teething or something else??

[azhie]

My dd is 14 weeks old and suddenly became very fussy the last few days. She cries and screams and does not want to be left alone. She used to be very good before this week-- hardly ever cried. She's exclusively breastfed on demand, and I don't see anything wrong with her... she drools a lot and sucks in her fist, but thats been going on for a month now. The crying is new...She seems very irritable too. 

I thought teeth doesn't come out until 6 months though?!

[jacksmom0115]

Could be teething--my neighbor's LO started at about 16 weeks. But, it could also be a growth spurt. Assess after 3-4 days to see if it still continues. How has her napping/sleeping been?

[IzzyTheTerrible]

Aw, poor sweetie.  My friend's baby just started teething too at 4 months. 

I could be wrong, but I thought the first 2 teeth typically POP OUT around 6 months? 

Could you try teething tablets just to see if that helps her?

[IzzyTheTerrible]

This is from Dr. Sears' website:



2) Relieve teething pain. Even though you may not yet be able to feel baby's teeth, teething discomfort may start as early as three months and continue off and on all the way through the two-year molars. A wet bedsheet under baby's head, a drool rash on the cheeks and chin, swollen and tender gums, and a slight fever are telltale clues that teething is the nighttime culprit. What to do? With your doctor's permission, give appropriate doses of acetaminophen just before parenting your baby to sleep and again in four hours if baby awakens

2) Relieve teething pain. Even though you may not yet be able to feel baby's teeth, teething discomfort may start as early as three months and continue off and on all the way through the two-year molars. A wet bedsheet under baby's head, a drool rash on the cheeks and chin, swollen and tender gums, and a slight fever are telltale clues that teething is the nighttime culprit. What to do? With your doctor's permission, give appropriate doses of acetaminophen just before parenting your baby to sleep and again in four hours if baby awakens

[azhie]

She wakes up a lot more at night these days. And she doesn't nap for long-- 45 minutes is the longest. Last month she was taking 2 hour long naps!!

There are no other signs of teething-- no rashes or diarrhea or fever. She just seems very irritated periodically during the day. 

Originally Posted by jacksmom0115 

Could be teething--my neighbor's LO started at about 16 weeks. But, it could also be a growth spurt. Assess after 3-4 days to see if it still continues. How has her napping/sleeping been?

[Blanca78]

This sounds exactly like my DD around the same age. Sorry to say, but she is now almost six months old and no teeth in sight! She still drools a lot, but I'm chalking the sleep disturbances and fussiness up to growth/developmental stuff. At the time I was desperate to believe it was teething, so I would have some explanation for the change! She had one big disruption between 12 and 14 weeks, and then another between 18 and 24 weeks or so (four month sleep regression, I think). During this latest one, her sleep has gradually calmed down, though it's still not quite back to what it was before (she had slept as long as 9 hours a stretch; now the most she'll go is 6 or 7 hours, but I'm wondering if that's because she is ready for solids and hasn't started them yet). Yet, it is still eminently livable compared to what some people experience.

As for naps, I've found that she has gone in and out of short and long nap phases, with gradual improvement to the point where lately she's been taking two medium naps a day (around 1.5 hours) and one shorter one (45 min), or sometimes 2 shorter ones and one long one. I think baby sleep just tends to fluctuate.

In any case, I hope maybe it IS teething and you (and her) get some relief soon!

Originally Posted by azhie 

She wakes up a lot more at night these days. And she doesn't nap for long-- 45 minutes is the longest. Last month she was taking 2 hour long naps!!

There are no other signs of teething-- no rashes or diarrhea or fever. She just seems very irritated periodically during the day. 

[MrsBone]

My LO is 5 months old and is having sleep problems too. She has been drooling since 2 months. No teeth yet. Teething tablets help sometimes but I think it has been because of her being overtired and the teething tablets contain chamomile which help calm, so I don't know if it's teething or just being tired and cranky. Darn babies, we think we have a good routine then they go and change it on us. Unfortunately this doesn't change for quite awhile. Try and embrace it rather than fight it is all I can say!!

[twinpossible]

My twins started teething at 3 months. Even if it is not teething and just a growth spurt try a Baltic Amber baby necklace, I noticed a happy change in the girls with in 12 hours. Best of luck with the little one!