My Teething Toddler

At 14 months, my son only has three prominent teeth and the rest are just about to pop out!  Teething usually starts from  4 to 7 months but my baby's first teeth appeared at 11 months. The order by which his teeth are coming out is weird too! Usually, the molars appear next after the front teeth. But lo and behold, his canines came out next to his front teeth!

[caption id="attachment_3283" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This is my adorable son sporting his first tooth at 11 months![/caption]

We are actually quite delighted that at long last, his teeth are coming out. These are signs that my baby is slowly becoming a big boy. If you are dealing with a teething toddler, consider these tips!

Expect low grade fever or diarrhea.

•  We’re lucky our son does not have these symptoms. A toddler's immune system is down at this point so be extra careful. This may be due to the stress on his developing body. Our pediatrician suggests avoiding  close contact with sick kids when teething so he won't catch any infection.

His behavior might change, too.

• Your toddler can be quite cranky at this time. I noticed this because he’s not his usually jolly and always smiling self.  I guess he’s irritated and bothered by the new thingies appearing in his mouth. He would often shake his head, pull his ear and touch his cheek, all these signs of teething.

He might refuse to eat!

• A toddler with a few teeth may be a bit harder to feed! His three teeth is his handicap! While some kids his age are learning how to chew and grind their food into small pieces, my son still has a hard time swallowing.  Make sure to give small, manageable pieces. Slice his food into cheweable pieces but always be on guard against choking.  I would still boil and mash hard foods like apples, peas or carrot because he can’t chew that much yet.  Give additional water to aid him is gulping down his food. We're trying to balance giving him infant cereals or giving him "real" foods.

Introduce oral hygiene at this time.

• This is easier said than done! I'm actually having a hard time cleaning his mouth and teeth.  He would clamp his mouth closed when i try to wipe his teeth with cotton or cloth.  When cleaning becomes a struggle, stop and try again next time. His gums are quite sensitive at this stage or may be painful too.  Don't force cleaning because he might develop fear about this and refuse tooth brushing altogether.  Take your time and just offer more water to rinse his mouth.

Biting during nursing sessions 

• A teething toddler is harder to breastfeed because he may bite. We discourage biting by asking him firmly to stop.  My baby seems to understand that biting hurts mommy so he must not continue. At times i would cringe in pain because of his bite, but i avoid letting him see my reaction. I think he sometimes finds it funny when i cringe in pain so he repeatedly bites!  So better to avoid making outbursts or react outright, even if it hurts so much.  Some kids do have a nursing strike at this stage, but not my son.  He would nurse to sleep for hours and he would wake out once my nipples get detouch from his mouth. So this mommy is also losing sleep as the baby is gaining more teeth.

Have fun dealing with your teething toddler!

Also worth reading: 

• Toddler feeding issues

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Feeding Older Babies

Breast milk should be baby's primary source of nutrition until his first year. But offering him a variety of solids is necessary once he reach 6 months.

But i'm gonna make a confession. Baby was fed with Cerelac on the 4th month by the MIL. I was really irked by this, well siguro she meant no harm naman. She was just as excited rearing baby as my husband and i were, i guess. But just the same, i really did not want feed him with solids that early. This is because most breastfeeding advocates recommend delaying solids .

Complementary foods are important to prepare baby for "real food". He won't be spoon fed for the rest of his life, so adding solids gradually will train him for the real stuff.

At first i was kinda sad because my breasts isn't his lone nutrition anymore. But  what can i do? Syempre kailangan naman nyang mag-move on at mag-upgrade to real food diba? Bilang pampalubag-loob, i made it a point to personally prepare his food. I also feed him every chance i get.

Here are some of my solids feeding learnings so far:

Breast milk intake

Actually one of my biggest concerns when he started taking solids was the decrease in breast milk in take. Medyo malaki din kasi ang nabawas sa daily breast milk intake nya. From 16 ounces, naging 8 to 12 ounces na lang during the period na wala ako sa bahay. I guess this is a common concern among mommies.

Here are my suggestions to help his breast milk intake up:

• Breastfeed before nursing.


• Use breast milk to dilute baby food instead of water.


• Expect the decrease in breast milk intake. It's normal but do consult your pedia if he's drinking much less.

Making a mess

At his age, baby's getting more and more curious and mobile so it's really getting hard to feed him with making a mess.  He has learned to sit so i put him on his high chair whenever he's feeding.

Have all the stuff you need nearby so you won't leave his side as you feed him. Prepare these: spoon, bib, rugs for any spills, cup with water, vitamins, if any

[caption id="attachment_1174" align="aligncenter" width="225"] My baby now reaches for any food put in front of him. We've been giving him bits and pieces of real food just for him to have a taste. I do hope he maintains his good appetite.[/caption]

My son tends to grab the spoon. According to What to Expect: The First Year, it's a sign that he wants to feed himself.  WTE suggests giving him his own spoon while feeding him. You can also give him pea-sized pieces of soft fruits and veggies, which he can grab and eat, like a finger food.

Don't rush

Carefully plan when introducing new foods. This is World Health Organization's  recommendation:

• At 6 months of age infants can eat pureed or mashed foods, thick soups and porridges.


• At 8 months most infants can also eat 'finger foods' (snacks that children can eat by themselves).


• By 12 months, most children can eat the same types of foods as the rest of the family.

Note: Try giving baby various types of food. On baby's 7th month, he skin color turned yellowish. Our pedia said this condition is called carotenemia, caused by excessive intake of yellowish and orange colored foods like carrots and squash.

Proper portions

You may be asking, how much and how often should you offer solids to baby? Aside from his regular breast milk feedings,  WHO suggests:

• 6–8 months: 2–3 spoonfuls per feeding, increasing to 1/2 of a 250-millilitre cup.  2-3 feedings per day


• 9–11 months: 1/2  of a 250-millilitre cup per feeding. 3 to 4 feedings per day


• 12 months to 23 months - 3/4 to 1 250 ml cup per feeding. 3 to 4 feedings per day plus additional snacks


• 24 months or older - at least 1 250 ml cup per feeding.  3 to 4 feedings per day plus additional snacks

Note: Number and amount of servings are  suggestions. Kapag gusto pa ni baby pagkatapos mo pakainin depende sa WHO suggestion,by all means, go!

About commercial baby food

Husband and i were hung up on giving baby only organic food. Healthy Options' Earth's Best was the only organic food we found in the malls.  Medyo mahal siya, pero since at 6 months keri pa namin.  Around P45.00 ang isang 2.5 ounce of fruit puree.  Pakonti-konti lang naman ang intake nya at 6 months, ok lang. First sweet potato, prunes and squash are P's favorite in the EB line on his first months of solids.

[caption id="attachment_1254" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I used to serve commercial baby food, since it's more convenient. But i now enjoy concocting recipes for my son. Home made baby food is cheaper too![/caption]

Pero ngayon, he's nearing 10 months na at medyo malakas na kumain.  So i got practical and learned how to make baby food at home.  I also check out different concoctions from the Earth's Best baby food line and make my own version. This site  has a lot for recipes and tips for feeding babies.

Making your own baby food is somewhat tedious. But seeing just how much you save, all the work will be worth it. It's much cheaper. Imagine a piece of fruit can make baby food for baby's entire day.

When you also make baby food from scratch, you know just what you're putting in it.  You're also guaranteed that no preservatives are added.

How about organic baby food?

Going organic on baby food is really up to you. Mayoclinic says there's no study saying that organic food are more nutritious than non organic.

I'm not using organic fruits and veggies as baby food. There's no independent office in the Philippines that certify fresh fruits or veggies are organically grown. So you really can't be sure whether it's organic or not. Plus, most pesticide,  which conscious moms avoid, stay on the skin. Hindi naman daw nanunuot sa mismong prutas or gulay. So sa aking palagay, safe din kung non-organic ang gagamitin.

Have fun feeding your baby. These months will layout the foundation to raise a happy and healthy eater.

Watch out for my post on my baby's favorite mom-made recipes!

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