My 15 month old is teething. He already has his 2 upper teeth & 2 bottom teeth. But those first set of molars are coming through & he hasn't been the same since. He sleeps about 8 hours a night but when he wakes up he may be up for 1-2 hours then back down again for about 3-4 hours w/ another nap in the late afternoon. Also, he just wants to drink milk or water and not really eat. Just wondering if anyone else out there has seen this behavior w/ their teething infants. I hope this is just teething & nothing else. I'm pretty sure it is, but was looking for input. Thanks so much!
Thankyou all for your responses!! Based on what everyone said I was right then too. :)
I had a feeling it was his teeth, I just wanted to get others opinions. I'm not worried about his sleeping b/c if my mouth was hurting me I'd probably sleep alot too. And he has only had a low grade fever which I give him Motrin for and he always gets Motrin before he goes to bed at night. And he is eating but he is being a little finicky which could also just be a phase he is going through. So thanks to all of those great moms that responded to me, I really appreciate it. :)
He sounds normal to me. Mine lost their appetites, got the runs, drooled, chewed on everything, and ran fevers even at two and three with molars.
Kudos for deciding to stay at home.
Hi J.! Absolutely-our daughter's eating & sleep patterns change when she is teething. The worst (so far) was the two upper front teeth. She woke up repeatedly for couple of consecutive nights & fought us when it came to feedings. The odd thing is she didn't want the bottle when her lower two teeth popped in at 6 months, but would eat solids. At 12 months, (when the upper front were coming through) she refused food completely & would only take the bottle. We were able to "trick" her into eating by putting ice cubes into the Baby safe feeder mesh bags. We would let her suck on that for awhile & then feed her. It numbed her sensitive gums enough to get some food/liquid down. If all else fails try one dose of Motrin. Just keep reminding yourself that this is only temporary & at least he is sleeping some decent stretches. If he spikes a fever or his behavior completely changes after a few days then I would definitely contact your pediatrician.
yes and yes for my 14 month old getting molars.
just make sure any food or beverage that IS being consumed is very nutritious, as this is also the age where selectivity and negative eating behavior can begin if you start presenting "whatever he/she will eat" just to get something in. (my darling daughter would eat nothing but dried fruit and bread if I allowed it right now!) Also, i have found only presenting the tiniest amount (one/two bits) on tray at a time helps, along with varying presentation (sometimes I cut the banana into long thinner strips so she can take bites, sometimes smaller slices, sometimes little chunks, etc.) because i think when the teeth hurt they don't want to eat/chew but something new/novel looks fun so she is more willing. just some thoughts.
The book "healthy sleep habits, happy child" by dr. marc weissbluth might be a great resource for you and may comfort you as to the sleeping more. my daughter does best wehn she goes back to sleep about 2 hours after she wakes up, and she also sleeps longer (but is happier) when she takes these regular and longer naps, regardless of teething (but especially when she is, i think they just need more sleep when growing/teething, etc.).
Good luck!!
E
Hi! I have a 16 month old that just went thru the same thing! I would say it lasted no longer than 3 or 4 days. Just enjoy the extra little bit of quiet time!
Hello J.,
To answer your question yes for the eating less part, I'm not sure about the sleeping more part. My son eats less when he's teething. Children at that age that are teething their gums are very sensitive and they tend to eat less. Try giving him warm and soft food like oatmeal and applesauce. The sleeping alot, I'm not sure about that. My son only sleeps alot when he gets his shots. Seems like the shots make him sluggish. I suggest seeing a doctor about the sleeping.
Hi J.:
I wouldn't worry too much about your little one sleeping and drinking more right now. I think he is finding his own way of comforting himself. Teething is a nasty thing that little ones have to go through, and as long as he seems comfortable I wouldn't worry too much about it. But to comfort yourself, perhaps a call to his peditrician might ease your worries. If he's not eating that's okay as well, he will eat when he gets hungry enough. Have you ever tried Humphrey's for teething? Its a natural product you can get at Walmart, just ask the Pharmacy, it helps with the discomfort, and perhaps he might want to eat, if there's less discomfort. Also try frozen washclothes for him to put his mouth on, or frozen bagels to bite down on. Hope these ideas help, good luck, and know your not alone.
Sounds like typical teething to me... Our 3 year old was a miserable teether! The molars are the worst.
My 4 month old is already teething, and yes, her eating has been terrible! She wants to have little "snacks" throughout the day, an ounce or 2 every few hours is about as good as it gets! Luckily, somebody had told me about Teething Tablets, which I bought yesterday at Walgreens. They are all natural, so better than constantly giving Tylenol or Motrin, and they dissolve immediately in baby's mouth. They relieve the pain, and calm the baby. They worked great for my daughter yesterday and today. When she started to fuss, I gave her the tablets first, THEN the bottle, and she drank more than she has been lately. Good luck!
Hi! I'm a mom of 4 and believe me you want them to sleep through this!! My first slept alot and didn't eat very much. She was 17 months when she got her first tooth, so we did soft foods and for protein hard boiled eggs worked great. Unfortunately, my last 2 did not sleep through teething and it was miserable for all!! GOOD lUCK!!
Hi J.,
i think you're other posts are right on. Though I wouldn't let him suffer for more than a day or two.
I know when I'm in pain, be it a headache, a muscle ache, cramps, etc. I take something. When my son is clearly exhibiting pain in his mouth I give him Tylenol. I recently discovered I am allergic to Motrin so our family staple has been Tylenol. Plus, I worked for a Johnson & Johnson company so... thru the company store I was able to get it pretty darn cheap.
My son always seemed to bust thru 4 at a time... so we didn't mess around,..we knew he was clearly aching.
Also... I don't know about you, but when the temps start rising outside, and the humidity climbs, I completely lose my appetite. that may be a small factor, but teething is a big one.
good luck :)
YES! My kids don't have real extreme reactions to teething, but they definitely sleep more and eat less. It's not unusual at all. Good luck! It will pass sooner or later!
Yes they do. Our son did not get teeth till he was well over a year old and if his teeth bothered him he did not like to eat but allowance drank his skim milk. I believe having tooth pain is just like being sick and that is why they sleep more. They don't feel like themselves and some children even get slight fevers when they are teething. he will be his old self before long but if really concerned you should call dentist or doctor they are the professionals.
S.
yes! lol just listen to your instincts. If he's acting normal otherwise, I never worry.
