My almost 3 month old is teething and I'm so stressed out!! She's hardly sleeping she screams for hours when its time to feed and I'm starting to feel teeth grind against my nipples when she feeds!
I gave her tylenol this morning and teething gel this afternoon (which I then read i have to check with her Dr first) what else can I do? She wont chew on a teether or anything cold or wet.
Also how long did all the fussing, sleeplessness, and clinging last?
Did not think she'd teeth this early poor girl I wasn't prepared at all!
Oh and my reason for posting this in the bf forum....how bad does the biting hurt once the teeth are broke through? Did it mess with latch at all and for how long?
I'll try to answer (my own personal experience - all babies are different) in order if I can. lol
She screams when time to feed... are you sure it is teeth and not a tummy issue? I only ask because my LO had bad reflux and wouldn't respond to stopping dairy etc, so she had to be put on ranitidine. Her symptoms were screaming bloody murder when she was hungry, thrashing away from the breast screaming during nursing, arching her back. I cut things out of my diet for a few weeks to no avail. I finally just begged the doctor (after 2 mos) to give me something. The ranitidine made her scream too that first two weeks if I didn't give her gas drops/gripe water with it, but once her body adjusted she was the happy baby she could've been all along. I know for a fact it helped her bc once we lost her meds and couldn't get them to refill it at the pharmacy, and she was refluxing so badly that she couldn't breathe. I had forgotten how bad it was, and was terrified she would die on me! We got her back on it, and just like everyone says she weaned off of it once she started having the tiniest bit of purees or baby cereal. She doesn't need it anymore, so while lots of moms hate it, it was a miracle for us and I stand by using it.
Okay, so failing that it is a tummy issue - especially since you said you can feel the start of teeth, some babies don't respond to the same stuff. My first DD responded to Hyland's Teething Tablets and didn't need anything else. She'd suck on a cold chewy toy and be fine.
Current LO is not like that. She WILL NOT even hold a cold teether and doesn't want anything to do with it. Tylenol also does not help her. When she gets down to serious teething (not just pre-teething, which is also no fun), she screams and pitches fits for around four days - progressively worse until the day the tooth breaks skin. The ONLY thing that works for her is to have 3 teething tablets and a dose of infant motrin/ibuprofin. Teething necklaces/bracelets, cold wash cloth, teething toys - none of it does crap for her. Odd, but at least I know what helps for her!
As for you adjusting to her new teeth, that is probably different for each person too. MyLinda got two bottoms and it did affect her latch. I went from the normal cradle hold to having to hold her football on the left side otherwise she'd warp my nipple so much (that lipstick shape) that I developed a bleb that would not go away. I was stubborn - I liked my cradle hold, so that's on me. Still, I had no pain from her bottom teeth. This is because the baby's tongue is extended under the areola and acts as a pad between teeth and tongue.
When she got her other teeth, that is another story. The next time she teethed she got six of them in a two week period. It was hell for both of us, let me tell you! But we made it through. The top teeth I could feel, and now that she's gotten her 9th tooth this week I can feel it too. But I know what I didn't then - you get used to them, too. It may change the latch a little, but that adjusts. It may hurt a little (depending on your sensitivity in the area overall), but that also adjusts. I'm personally all for not worrying or being afraid of baby's teeth, and just considering it part of the ever-growing nursing experience. Yes, they do eventually bite you, but can be trained out of it. So hang in there, mom. You're doing great!
There are lots of ladies on here who can empathize with and support you.
