Teethign: how early?

[munchbunch]

My dd has been unusually grumpy the last week (she's just 4 months), dribbling a lot, biting her hands/ sucking her thumb and being quite fractious when bf. Is this early teething? (my midwife wasn't veryhelpful) And if so, could anyone recommend anything that helps the pain?

My dd had her first tooth through at just before 5 months - so your dd could well have tooth movements in her gums.

The best loaclised stuff I've found is Calgel. (you rub it onto the gums) If it's v. bead you can always use Calpol as well. Some people swear by teething granules - you can get Nelsons from most chemists, but my dd just used to spit them out and look like a cokehead
It is entirely reasonable to get teething pain at this point - but don't expect any teeth yet. DD was teething from about 4 months but got teh first tooth at 8 1/2 months.

ds is 11 months old (although he was 11 wks prem) and it seems like he has been teething since he was 3 months old and is yet too have even have the slightest indication of a tooth breaking through. I find Anbesol brilliant, its a liquid antiseptic and anaesthetic, i also use it as i have a wisdom tooth coming through.

Munchbunch, my dd had her first two teeth at 8 weeks (or was it 6 - can't remember !) and she is now 16 months and has her final four molars coming through.

I found Teetha (homeopathic granules available in Boots, Sainsbury's etc) excellent and we couldn't have managed without them ! We also use Calgel which is also very good.

Good luck My daughter has definitely suffered with her teeth, I know some children that don't but unfortunately she doesn't fall into that category !

I'm a Calgel/baby Nurofen fan but don't be too quick to put everything down to teething. I was told ds was teething from 3 months, yet he didn't get his first tooth until past his first birthday!

I think the dribbling is the key: dd had constant sore chin (despite my wiping & applying barrier cream) and I thought her cheeks would always be on fire...she got 2 teeth during her 5th month and now has a lovely mouthful @ 2 and a half.

ps agree with Ariel re: Anbesol, much more of a 'hit' than the gels, though I can't remember what the youngest age is you can use it at.

Ds had four teeth before he was 3 months old and got a full set just before a year. Although I was very lucky in that he didn't suffer with them other than dribbling (even though he got 6 and 8 through at a time) I went with Ambesol as well, he seemed to like it as well. We also gave him those little powders which come in a folded up packet and which I can't remember the name of. You can get it in Boots, dp used to joke (in bad taste) that ds was getting his coke fix as its just white powder.

Thanks for all advice. DD had a bit of a screaming fit this afternoon so rushed to the chemist to act on your tips. Needless to say she was charm personified when we got there - all smiles for the pharmacist who obviously thought I was nuts, but she'd been screaming and dribbling over both of us for a few hours and refusing to feed. Tried the calgel (easiest to apply when dd screaming) which seemed to work. Have bought the powders to try..and will wait for shocked reactions from the grandparents as to what I'm feeding her!

Could be teeth. My ds got two at 4.5 months (20 weeks). I got my first one at three months apparently.