good night sleeper now waking b/c of milestones & teething??? help

[cheriec]

my ds is 8 months old.  He has been a good and predictable night sleeper.  The last 3 days he has been very cranky.  He's usually a very easy baby, but we can't really put him down. He's practicing crawling, but with all the fussiness, we think he's teething too (can runny stools really be attributed to teeting?  his changed from firm to runny overnight).  He's been taking extra naps too. I've been using tylenol just about around the clock and it seems to help some.  Now he's waking at night. Last night, he kept waking.  At first it was kind of just grumbling, but then the cry got more forceful, like pain maybe.  He was yawning and rubbing his eyes. so i gave him a little benadryl (also with all the drooling and rubbing of the face his excema has flared up) to help him rest and maybe relieve any discomfort from the excema.

I know I've touched on many issues.  but what's a mom to do?  at night, I don't know whether to feed him, give med, soothe him, etc. Please help? 
 here's his routine

7 am wake and breakfast (babyfood and breastmilk)
9:30 ish nap (usually 1-1.5 hours)
11am lunch (babyfood and breastmilk)
1:30 is nap (about 2hrs)
3-4pm snack
6:30 ish supper
7pm bed

this is his usual routine.  yesterday he napped 7:30-9:15, 11:45-1:45, 3:45-5
Please tell me this will settle soon!!!
thanks
cherie

[Ennypen]

Hi Cherie

I so so so can imagine how you are feeling.. at our house at the moment we are experiencing just the same as you with William, the only difference is that he has just turned 1.. and instead of crawling he has just learned to stand. He has always been a fantastic sleeper and this week it has all gone amazingly wrong with terrible bedtimes and nightwakings etc..

I certainly sounds to me as if your LO is teething at the moment.

Firstly all the extra drool that teething brings can account for the nasty runny acidic poo, which can cause nasty nappy rash. Poor William is getting in a right mess at the moment and his poor bottom is so sore it has blistered in places so we are having to wash him and change him regularly and use strong nappy cream.  We use teething powders called Ashton and Parsons powders (we are in the UK) and they help to settle him a little and helps to calm his poor tummy but he's still suffering poor lad.

With teething we also get a flair up of William's excema.. which we treat with cream called Eucerin which has got urea in it and its fantastic stuff. Heaven knows why it flairs up with teething but it has done.

To help Will cope with the teething in the daytime I use calpol (tylenol in the USA) and also neurofen.. which can be used in combination to help provide long lasting pain relief. At night I use medised which contains the pain relief but also some antihisthamine to help Will to get some rest and yes it does help the excema.

To add to the teething your LO has obviously reached an important milestone with the crawling. As I said Will has just this week learned to stand. He is wanting to stand up over and over again instead of going down to sleep.. so its making bedtime difficult, but he is also waking in the night and wanting to stand up and cruise round his cot.. practicing this new exciting skill. Its almost as if he stirs a little and where most of the time he would just go back to sleep at the moment he is remembering about the standing up and just wants to have a go! Theres a fab thread in the FAQ section in the Getting Back on Track board about this if you havent already found it.

In answer to your question I would help your LO by for now medicating to help with the pain of teething, and soothe him if he needs it. William will not accept soothing it just winds him up.. but what he does need is for me to sit in his room by him so he feels safe and he relaxes and goes off back to sleep.

The extra naps could be because he feels rough with the teething.. and also because he may be tiring himself out with the crawling etc.

Did your usual routine work for you well? If it did then don't oanic you will have him back on track soon xx

It will calm down - honest it will!!

[cheriec]

Ennypen,
I cannot tell you how much reading your note reassured me. Sounds like your little Will and my Ryan suffer with the same issues.  Normally, yes, his routine works beautifully for us.  The excema, the drooling, the runny poo, and the fussiness are all things that make up our last few days. I don't know Ashton's or Parsons, but I assume they have zinc oxide in them and we do have an equivelent here.  Everything you said is right on target.  Even though I guess I'm doing all I can, it still helps to hear someone else with the same questions and problems. 

we do have eucerin here, but i use aveeno with a prescription steroid, kenalog, mixed in. it usually helps, and it is helping some, but it's still a little stubborn this time.  He seemed a little more content today. so i hope he's getting better.  we shall see.

Wow, England is a far cry from Houston, Texas.  I don't know about you guys there, but we're sweltering here.  although that's pretty usual. Have you ever been to the US?  I've been to France, but not england.  I hope to go someday.

thanks again for the pep talk and all the tips!
cherie

[Ennypen]

Hi Cherie

I am really glad that you have been reassured by what I wrote. Sometimes it helps to compare notes with another parent who is going through a similar thing.

It has been really hot here in England too recently.. that has caused some night wakings of its own - that too could be adding to your little ones wakings and tiredness.. bless him xxx I have never been to the US.. maybe one day I will xx

I hope that Ryan is soon settled and happy again. I'm afraid Will is still feeling the effects as he has cut a top front tooth in the past few days which has lead to incredible blistering nappy rash. He is still amazed that he can stand up and keeps doing so.. he goes to bed at 7pm after his bath.. its half past 8 now and he is just nodding off after repeatedly standing up and sitting down over and over and over...  lol poor kid.. please let the fascination wear off soon.. and the nappy cream work its magic!

Take care - keep in touch xxx

Helen xxx