Is this teething or could it be something else?

[Miss E]

Okay so I am probably just a paranoid new mummy hear, but want to hear from those with a bit more experience.

DS has been showing classic teething signs all week, red cheeks on and off, pulling at hair, sucking hands constantly (mind you this is pretty normal at the moment), dribbling a bit, smelly poo and maybe an extra one or two each day (mind you it's hard to tell because he still has quite a few each day)...

Anyway, today he has been incredibly grizzly which is unlike him. He has a mild fever, 37 degrees and isn't sleeping for more than half an hour. He's still sucking his hands and has a bit of dribble, but the red cheeks are gone... I think it might be the teething but with no red cheeks I'm wondering if maybe he could have a little bug... I haven't given any panadol yet, I thought I wait until we put him down for the night and see how we go... Any advice, thoughts or ideas anyone has would be very much appreciated... TIA

[LimeSlice]

Sounds like teething to me
We dont use Panadol/Neurophen here at all except over night if she is really bad.
Lots of comfort and you can try giving him a cold flannel to suck/chew on.
I find Charlotte gets really bad and loses the red cheeks the day she is actually CUTTING the tooth. So have a look in th emorning and you may find a tiny little toothie peg breaking through.

Also, if he is quite bad it could be because he is cross cutting - cutting more than one tooth at once. Charlotte has never had a single tooth, they always come up in pairs lol So I find is is particularly bad.

The teeth can tend to move up and down in their gums for a while too, and not actually cut through, so you may fin he could be "teething" for some time, months even. Charlotte showed classic signs of teething from about 3 months, but we didnt get a tooth until the top front 2 vcame through at 9.5 months.

Hang in there - lots of cuddles and hopefully he will learn to deal with some pain, if he is not sleeping well, try some Brauers teething relief.

HTH

[CrazyLady]

Sounds like teething.

I find because Charlie likes touching lots of stuff and then sticks her hands in her mouth she gets mild tummy bugs lots. She has more poos and tends to get grizzly when she has an upset tummy too.

I try to avoid panadol unless of a night when she is absolutely hysterical and it's going to affect her sleep to a large extent.

HTH

[Miss E]

Thanks for the reassurance ladies. I wasn't sure if it was teething without the red cheeks iykwim? But by the sounds of things it is. Still no sign of any little teeth popping through, I guess they're just starting to move around in the gums... We didn't end up needing any panadol last night as he went straight to sleep at bed time which was a relief. I also don't like using it, but can't help but worry when he has a temperature and seems so out of sorts. He's a little bit better today (no temp) but the red cheeks are back and he's still a bit grizzly. Oh well, guess I better get used to it, we've probably got months and months of this...

[LimeSlice]

A temperature is not a bad thing. A high fever is.
So unless he goes above 39 there is no need to give panadol. An elevated temperature is a natural process of the body and is indicative that it is working to fight an infection, illness, wound, etc. So don't worry about trying to bring down a temperature with panadol as it is more often than not not necessary.
If he goes above 39 you should take him straight to the hospital anyway.
(this is what my doctor told me when Charlotte was sick, as I was freaking out about he having a 37 degree temp )

Anyway, yep settle in and enjoy it! Plenty of joy to come with teething! lol