Symptoms of Teething | Canker Sores in Toddlers, Canker Sores in Babies

Description of a canker sore or locally known as mouth ulcer -

Canker sores in toddlers are round and white (sometimes yellow) open "wound" and are usually surrounded by a red ring (halo). These baby mouth ulcers are inside the cheeks or gum or lips. They can appear individually or in small clusters.

They are not serious, but could be painful when your kid or toddler or infant is feeding. For babies, it is quite rare and only happens to 1 in 10 babies.

What causes canker sores is a question in itself as these usually run in the family and seems to be genetic. What leads me to write this article on canker sores is because my 5 month old baby recently was infected by a canker sore, so I do know what it looks like and how to deal with canker sores.

If your child is older, it could be due to a break in the skin due to teething, or the toddler biting himself or herself. Some food allergies, viral infections and dietary deficiencies can cause this ulcer too.

One thing to note is baby canker sore are not cold sores. The latter is contagious and usually appear outside of the lips.

So how do I treat a canker sore?

These sores almost always go away on their own, after a couple of days up to 10 days. The pain might not even be painful to begin with.
Applying ice to numb the area might help. Ice pops might also work. If your child is older and eating, avoid spicy food or acidic fruits if possible. Applying a teething gel or cream will help too.

If still unsure, please see your baby doctor for professional advice and medicine cures. Never self administer your kid with aspirin or medicine you are unsure of. This answers "should I take my baby to the doctor" issue. Especially so if your baby or infant develops fever or rashes or if your baby have problems eating or drinking. Also if your baby get them too frequently.

A short summary of symptoms of baby teething in relation to canker sores in babies and toddlers -

=> Does your child have a fever? => YES. Does your child have sores or blisters on the face and on the body? => YES. Your child may have chickenpox! Seek doctor's advice.

If NO. Do your children have sore throat and painful blisters on their tongue,mouth and rashes on their palms and or feet? => YES. Then a foot and mouth disease is eminent and is better to seek professional help from baby doctors.

=> Does your child has a fever? => NO. Is your child an infant or baby, and is the baby drooling with saliva, and or wanting to chew on all kinds of stuff? => Your child may be teething. Seek advice from doctor if unsure of what toys to give to infants or babies, and what medicine is appropriate to administer.

If NO. Does your child or kid have small open sores (white or yellowish)? => YES. Then it is most likely to be canker sores. Seek doctor's advice if unsure.

How To Breast Feed Successfully? I Know Cause I've Been There!

As a father of a 5 month old son and 2 year old daughter, and the one to originally cleaned the baby bottles and make the first breast milk with the right temperature for my daughter, I can dare say what is the most important aspect of successful breast feeding tip is -

Get A Lactation Consultant! What's a lactation consultant? She is someone who is a professional in breastfeeding and help train new mothers or even seasoned mothers (who forgotten how to breastfeed) to find the right position/s and also to tune to individual mother's system of inducing the first breast milk. Most likely, you will find her in hospitals that cater to pregnancy giving birth mothers. Her main task includes teaching the basics of latching for babies, positioning for mothers' comfort, how to increase milk production, FAQs of what to do when a mother becomes sick, etc. Furthermore, she will be around to physically help the mother to achieve proper latching from the new born in the hospital for the first milk breastfeed. Also, subsequent visits by her to ensure mothers continue to attain successful breastfeeding is necessary on her part.

She is also familiar on breastfeeding equipment handling for infants and can advise on the best types of equipment to buy and use for individual mother's preferences.

Now, to me why isn't theory and pictorials and coaching lessons are not the best and most important aspects of breastfeeding is simple -

These pointers themselves are NOT the BEST practical helps!

You can go for coaching lessons on breastfeeding and learn and prepare yourselves. It is not a problem to do that and actually gives you confidence. But what I am trying to say here is that these theories and instructions are just that - theories and instructions.

When the real "war" comes, you really need a very experienced person who has been handling practical trainings for mothers and are on site when the mothers try to latch and breast feed the child. Nothing is more simple and gives one a REAL sense of "nothing will go wrong" when the lactation consultant is around to guide the mother for successful breastfeeding!

See a youtube vidz here on how to get baby to latch successfully to breastfeed.

Pumping Breast Milk - For Breastfeeding Cleanliness and Methods

When pumping for breast milk, it is important to extract breast milk out at the periods when you are supposed to feed your child. That is to say, even when your child is not feeding, when you pump out your milk without breastfeeding, you are actually maintaining the volume of your milk and also increasing the volume so future feeds.

Before you express breast milk, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. If you are outside and your hands look clean, it is better to clean with a waterless hand cleanser. Breasts and nipples on the other hand are secondary to clean up. It is still alright to wipe clean them. The important parts to clean are the area where you are expressing and the items used to store and the machinery pumps used.

If you need help in expressing, get your husband! Okay, that was just to wake you up! Seriously, having a baby item or a picture of the love of your life and the baby's scent will surely help alot! Remember to sit quietly and think of a relaxing scene in your past travels or whatever.

Hand expressed -

Using your hand to massage and pressing to extract the milk. Lots of skill and practice needed. Usually need some professional advice on this method.

Manual pump -

Need a lot of time, maybe 45mins to an hour plus. Gets tired easily. Must clean pumps equipment regularly. More practical than the first option.

Automatic electric breast pump -

The best method and fastest, about 20 mins to 45 minutes flat! Dual type is the most practical and popular type commonly used by mothers. It is rather costly at about $200 to over $300 for a brand new medela breast pump.

The trick is to buy second hand items like you will find in mothercare forums where people in your country are selling for $50 to just $200 for a breast pump used for only a couple of months. I know it cause when my wife's breast pump broke down, I personally got one set at $50 bucks and another newer set at $150 and they work very well and are rather new too! The end point is my wife is happy and my baby boy is happy too!

Cheers and Happy times.

Advantages of Breastfeeding - Benefits for mother

The truth about breastfeeding is that it may take more effort initially for mothers to get the first milk out. Seriously, we almost went mad both father and mother trying to do that! But with God's help, we had a distant friend whom my wife just knew and she offered her breast milk at the beginning to help us pull through! Talk about guardian angel!

The first 4 to 12 weeks might be a little tedious for the mother as she needs to create a consistent volume and flow of her breast milk every few hours or so. But after all these hardships, the good times begin!

- There are no bottles to sterilize! Well, maybe you want to use both ways of bottle and direct breastfeed. But there is no formula milk to buy and waste tons of money on! And there is no need for you to guess and ask which type of formula milk is better! Cause... (drum roll), breastmilk is the best of all baby formula milk! And there are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night!

- The cost involved in formula milk and the bottles and warmer and sterilizer stuff can cost you a bomb!

- Baby get to build up their immune system naturally and this is a plus for breastfeeding benefits!

- Physical contact makes newborns feel secure, warm and close to the mothers' heart.

- Mothers who breastfeed are known to a lower level of health risks.

- And breast feeding creates less trash and saves the environment!

And I know of a friend who breastfeed her children until they are 6 years old! My goodness! That's how wonderful and powerful nature has endowed upon us! Use it!

Happy breastfeeding!

Is Breast Milk Blood? Blood In Breast Milk Controversy

The truth about Breast Milk = Blood = Breast Milk with Blood for a woman breast feeding -

Breast milk is made from our sweat glands. Which is human milk = sweat + nutrients! Yak!

Nutrients and other substances from blood becomes the milk (diffused in it) through membranes. This membrane normally blocks the blood from mixing in the milk.

Abnormal moments occur when their are cracks in the woman's areloa and she may end up bleeding when she breastfeed. This results in the baby drinking the mother's blood together with the milk!

Why breastfeeding is important

~ Benefits of breast milk ~

Early Breast milk is "liquid gold" - Also known as colostrum, the yellow first breast milk that a woman made just after pregnancy for breasts feeding. This is enriched milk with nutrients and antibodies to protect the child.

By the 3rd to 5th day, the milk changes to mature breast milk production with the right amount of fat, water content, sugar content and protein to help the baby grow. This couples with nutrients and antibodies which the baby continues to feed on from mothers milk.

Breast milk is easier to digest than formula milk. As formula milk comes from cows, babies stomachs need time to adjust to them. So mothers should always do breast pumping for their lovely babies as breast milk fights diseases too!

Tips on Pregnancy - Top Signs of Pregnancy to Watch Out For

Many women don't suspect they're pregnant until they've missed a period, but there may be other indications, including:

• Sickness and maybe a mix of feeling nausea
• A weird 'metallic' flat taste in your mouth
• Your Breasts feeling tender with tingling and enlargement
• The small bumps - 'Montgomery's tubercules' - where your nipples become more obvious
• Stomach pains
• Tiredness
• Constipation
• Needing to urinate more often
• Going off certain things, such as coffee and fatty foods
• Increased vaginal discharge
• Some women experience very light bleeding (called 'spotting') that they mistake for their period

When is my baby due?

The length of your pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period, even though you actually conceive two weeks or so after this date, depending on your cycle. Your baby is likely to be born two weeks after or before the due date as mentioned by the baby doctor.

Check your due date and what's happening within your body week by week. All you need to know is the first day of your last period.

Most women see their private baby doctor to arrange for antenatal care, you can also check into your community hospital if needed.

How I know all these? Cause I have 2 babies and I was heavily involved!

Pat G

See also Blood in breast milk article.