5Mo Teething and Not Eating

Updated on August 08, 2010
H.S. asks from Manchester, CT
5 answers

My son is teething--exhibiting all the signs and symptoms of it. We have tried everything you can find on Google, every folk remedy (except whiskey on the gums, which I absolutely refuse to do), and any great idea we can come up with. When he has a low-grade fever, I give him Tylenol--which his pede says is fine--and during the day, we try teething tablets (useless; I'm not buying another bottle when this one runs out), Colic Calm (which works fine for his irritability, so then at least he is happy), and baby orajel (which is hit-or-miss).

I have actually two questions:

a) He will eat little bits here and there during the day, but much more at night. During the day, when he latches on to the bottle, he pulls away and cries in pain, which is understandable because of the suction. At night, though, he latches on just fine and eats plenty. What's going on here? I really don't want him to get into a habit of this. He was such a great eater and sleeper before--he had 5/6 of his bottles during the day and only woke up once at night before teething and now it's every two hours or so!

b) Before, when he was teething, we could see the two front bottom teeth coming in, just below the surface. Then one day about a week ago, they disappeared and all his symptoms did too. Now we're back to the same old, same old, but I don't see his teeth anymore. What's up with that?

Thanks in advance.

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So What Happened?

He seems to be getting some kind of appetite back and giving him his bottles cool (not cold, he doesn't seem to like cold things, even the cold teether toys or a cold carrot or anything) seemed to work a little better than warm. I can see his two bottom teeth cutting in--one is just barely through the gums now so hopefully sometime soon I can catch a break! Or at least he'll be old enough for Motrin soon--he isn't just yet.

More Answers

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R.M.

answers from Topeka on

My grandson is almost 7 months old and teething, his favorite treat right now is to have a cold baby carrot, straight out of the refrigerator to gnaw on!!! He can't really "eat" it but it sure makes his gums feel better!!!
I know that teething can cause so many problems....lack of appetite, loss of sleep, diarhhea, and even cold symptoms. Just keep trying things and you will eventually hit on the magic formula!!
Have you used Hylands Teething tablets? My daughter swears by them...says they really helped a LOT!!

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C.C.

answers from Boston on

It is all part and parcel of having a baby. You did mention using the baby's Tylenol. It does work and it will help him sleep. It is also the best thing for fever. However, do not overuse Tylenol as overuse of Acetaminophen can cause liver damage. Overuse of Ibuprofin can cause kidney/liver damage, but it is good for teething because it also reduces inflamation. Did you get any gel teething rings? You should get more than one and find out which one becomes the favorite. You can put them in the freezer for extra relief that the cold brings to the teething.

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S.H.

answers from Hartford on

It is totally normal to refuse the breast or bottle for a couple days while teething. I just spoonfed my son applesauce mixed with breastmilk to make sure he was getting something. You'll find that he will eat more from the bottle the more tired he is...I could get him to drink expressed milk from the bottle in the middle of the night b/c he was still half asleep. Don't worry, these habits shouldn't last.

That being said, I had to stop expressing my milk right around 5 1/2 months because my son began refusing the bottle altogether. To this day, I can only get him to drink from a cup or straw outside of nursing.

BTW - my pedi recommended massaging the baby's gums when he is teething.

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A.H.

answers from New York on

try cold things.. even an ice cold bottle.. the cold will really help.. my sister in law put ice cubes in the bottle with formula.. and it worked... she also took the formula out of the fridge.. real cold... also let him eat little pieces of watermelon.. soft and cold... he loved it.. cut up mushy bananas.. you can also put them in the fridge for about 1 hour to make cold... good luck

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K.M.

answers from Boston on

Buy some teether toys (plastic filled with water) and throw them in the freezer - not fridge. Also, use infants motrin and not tylenol because the Motrin reduces swelling as well as eases pain. Tylenol reduces pain only. These two things happily got my son through teething.

Unfortunatley sleep patterns will change during the whole first year so be prepared. My son would sleep through the night for 3 weeks straight and then get up 12 times a night for two weeks - it was ridiculous ... but normal.

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