The last two days my 8 month old has refused his bottle... at first it wasn't completely... but now he flat out won't take it. However he's eating babyfood just fine... maybe a little more testy, but he will eat. I am assuming his poor gums are just sore and drinking/sucking hurts? What is strange is that he still takes his binkie. No teeth yet, but I'm waiting for them to pop out anytime.
he's also had some diarreah. Ultimately I'm a little nervous about dehydration... so far he's OK. have any of you experienced this with your babies? any advice on what I could try?
by the way I've tried giving him baby orajel prior to eating as well and it doesn't seem to help. plus, he's been on motrin as needed.
thank you so very much!
Try freezing a wet twisted washcloth and give that to him to chew on.
Lots of Love,
Linda
Has he been sick recently? A lot with my son just after colds he would have sinus pressure that made it uncomfortable to suck and drink from a bottle. You may want to try offering a cup, my son like the NUGY ones.
Also for teething, I found that gels and tablets only worked for bit and then my son would be awake and fussy, so I used clove oil and that worked wonders on the swelling. Plus, the gels just made my son numb and he'd refuse to eat. You can also toss teethers/washcloths in the freezer and let him chew on them during the day. Ice chips or pedilyte popsicles are super great.
If you are worried about dehydration, then I'd talk ot his Pedi just to be sure. Especially if the tummy upset is an issue. Make sure you have Pedialyte or something similar on hand, it is great for preventing dehydration. Also, keep to a bland diet while he's got the tummy upset. If the tummy has been upset for more than three days, I would definitely put a call into the doctor.
Good Luck!!
Have him checked for an ear infection. When your ears are full of fluid, sucking hurts like the dicken's! Also, laying down causes more pressure so if he isn't waking up already at night he probably will, screaming. Lots of new mommies think their baby had a nightmare - not likely.
Blessings ~ d
Be careful of overdoing Oragel... the reason is, it "numbs" the gums, but can also numb the mouth/throat.... this is the reason our Pediatrician does not like Oragel.
And if given before a baby eats... 'maybe' it can interfere with their ability to 'eat' properly or even swallowing and cause choking. But, since you said it is NOT helping...then I would not use it.
Okay, so the only thing he is "rejecting" is his bottle, right? Now is this Formula or bottle breastmilk?
Is he taking any other liquids????
Yes, you do not want him to get dehydrated....
You best check with your Pediatrician...
Diarrhea "can" be due to teething... or it can be something else.
Have you checked his mouth? If there are "white patches" this can be oral "Thrush." Which causes discomfort when feeding. Often a baby will reject feeding or have difficulty feeding if they have thrush.
Next, you could just try a sippy cup with him, or a straw cup. MAYBE he will take this instead, of his bottle. Some kids do. Maybe he wants to drink from other things, versus his bottle.
But yes, when a baby is teething, they often reject bottle or breast... because it is uncomfortable. So, try offer him other drinking apparatuses, like a sippy cup or straw cup.
I would try Hyland's teething tabs instead of Oragel... or just let him chew on something cold. Like a dampened frozen wash cloth. Or a frozen banana, or ice pops. IF he is teething that is.
Just make sure he is not sick or something. Perhaps take him to the Pediatrician to check. THAT way, you will know for sure.
For the Motrin....just make sure it is in the dosage per his age... per the Pediatrician. Overdoing it can overload the kidneys.
Just make sure about his intake and hydration...
All the best,
Susan
i hated baby oragel and the highlands teething tablets they didnt work for my daughter. the god send i found was gentle naturals teething drops. my daughter is 2 and getting her fangs in and they are super swollen and this helps tremendously! i have used the drops since she was 6 months old. i agree with sh the oragel could numb the throat and be dangerous. i would try the drops about 15 mins before eating and try having the foods chilled warm ones may irritate. also try cool liquids (if you heat his bottle/cup). give him lots of cold things to chew on (but not a lot of solid frozen things like pop cycles because they can get frost bite) get a teething ring that has the gell in it they stay cold long and dont freeze solid. good luck
I would buy a couple of sippy cups with stoppers so they do not leak. He may just be done with the bottle. I had a daughter that quit the bottle on her own at 9 months. And also a grandson. As for the dehydration buy gatoraide. It has the electorites & not alot of sugar. Just make sure you pick a flavor that doesn't stain. My grandson had alot of ear infections from the time he was 6-weeks old until he was 3 yrs old abt every 6 weeks. He quit the bottle at 9-months. And we were also worried abt him getting dehydrated.
So we started him on gatoraide.He loved it & we had no problem getting him to drink. He's now 14yrs old.
Hi N.,
Perhaps it is an ear infection? I have a 3 year old and whenver he got an ear infection he didn't want to drink as much milk...the sucking would bother him. Hope this helps!
H.
I only want to comment on the orajel...my doctor told me not to give my daughter food or water for 45 minutes after applying orajel. Try it on your mouth, it really does numb it, making it hard to swallow and control the tongue. My 8 month old daughter does the same thing with water, but I don't have a solution yet. Good luck.
