# Help! My baby has injured his mouth and won't nurse!



## Corriander (Nov 19, 2001)

I really need some help fast guys. My ds was sitting in a bouncy seat on the kitchen counter and bounced right off. He fell right on his face and bruised his mouth. His two bottom teeth cut his bottom lip and the inside of his top lip is bruised. I feel like the world's worst mom and now he still can't latch on, he tries and it clearly hurts him and he just cries.

How do I get some nourishment into him? Right now we are using a medicine dropper. Tomorrow I'm going to try finger feeding with the sns and cup feeding. Is there anything else I could try. He is already partially formula fed because of my IGT (see: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=110168), I am pumping (thank g-d I never sold that pump). I am so worried about him. He is sleeping pretty well tonight, but he has to eat somehow.


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

my oldest stuck a plastic coat hanger in his mouth and jammed his throat----and wouldn't nurse for 24 hrs. it is nerve wracking!!! how old is your ds??? you might try straw feeding (milk in a straw w/your finger at the end), spoon feeding, offering the breast when he's almost asleep, applying something cold to his mouth before nursing, getting in the bath with him (if he's a bath nurser)....try as MUCH skin to skin as you can. hope you can ask for some help and let everything else slide fir awhile.....all i can say from experience is that he will feel better----i hope soon!!!


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## Welovedante (Dec 18, 2003)

This is probably non-AP advice, or something, but have you tried giving him anything for the pain? tylenol, maybe? If you like, you could try homeopathy first (I always try chamomile and teething tablets, which supposedly help with inflammation and pain; also arnica helps with injuries, especially bruises).

When my little guy's in pain, it has helped him nurse when we've given him some combination of the above.

Good luck,
Heidi


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

Poor little guy. I'm sure he'll start to nurse when he feels better.

Here's some more ideas if you need them:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...st.html#strike


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## anythingelse (Nov 26, 2001)

pump bm and freeze it, then serve it up in a cup like shaved ice with a spoon to feed.


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## Corriander (Nov 19, 2001)

Thanks everyone for replying. The kellymom site was very informative for what to do during a nursing strike, which is essentially what this is. He finally nursed this morning, after 40 hours of only feeding with a medicine dropper. He was obviously still in pain, but kept trying and trying and finally latched on and didn't stop until I took him off 45 minutes later.

I did try a popsicle, not a bm but fruit juice, which he normally likes, but he really hated it.

I have so much more respect now for mom's who pump because it really sucks! I have a pump in style and it would take me at least 30 minutes to drain the whole breast, or else I was left with areas of the breast still full. I was very sore by last night.

Anyway, his lip is still swollen and it obviously still hurts so I'm still giving tylenol. But I think we have finally turned a corner in this whole horrible episode.

thanks again


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

Can't see how giving Tylenol would not be AP







---I would be pretty upset if I had a hurt mouth and no one gave me anything to lessen the pain







We do chamomile and arnica, too, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do!

So glad to hear he's feeling better!!!


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## Corriander (Nov 19, 2001)

I don't CARE if tylenol is not considered AP. It keeps my baby from constant pain. He cried this morning when nursing, because the tylenol had not had a chance to kick in. The second nuring this afternoon he seemed to have no pain at all - for the first time in four days. Horray!

I am interested in learning more about arnica. Is it an ointment or what? Can I find it at the health food store?


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## ebethmom (Jan 29, 2002)

Corey ~ Glad to hear that your little guy turned a corner! Poor guy!

Hyland's makes arnica tablets. I think the bottle is labeled "Bumps and Bruises." I have also found arnica cream, but that is definitely for external use.

I was thinking that some sort of teething gel might help your little guy with the pain. Doesn't Hyland's make that, too? We never tried that, but I think I remember seeing it.


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