Teething Questions from 1st-Time Mummy

[ExpectingK]

Hi. My little girly is now just over 5 months and I think she's teething. Usual signs - irritable, constant dribble, fingers/hand/whole fist in mouth, hot head and body. I've had her checked at the doctors because she'd been coughing and sneezing and waking at night crying. However, nothing found so my conclusion is it's teething.

I can see what looks like a tiny, tiny ulcer on her bottom gum and have read that this might be the signs of a tooth. I'm really looking for some tips on managing teething. She's particularly troubled at night. Going to bed at 6 or 7pm as usual, but waking each hour between 2 and 6am. Her daytime feeds have dropped, we'd started some solids but she's refusing them and cutting back on her milk too. So the night-time waking is probably part hunger, part teething.

I'm reluctant to keep giving her Calpol (or similiar), the labels all say not for use for more than a few days at most - which I'm at already. She loves teething gel, but I think she probably just licks it off! I've got her some teething granules today. Tried once and she went off to sleep at nap time okay, but I tried them myself and they taste of nothing nor numbed my mouth in anyway! Now not sure if she fell asleep because they worked or cause she was simply tired!

Can anyone suggest anything for settling her at night, or is it just a case of waiting it out? Any idea how long a tooth might take to appear? Are all teeth this painful, or is the first the worst, so to speak?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BubbaG]

I think the teething granuales are homeopathic based and work on the fretful behaviour... I may be wrong?

 

[captainj1]

Have you tried anbesol liquid? It is great if you can get it on the right part of the gum. My doc also just told me not to worry about using calpol too much. I give it to LO every night before bed when he is teething to help him get off but don't use it in the day as it is easier to distract him and use anbesol.

In my experience it can take any amount of time before the tooth appears. It hurts them while it is moving down the gum as well as when it is breaking the surface. Once it has broken it apparently gets easier but I've found that another one is usually following behind so LO gets no respite! My LO is just getting his 5th and 6th through...