She's not teething, right?

SaraLouiseBride08

Olivia just turned 3 months old yesterday. I think she is just upset because I went back to work and messed up her routine, and she's just pulling on her ear because she just learned how. However, I don't want to be missing something important, like my daughter being in pain. Here's the breakdown:

She's been drooling and gumming on anything she can get into her mouth for a little over a month. I just assumed she was exploring things with her mouth.

For the last week, she's been fussy (which she never is) and not napping well. I assumed this was because of the routine change.

For the last two days, she's been grabbing and pulling on her ear. Not neccessarily fussing every time she's pulling her ear, but pulling non the less.

But she's too young to be teething, right? I just found on yesterday that ear pulling is sometimes a sign of teething. But it's more likely that she's fussy because of the schedule change and just pulling her ear because she found a new toy?

labbielover07

DD started drooling and gumming things around 3 months old.  DD also pulls at her ears.  We just saw the pediatrician on Tuesday and her ears and throat looked fine (I wanted her checked because I just got over a nasty cold and started worrying that she was pulling her ears) and she did say that ears can get a tingling sensation and just feel weird while teething.  Of course, change in routine can make DD cranky at times too... but since she is drooling and gumming, I would say starting to teeth.  DD has become way worse with teething this week and I can see her tooth under the gum... it just needs to pop out! 

christym0606

DD was also super drooly and chewing on everything at 3 months, and we were were convinced she was teething.  She was also unusually fussy and didn't sleep well either.  It turned out to not be teething at all, in our case, but a double ear infection.  Has Olivia been sick lately at all?  Is she running a higher temp than normal?  Might be worth having her ears checked, especially since she's been pulling at them.

ali-1411

Teething can take months.  Layna started signs at 3 months - messing with ears, massive amounts of drool, crying in pain.  The only way to calm her was Baby Orajel and then a pacifier.  But she didn't get a tooth until nearly 6 months old.

 

bobcatsteph

Caroline started showing all of those signs around the same age. Her first tooth popped through around 5 months. We used the teething tablets, but those were recalled. You could try Tylenol when she's really cranky to see if that helps at all.

rssnlvr

ali-1411:

Teething can take months.  Layna started signs at 3 months...but she didn't get a tooth until nearly 6 months old.

Ditto this with DD. Our pedi swore Ali was teething for like four months straight before that first sucker (well, two at once, actually) broke through. Drooling nonstop, nomming on anything in sight, pulling at ears, etc. 

Trust your mommy gut. If you feel the crankiness is way out of character for her, it never hurts to take her in to get checked just for peace of mind.

 

SaraLouiseBride08

Months? My poor baby!

Also, she did have a cold a week and a half ago, but it seemed to clear up so fast (slight fever for 1 day, congestion 1 day, almost gone by day 2, totally gone by day 3) I didn't think this could be related. I hope it's not an ear infection! She is grumpy for her, but that's not all that cranky at all. I think I'll call the doctor, see if she wants to check her out.

If it's teething .... um, I'm not ready for that. I am just realizing she's not a newborn. She can't possibly be old enough to be teething. Where is the time going??

bobcatsteph

SaraLouiseBride08:

Also, she did have a cold a week and a half ago, but it seemed to clear up so fast (slight fever for 1 day, congestion 1 day, almost gone by day 2, totally gone by day 3) I didn't think this could be related. I hope it's not an ear infection! She is grumpy for her, but that's not all that cranky at all. I think I'll call the doctor, see if she wants to check her out.

That's probably a good idea. Some babies get EIs easier than others. Whenever DD had any kind of congestion, we could almost guarantee that an EI was going to follow.

2H2L

bobcatsteph:

Caroline started showing all of those signs around the same age. Her first tooth popped through around 5 months. We used the teething tablets, but those were recalled. You could try Tylenol when she's really cranky to see if that helps at all.

Same with Ocho

eanelson8310

She probably is teething My youngest got her first tooth at 3 months and now at 10 months has 7 teeth four on top three on the bottom. She could have an ear infection too if she keeps pulling at her ear I would get it looked at. It will make her even more fussy and if she is teething on top of it your going to be having realy fun. feel her gums see if there is a rasied area on her gums more then likely thats where she will begettingher tooth it will also be slightly white in that area from the tooth pushing up.