Teething

What do most moms of babies talk about? When I get together with my mom friends the main topics are usually about sleep, teething or food.  And we know so well that teething pain=mommies losing sleep.  So it is a frequent topic complaint we like to chat about!

Our poor little ones suffer not just once or twice with teething woes, but for the first 2 years of life if not more.  That's a lot of sleepless nights for babies and their parents!

I've heard some babies have teeth that come in with no symptoms at all.  Symptom free teething? So not fair. Most babies get extremely fussy, have fevers, runny noses and diarrhea when they are teething. And those are just the most common symptoms, but I have heard a long list of other ones that moms swear are caused by teething.

Other little side effects that babies have are biting on their little fingers or toys to help relieve the pressure in their gums. They may also refuse to eat and drink because their mouths hurt so much.

When my little one is teething, she sometimes gets low grade fevers, is fussy and up every hour of the night, and drools excessively. Now that her molars are coming in we have added a new symptom, she bites me- not just her toys or her fingers anymore.  Thank goodness she is not in a daycare setting, or she would probably be biting other little ones and I would be getting a dreaded call from the Director!

What is a mom to do, especially when the molars are starting to come in and the pain is 3 X as bad at 13 months, as it was at 4 months of age?

I've tried the motrin and tylenol and it doesn't make a difference, well, at least it doesn't seem to because she wakes up just as much in the middle of the night.

Oral gels? They say the anesthesia in them is not recommended for babies, even though it says 'Baby' Oral Gel on the package!

So I searched the web and found the top answers to our babes teething woes.  Some of them come from the blog, hippiedippiebebe.com.  Let me know if any of these have worked or helped you in the past!

Chew Toys

Sophie!  She has been my child's favorite teething toy. It's not a cure, but it is a temporary fix for sure.

Cold Fruit or Vegetables

Several moms mentioned they use frozen fruit to help soothe painful gums.  I've given my child frozen mangoes but she looked at me like, "what the heck did you just feed me," so it's a no go for us, but it may work for others out there.

Or frozen vegetables (as long as they are not a choking hazard). One mom I read about claims that celery actually has numbing properties that help lessen the pain of teething.  I have not tried this yet, but if I do I will make sure it is a large piece that she can not break off and choke on.

Wooden Teething Toys and Rings

Wooden teething toys have been used for years apparently. I have not tried them yet, but one of the popular brands is Camden Rose:


(See all Teethers)

Or you can always try a wooden spoon! Babies love adult toys and sinking their teeth into the soft wood may help relieve some pain.

Homeopathic Remedies

So I've heard the Hylands brand of teething tablets was pulled off the shelves because the ingredients were said to not have uniformity of dosing. My doctor suggested them and said the ingredient in them, Belladonna, can't be overdosed on because it has been diluted so much and it's such a low dose when you use homeopathics. You can buy generic belladonna in your local health food store.  I have tried them and it seems to help a little bit, but you have to give them every 2 hours, so what do you do in the middle of the night, wake them up?

I also read about using Clove oil concoctions on baby's gums. I have not tried this myself but some bloggers and message board moms swear by this.

Amber Teething Necklaces

I recently came across one of these for the first time the other day. My friend's mother-in- law is Lebanese and had been to France recently and brought one back for her 4 month old. It is a little strange as it's a normal looking little beaded necklace that you wear around your baby's neck. They don't eat it or chew on it, but the amber in it is supposed to absorb into your baby's skin and relieve teething pain.  If anyone has tried this, let me know!

Ice Cube and Slushy Remedies

Again, this is a quick fix and can help relieve pain as they are chewing on them, but for me, once that cold remedy is out of their mouths, they are back to crying and fussing.

• Ice cubes placed in a handkerchief, washcloth, cheesecloth, or a feeder.


• Ice cubes prepared as a slushy.


• Ice cubes scraped with a spoon and fed to baby.


• Favorite drink frozen in a popsicle mold.

Cold, Frozen Washcloths

Grab a few washcloths and water them down, then toss in the freezer. They will freeze in a weird distorted shape which is a good thing, because then the babies can manipulate it and put the frozen edges on their aching gums.  They can reach all of the hard spots with the washcloth where other teething toys can't.  For my daughter, it works, oh for the minute it is in her mouth. But once she is done with it, back to the fussies.

 

If anyone has any other tips or suggestions, let us know. Or feel free to just vent.  There are some mornings I wake up and just want to say, "why, why, why?  Just let all of these teeth come in already!"