Can teething make your baby lose interest in eating? She does not want to eat that much anymore during the day, and I think she might be teething. I bottle feed her.
Oh yes, it is possible...my little girl does it all the time when she's teething. She usually eats her food, but not the bottle.
Absolutely. Teething pain can cause some kids to not want to breastfeed or bottlefeed because their little gums feel just too tender. Others will want to suck constantly (though not necessarily eat) to help with the pain.
If she doesn't want to eat much during the day, but wants to eat a lot at night, it could be that she's just reached a new developmental stage where she's much more aware of all that's around her such that eating/hunger signs take a back seat to all of the exciting things she's noticing in her surroundings. If you're worried about her eating, you can always take her to a dark, quiet, very boring room and see if that helps her remember that she has an appetite, try to feed her there. Also, motion can help - simply put your baby in a soft carrier (sling, mei tai, wrap - as seen in the sample videos here: http://www.tummy2tummy.com/info/default.asp?menu=video ) and feed her on the go. That closeness can help her take a break from all of the external stimulation, and studies show that lots of holding, carrying, physical closeness is *great* for baby's appetites (which one of many reasons why preemies thrive with skin-to-skin kangaroo care). If you need help finding a comfortable, convenient baby carrier (and these are worth their weight in gold, especially when a baby is going through a fussy stage!), there's a non-profit, free mother-to-mother group that meets each month here in town:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cincinnatiNINO
I think they may even be meeting tomorrow (Wed, Nov 15th, 2006) in the early evening, so contact the group owner for more info:
____@____.com
Best of luck, and congrats on your new little one!
absolutely, the teething process makes it hard for baby to suck from the bottle or breast, because the pressure causes pain. i gernerally knew when the teeth were getting close to breaking through when my kids would not drink from the bottle or even eat their normal amnts of baby food. i tried the teething rings, cold wash clothes etc. i found that when i would let them suck on a popcycle first and then tried to feed i was more successful. my husband and i were really bad at using the oral gel swabs and tubes because it just ended up on their lips and tounge first. good luck and i hope the teething goes quickly
Of course, if your baby is teething, she is probably uncomfortable and it may hurt to eat! But she will eat when she is hungry, she will not starve herself. All babies goes through this!
Try giving her crackers - sometimes the roughness helps ease the gums...also, check with your local stores for lace doileys (not sure on the spelling, but at your local fabric store or somewhere you should be able to find out where to buy them) - the lace is something she can put in her mouth (with you in the room, of course) and pull through the clamped gums, which will help break down the gums for the teeth to break through easier.
the things i went thru with my daughter teething (and still am). they can be cranky and not have an appetite if their teeth hurt. as long as she's getting fluids and SOMETHING to eat she's fine :)
Yes. I would try Hylands teething tablets or teething gel with her. It is homeopathic, and works better than the other stuff. And is healthier, too!
My son is almost 7 months old and is cutting his first teeth, he has also lost interest in eating from the bottle. He will, however, eat from the spoon. I am a first time mother and a little neurotic about everything so I was concerned about him not getting enough formula, so we have been mixing it in with his cereal to make sure that he is getting at least some nutrition. Good Luck.
Hi J.,
My daughter had the same problems, especially recently when her molers came through. It is normal because it does hurt them very much.
When I had my wisdom teeth pulled and had all this pain in my mouth I didn't want to eat anything. I felt rather like being hungry and just taking enough.
Your daughter will make it up inthe next few days or weeks and also. It is not important what a kid eats in one day, but spread over the course of a week.
T..
Hey J.,
not only does my little girl not want to eat when she is getting a new tooth she also gets a bit of and upset tummy that leads to the other unpleasant things ;) She just all out does not feel good when another tooth is coming but it will past and they will be back to eating full time. Good luck with this fussy time.
