A few weeks ago, Emilia's nurse said there was a little bump on Emilia's lower gum. She wasn't sure what it was. We asked the Nurse Practioner to take a look and she said it could be a tooth! I had never even heard of a baby having a tooth at that gestation. She said it didn't look like an inflammation and we would need to watch it closely.
Last night's nurse said it was a tooth... finally erupted a little from her gum, as confirmed by a doctor as well. I don't know what to think. She started to suckle so enthusiatically and I am so looking forward to the time that she will finally be able to eat at the breast but now she has a tooth!?!
I don't even know if this is considered a natal tooth or a neonatal tooth... because she's only 33 weeks gestation. Would she have been born with that tooth if she had been carried to the term? Or is this a neonatal tooth since it came out after she was born? It doesn't matter if it is a natal tooth or neonatal tooth. Apparently 1 in 2000-3000 babies is born with a tooth and natal teeth are more common than neonatal teeth. I just hope it does not interfere with her suckling. If the tooth comes out a bit more, it might hurt her tongue... When we start nursing, it might hurt my nipple too. I was hoping that it would not turn out to be a tooth because it could mean Sick Kids now has to remove it. Now I will start to pray that it will be loose so that extracting it won't be painful for Emilia.
Emilia was born on May 31, 2011, at 25 weeks and 5 days in gestational age. She came home on October 21, 2011 after spending 143 days in the hospital. Today she's a thriving, happy baby who continues to amaze us every single day. This blog records the journey of our miracle baby.
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