Signs of a teething baby?

Seven days. No naps or barely there naps. Then on the eighth day, she finally took her morning nap! It was two and a half hours of pure relaxation. I felt such a sense of relief. I was so happy thinking that finally my daughter, Lady Bug, had gotten over the nap strike that had captured my sanity that week. I thought that surely she would turn a corner; then Monday came. It seemed like an ordinary day until the afternoon came and Lady Bug spiked a fever. My poor girl; she was so sweet and cuddly though.

The night was long; both my hubby and I felt like we were reliving a similar night we had with our son two and a half years ago. The rest of the next day was predictable. Lady Bug was fussy and very clingy to me. I swore up and down all day that she was teething.  This had to be teeth! Certainly, my son, Buggie, had done the same thing and I know that he spiked a fever a few days before he cut his first tooth.

I did a Google search (naturally when in doubt Google it!) on teething and fevers. I know, I know. Doctors and researchers have done studies that have concluded that fever and teething cannot be neither confirmed nor denied. What they can confirm is that perhaps a low grade fever can accompany the first set of teeth and the molars. I wasn’t happy with that response so I decided to look at my son’s baby book.

I was meticulous about writing every first down with my son. I flipped through the book and found something very interesting…My memory wasn’t as sharp as I had thought. Buggie’s first fever happened after he cut his first set of teeth. The fever wasn’t before like I though I had remembered so vividly. Rats. I hate when my kids get sick and I was really hoping that what Lady Bug was going through was teething. I mean all of the
signs are there: Fever, fussiness, gnawing on everything, sleeping problems (when she’s normally a great sleeper), and popping on and off my breast when I fed her. I can’t lie that the evidence is contrary to what my hypothesis is. I don’t think its teething.

What do YOU think?  Were there telltale signs that teething was beginning in your little one?
 

Elizabeth (aka Bert) Anderson married her college sweetheart in 2005, and started her journey into motherhood in 2008 with the birth of her son.  She started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep track of her thoughts on being a first time mom, especially her struggle with postpartum depression, and as a way of reaching out to other moms who are struggling with the same things.  This June, Bert had another first in her motherhood travels - a little girl!  Even though she's newly a mother of two, Bert maintains that no matter how many children you have you will always be a "first time mom" because there's a first time for everything!  Visit her blog, at FTM. Bert is a contributor for She Thinks Media.