stuffed up with cold, most hv had the idea that if the child cant fall alseep by themselves (even when unwell) then you should do cc, therefore medised having a sedative in shouldnt be used. at least thats what ive been told by a mates whos sil is a hv.

DD has an ear, nose and throat infection, nothing sinister, a nasty cold basicly. Feel crap for putting it all down to teething, she's in better spirits now but still wont sleep in her cot.
Thanks to everyone who advised me.
By the way, medised seems to not be available in Ireland.