[misse10]

i'm assuming my 6 1/2 mo is teething. his usually sunny disposition has suddenly gone and he just seems miserable. He's waking up after 30 minutes in his day sleeps and has a slight temp of 37.5-ish. it's day 2 now and he's either got a bug (with no other symptoms) or its teething.

i'd rather not drug him up if i can avoid it. otherwise wouldn't you be pumping them full of panadol for the next 6 months??

is there anything else i can do for bubba, or is panadol not that big of a deal? i can handle the whingy bubba (have had plenty worse when he was younger!!) but i don't want him to be in pain.

ideas?

[CharliMarley]

Some babies are really miserable and their mouth hurts, so what is wrong with some baby panadol to make them feel better. Biting on cold things helps too. I believe in giving pain killers, rather than letting them feel pain all the time and baby panadol is very safe.

[ubermum]

Nurofen was the only thing that worked for us. Then I tried a teething necklace to prove to someone that they were bulls**t and it worked. You will get a bunch of other replies bagging them. I am a bit annoyed it did work. Glad for my kid, but scientifically it can't work and it annoys me that something I don't really believe in seems to have some effect. We noticed a difference every time we took it off.

[knowsnotmuch]

i'm assuming my 6 1/2 mo is teething.

Please don't assume this. In my experience this can be the start of ear infections, sore throats, viral rashes etc etc but never has it been teeth. If you can't see teeth coming through then maybe get him checked to see if he has a red throat and his ears are okay. Never once have my kids cracked any symptoms associated with teething apart from being a bit chewy/bitey.
Id be getting him checked over at the GP if it didn't settle

[AvadaKedavra]

Panadol is not a big deal. Seriously. Unless you massive OD on it. Or unlessyou have pre existing liver problems. That's why it's safe for four week old babies. It's safe to use at four doses a day for years on end.

Go speak to you MCHN or GP if you are really concerned, but personally I think the idea of avoiding 'drugging up' your baby is letting a personal bias get in the way of your child's comfort. Personally, I give panadol at the vaguest hint of teething. Because their teeth shift around in their jaws even when they are not actively erupting, which is also uncomfortable.

Other things you can do include teethers in the fridge (not freezer, you want them cold and soft, not rock hard which bruises their gums and makes them more sore), bonjela (but not immediately before food as it numbs their tongue as well), and lots of distraction.

And panadol. And if you see a big red swollen angry looking bump just before the tooth erupts (more for molars, or multiple teeth) then baby nurofen as well. Yep. Both together, they act by different pathways so its safe to give both at once.

Please don't deny a baby pain relief when it's so readily available.

[Pooks*potters]

Bonjela before a nap. DS wears an amber teething anklet, can't hurt to try. Rusks and teething toys help, although he seems to like to chew on a damp cloth better than any other teether.

I don't really 'get' the not giving painkillers thing... at least it would help you rule out whether it is pain causing the problems? If they are in pain- Pain relief helps. That's just my opinion. I can't stand to see my bubba suffering so I do dose him up. Baby nurofen on a full tummy. It's not that long term, really, the teeth issues come and go.

[niggles]

Badly. I sit in the corner and rock back and forwards. It's dismal around here.

We tend to give painkillers at bedtime if he's obviously uncomfortable or at first waking if he's drooling and/or not resettling quickly. Sometimes this has meant painkillers every evening for a couple of weeks.

[MAGS24]

My 12 month old has been teething constantly since he was around five months old. He now has 12 teeth.

We use Bonjella or Sedagel on his gums before he has a meal or bottle. And often just before he goes to bed at night.

At night, if he goes to sleep easily at the beginning, we don't give him Panadol or Nurofen till he wakes up at around 11 pm or midnight onward. That way he only needs one dose of pain killer during the night. If he is in a lot of discomfort and won't sleep, then we give Panadol when he first goes to bed, then Nurofen when he wakes up in pain at around midnight and can even give another dose of Panadol in the morning if necessary. Panadol and Nurofen are safe to use together. I only use pain killers when they are needed and always try to limit the number of doses to as few as possible because it is easy to overdose.

This post has been edited by MAGS24: 27/11/2012, 03:44 PM

[Bunsen]

Nurofen always worked better for my boys for teething.

Sometimes 4 teeth will pop through together, sometimes one will appear with no fuss whatsoever so you won't be needing to dose them up for months on end. If baby is in pain give them something for it.

[Cranky Kitten]

By hook or crook do whatever works. Try an amber necklace/anklet, if it works count yourself lucky and rejoice, if not move onto something else.

During the day in the early stages of them just moving around we seem to manage okay with chewing on a face washer soaked in cold water or wrapped around an iceblock, chewing on slices of apple straight from the fridge or other such things. Distraction and keeping busy also help a bit. Night time he may require a dose of paracetamol (in our house it's Dymadon as apparently it tastes better than Panadol) or ibuprofen if I can see the bump starting. This stage for us lasts a couple of weeks.

Usually by the time I can see the tooth under the gum we're in teething purgatory. This involves low grade fever for 2-3 days, extreme clingyness and irritability, massive dribble rash all over his face and nappy rash as well. DS is a terrible teether to be honest and most of the time coping is a combination of alternating painkillers, using teething gels and lots of cuddles. There's still loads of tears from both of us as I sit holding him and watch him whimpering in his sleep even after the painkillers

All of the above magically dissipates as soon as the tooth breaks through - so yes, teething can sometimes be pretty horrible. Though if there are other signs of illness of course get it checked out.