Teething: Swollen Blue Gums

My son is almost 11 months old. He has cut 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 teeth on bottom. Some teeth seemed to give him more pain than others. I noticed last week that my son’s gums were very swollen where his molars are suppose to come in. YIKES! I did not think he was suppose to get them yet. Poor guy, he has cut a total of 6 teeth in 2.5 months and here we go on the molars. One of the molars is super swollen and I noticed today that it even appears to be blue. This alarmed me. I went searching the Internet for an answer. Here is what I found:

“Occasionally, a small, dark blue area will form on the gums where a tooth is about to emerge. This is the result of a small amount of bleeding beneath the surface of the gums, and is not a cause for concern. It will generally resolve without any special treatment, but cold compresses may be used for comfort and to reduce swelling.” (Source: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0006/ai_2603000699/)

Days that are not so bad, here is what I do:

• Cold, frozen teething toys and rings
• Mesh feeder with frozen food
• Let him chew on a tooth brush (he loves this!)

Days that are really bad, here is what I do:

• Tylenol 30-45 min before his naps. I would only do this if his pain was so bad that it was disrupting his sleep for more than two days or if he was crying non-stop
• Motrin 30-45 min before naps- I only started to do this when I notice that the gum is really swollen. Motrin has an anti-inflammatory in it and it seems to help with the swelling a little.

Other things friends of mine swear by, but they did not work for my son:

• Hyland Teething Tablets
• Gripe Water (Works great for my son to help stop hiccups or gas, but not teething)
• Orajel
• Frozen wet washcloths

Are there any other comfort methods you do to help your child deal with teething pain? If you do, share. I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions!

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Is My Baby & Toddler Eating Enough?

My son is 10.5 months old. Recently he has started refusing to eat baby food that is pureed or mashed. He will only eat a small amount. He seems more interested in eating table food or finger foods. So I have started to give him some more tables foods. However, it seems he is eating so much less than when he was eating baby purred food. I was concerned that he was not getting enough to eat.

I was recently reading though the book Super Baby Food and the book states that at one year old your child’s appetite will decrease. The author writes, “Your toddler’s growth slows at about the time of her first birthday. Whereas she probably tripled her birth weight during her first year, she will gain only between 3 and 7 pounds during her second. The small weight gain during toddlerhood will produce changes in muscle mass and in shape of the body, making your toddler look more like a child than a baby (p.116).” I also found an article on the Internet that address the decrease in appetite babies experience near their first birthday. I think that if you are struggling with knowing if your son or daughter is eating enough, you should read this article- http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_bappetit_hhg.htm

I found a great website that discusses exactly how much a toddler should eat and the portion size. I found this website very helpful! http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/Toddlers.htm

The Finger Food that my son will currently eat:

Veggies: diced red pepper, sweet potato, yellow squash, carrot (with cinnamon sprinkled on it), zucchini

Dairy: diced cheese (all kinds)

Fruit: diced apple (baked), pear, banana, papaya

Grains: Gerber Puffs, Cheerios, pasta, rice balls (over cooked rice rolled into balls with fruit, veggies, or chicken in them)

Meat (Protein): diced chicken

Milk (Formula): 22-24 oz (4 servings a day)

**  I usually roll the fruit and some veggies in powered oatmeal to keep it from being to slippery for my son to pick up on his own

I plan on adding more more finger foods to my son’s menu choices, but for now the foods that I have listed are good stand bys that I know he will eat.

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Great Baby Items: Take & Toss Straw Cups

Click Here to see product image: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2799857

My son is 10 months old and I am trying to have him drink independently and not from a bottle. I have had a lot of trouble introducing a sippy cup to my son because he does not know to tip the cup and lift it so that the liquid can flow to his mouth. I have found much better success using a straw cup. At first I tired to introduce the Nuby straw cup, but it is spill proof. Spill proof cups makes sucking the liquid out more difficult. My son’s pediatrician recommended that I use a straw cup that is not spill proof or do a sippy cup and remove the valve (that makes it spill proof) to make it easier for him to drink.

I found  Take & Toss Straw Cups at Walmart and Target. You can get 5 cups for $2.50. You really cannot beat that. I have been offering this cup to my son for about 3 weeks now. At first I had to hold the cup for him. I put water in it and he would sip from it. Then just this week, I left the sippy cup next to him while he was playing. I noticed him picking it up and sipping water on his own. He drank almost the entire contents of the cup yesterday all on his own.

PROS:

• Cheap 5 for $2.50
• You can buy replacement straws from the company directly (I know I will loose a straw eventually)
• Don’t leak very bad- for not being spill proof they don’t leak that much. The only leaks I have had with the cup is if my son holds it upside down and there is liquid near the base of the straw. My son leaves the cup on its side often and the cup hardly ever drips or spills.
• Dishwasher safe

Cons:

• It leaks more than spill proof cups

Overall Rating:

I give this cup a 5. My son can drink from it, it is cheap, and spills are minimal. What else can you ask for.

For more information on straw sippy cups check out the mom crowd. They did a review of sippy cups with straws. I also learned that sippy cups with straws are better for children than traditional sippy cups with spouts. Click on the link to learn more. http://www.themomcrowd.com/product-comparison-straw-cups

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