Teething help!

[lil_ginge]

Hi breasties,

DD is teething. I've been saying it for months - but this time, it is/has come through the gum. *Hoorah, some vindication!*

Since she's been teething she's not been able to BF as well on the left side. (Her tooth cutting bottom left - maybe another one coming bottom right).

It's been a of couple days and she seems to want milk quicker again after being fed on that side last. She's waking in the night with discomfort and sometimes we can p/ssh her off with some bonjela etc but often she seems to want another one feed in the night atm. (I may be being paranoid - but often I finish the day with her on the left)

I don't know if it's a GS/teething combo. Or whether it still hurts her as it makes its way through (but I thought when it breaks through the gum - they're happier..?) Or whether she WAS finding it hard and now the supply on the left is just down!!! OR... worse case scenario - bad habits have adorned.  I'm tired, v v tired so it's hard to think straight.

I would love advice about if I should express to get it back up to scratch. And if so how do I go about doing this well?

She's been EW A LOT the last month with so many diff health issues and A time issues and the NW was every now and then - but now it's cropped up again and seems due to teething. Before all of this she was STTN since 11 weeks.

She can't seem to stay awake as long atm during the day and last week she started solids (She's 6 months) but I guess due to teething - she won't have any of it. Will suck a bit from a banana but puree she loved last week has gone out of the window.

Any advice at all would be appreciated!

Thanks again x x

[becj86]

Sounds absolutely like teething. A little pain meds before feeding (5mins for topical application, ~20mins for liquid like calpol? I think) may help - always did for DS. DS slept more (not drastically more, just enough to notice) when he was teething (and still does). I think some of the daytime tiredness may be more to do with night sleep not being great though.

If you're feeding from the left, could you offer the right as a finishing off for the feed? You could start feeding on the left a bit more frequently to up the supply there but I'd say it'll increase on its own as she starts to feed better on that side - that's what's happened for me but maybe I'm just lucky...

[Roseii]

You could try a different position when feeding on the left-football hold (rugby to us Brits!) Bec is the expert here

[lil_ginge]

Thanks for the thoughts. Upping the left side a bit might help! (But like you say - it will prob work itself out as the pain eases)

RUGBY hold, How do you go about this!?

P.S. Did your LO's enjoy solids again after the tooth pain had stopped? We had only just started and she was really liking it and very enthusiastic. Now it's a point blank refusal.

[Roseii]

http://www.babycenter.ca/baby/breastfeeding/positions/

Some good info here x

[becj86]

Totally normal to refuse solids and even BF's when teething. It usually comes goods once the teeth are through but you may find if one's through, another won't be far behind.

I remember wondering what was going on as DS had popped two teeth and he 'should have been fine' but two days later another 2 popped through and then I felt bad that I'd been cranky that he hadn't gotten happier after the teething had 'stopped' when it hadn't really

[Erin M]

Appetites definitely return when the teething pain is gone.  Hope it passes quickly for you!

[lil_ginge]

Hi peeps - thanks so much for your advice and support.

Amazing as always.

SO, tooth one popped through - thought I was going a bit mad like becj86... "THEY'RE THROUGH! SO ... Whyyyy aren't you happy poppet?!" Then I have realised, next door neighbour tooth is ready to cut any day now.

Have been giving added feeds as and when she needs them but milk intake has got better. Have ditched spoon feeding for the moment. Only spoon she'll take is the one with Calpol. Uh oh.. hoping she's not hooked. Been giving it 'every now and then' when all else fails to avoid it being OTT. We've just gone finger food and accidentally walked into BLW territory where she WILL munch away happily. I think it's helping her gums feel better. She also laughs away at the fact stuff is disintegrating after she gnaws away... A lil confusled now as to what I do on the solids front when she's back to her usual self.

Do they really get enough of the diff type of goodies this way? If anyone does BLW - how do they eat sauces or brekky cereal or anything with milk!? This is a revolution for my uber efficient uber clean DH. Bought a splash mat but HE is the one egging her on with "GO ON GIRL! GET IT IN! WAHOO!" much to my relief.

[Fiver]

You can do cereals/sauces slightly less runny or spread them on things like rice cakes etc or do loaded spoons, where you put food on the spoon but leave it to them to get the food to their mouth.  And yes, as long as you're offering a variety, they will get a variety.  Pop on over to the http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=228864.0 for more info/support

[Erin M]

Remember, solids before 1 are more just for fun and practice, she's getting all the nutrition she needs from breast milk. 

[becj86]

Yep, BLW is good Logan turned one today and he ate stewed apple and yoghurt for breakfast with a spoon. He refused assistance from me and DH. Yes, its still messy but its actually cleaner than trying to spoon feed him as he just swats spoons away and makes the food fly everywhere and he gets none. They totally can 'get it' way earlier than we tend to give them credit for and what better incentive than getting to eat something tasty when practising grabbing things! Love watching the pincer grip and the squishing of slippery foods

[lil_ginge]

Remember, solids before 1 are more just for fun and practice, she's getting all the nutrition she needs from breast milk. 

I know ladies on here keep saying that - but why does my Health Visitor say that we NEED to start solids at 6 months due to the goodies from the womb not being left anymore? Like iron etc... She said that's when they need to start getting that stuff from food. She was saying quite quickly 3 meals a day is important! I am getting quite upset really with so many different opinions and advice! I wanna do what's best for LO but I can't seem to work out what that is as the solids advice seems to be so conflicting!

[Fiver]

I would dare to suggest that your HV isn't well informed about the benefits and clinical facts of breastfeeding and nutrient content of breastmilk.  This article from Kellymom (who is very well informed on everything BF related and has cited medical and scientific research to back her up) http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron/ deals with the issue of iron stores and BF.  There are other articles on her website about nutrition in generally when offering solid foods.

Unfortunately, not every health care professional is as up to date or knowledgeable about BF as they perhaps could or should be (that's obviously not to say there aren't brilliant HVs/GPs etc out there!) which is why we often get conflicting advice.

I hope this hasn't confused things further and given a bit of clarity instead

[Roseii]

((hugs)) lilginge I have also found the conflicting advice confusing, at the end of the day it's best to do your own research (ie look at reputable sources such as Kellymom) and come to the decisions that you are comfortable with for your lo. My dd1 took to solids so quickly at 5.5mo that she was on 3 meals by 7m, however dd2 took a lot lot longer and was still bf on demand at 7mo (hello, routine?!!!) and barely taking solids at 8mo.

[lil_ginge]

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron/ deals with the issue of iron stores and BF. 

..hope this hasn't confused things further and given a bit of clarity instead

Thanks fiver. this is the type of info i have been looking for. At least i can hopefully be better informed  making me more confident when conflicting advice comes. Will read kellymom in the morning.