L's teething essentials

I have previously mentioned that sometimes it is hard to read the signs of teething, but when we do here is what we offer L to help her and sooth the pain. 

Paracetamol/Ibuprofen/Calpol for babies- L was prescribed paracetamol when she was newborn as a goodwill gesture by my GP. Since then we were giving her a teaspoon every 6 hours if needed.

MAM bite & brush teether (£5.75)- this is L's favourite teething toy. We have tried cold teethers but L would always come back to this cute, little bite & brush teether. 

It has different surfaces on both sides, one of which repeats the shape of baby's mouth and has little rubber bristles. This helps your little one to place the teether in his/her mouth and chew on it whilst massaging tender gums and brushing teeth if any. At first it was a too big to put it in L's mouth, now it fits just fine.

Anbesol in general is "an antiseptic and anaesthetic liquid for mouth ulcers, babies' teething and denture irritation". I normally wet my finger with Anbesol and apply onto the gums twice a day.

Teething powder- we have tried Teetha and Ashton & Parsons sachets. The small box contains 20-24 small packets, due to it's size it can easily fit in any changing bag or you can just leave few sachets for when out and about. We have started using teething powders since L was 6 months by pouring the contents of one sachet under her tongue or on it, depends how lucky we are. At first it was quite tricky to do with a wriggly, crying baby, the powder would go everywhere, in that case I tend to pour powder onto a small spoon first. Please note, dosage differ if a baby is less then 6 months old. 

Bickiepegs Teething biscuit 6mths + (from £2)- "Bickiepegs are specially designed and shaped to assist infants with the teething process and provide the correct exercise vital to the development of a baby’s jaw muscles, teeth and chewing skills".

L is very picky when it comes to biscuits, but when I gave her Bickiepegs biscuit she took it and put in her mouth straight away. The small box contains 9 biscuits ( about 2cm long) and 2 strings which can be attached to the biscuit. The biscuit is hard enough and won't crumble in baby's hands or mouth as it's specifically designed for babies to chew or suck on them.

MAM massaging brush (£3.75)- "different surfaces allow baby to choose from 4 different textures to sooth sensitive gums; extra long handle allows parent and baby to hold together". This brush can be not just a starter tooth brush but a great teether. Rubber bristles allow comfortable teeth brushing without damaging gums or can sooth those sore gums. It is made of rubber all over and has different textures on both ends. Curved handle makes it easier to hold for a small or big baby.

Disclaimer: I was sent some of the items mentioned above for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Why I can't tell when teething strikes

L is almost 13 months and I still can't tell when she is teething. I'm so used to her crying and being unsettled that sometimes I just don't see the signs of teething. 
I'm not ignoring her crying or let her suffer, I always attend L when she is crying and needs me and I will give her paracetamol when I see she is in pain. But can never tell when it's teething until I see and feel her gums.Does it make me a horrible, ignorant mum?

Since L was born we were told that she has a good pair of lungs and can just cry without a reason, then we were told that she is crying because has colic, it's another development stage, teething, jabs, hungry, constipated etc etc. 

My husband and I always debate whether to give her medication or to see if she is just being fussy. As I spend with L 24/7 I know what she is like during the day and evening but because she can be fussy for long periods of time without apparent reason, when teething strikes I'm simply not noticing it.
For instance for the past couple of weeks we had broken sleep, L can cry dozen of times throughout the night, won't accept her dummy which she normally likes and eventually when I rub her chest/tummy or breastfeed her will nod off on my arm. Morning and afternoon naps are a nightmare as well, she will sleep for 30 minutes and then will wake up crying and only fall asleep on me. At first I was just getting on with it, and I tried to have as much sleep during the day as possible (normally when she was sleeping on me). But since yesterday she just won't settle down for night sleep.

Can you tell when your little one is teething?

Little L is 3 months

Oh where do I start.

L changed so much! She is still my little baby and since last weigh in put only 400 grams in a month.

We have finished a 5 weeks course of baby massage. The most successful session so far was the first one. As I feed her every 2 hours it is sometimes impossible to fit in activities or to make sure she won't be grumpy. Last session was yesterday and the whole session I was rocking her to sleep as she got tired while we were waiting for other mums to come.
L definitely started teething, at first I wasn't sure and didn't want to give her any medications till I'm certain. But as all signs are there- dribbling, fists in her mouth, chewing on toys and of course fussiness I started giving her Dentinox. I didn't work out yet if it helps, but she seems to enjoy licking it from my finger.

L also started to lift herself up by herself or whilst holding on to my fingers. 
Few days ago she tried to kiss me, it was more of a smothering her dribble kiss, but it was the best first mummy and daughter kiss.

I swear L talks!! On Saturday she was smiling at me and answering "Yeah" when  I asked her about things she did with grandparents, yesterday my husband asked her something and she said "Yeah" again!!

L has blocked tear duct for few weeks now, some days her eye will be teary with a crust on her eyelashes or a gooey stuff inside the eye.
On Saturday we had to call 111 and then to book an appointment in out of hours clinic to see a doctor as her belly button had a dry crust as well and looked fairly inflamed/infected. I panicked as I thought that it's my fault somehow, that maybe it's connected to her infected eye. Thankfully it is nothing to worry about and now we have a cream for her belly button and drops for eyes.

In couple of weeks we are going away for 3 nights, it's L's first local holiday. Apart from her first holiday last month she have been to the airport, shop, county park for the first time as well. We also used baby carrier for the first time. She likes to look around, very excited about new things, so carrier comes in handy and L doesn't mind it.

Clothing wise L just moved from sleepsuits size 0-3 months to 3-6 months as her legs and feet are getting longer. 

Routine wise during the day she can sleep till 8 am or 10 am then feed, play, sleep. She constantly wants to be picked up, I think I gave up and just let us go with a flow rather than being strict hence L is always in my arms. She is more fussy at night, she turns her head on a side and cries in this position which worries me a lot and I constantly try to check if she is breathing ok.

I'm more confident as a mum, but yet a worrier. Last month I had severe back pain, I couldn't pick L up, couldn't actually sleep, sit, walk, it was incredibly painful. As I'm 24/7 with L I needed a quick fix, thankfully my sister recommended a local osteopath. Straight after an appointment I felt much better, but after lifting L in a pram my pain was back. I had to cut out on heavy lifting and it seems to work. Hopefully it is sorted permanently! 

There is something else that upsets me- hair loss.. Other mums say it's normal, but I feel so upset about it. I have tried coconut oil on my hair they are definitely more silky, will just have to see if it helps with hair loss.

That's it for now.. And I'm looking forward what new 3rd month brings!