I appreciate you coming in waves. I know you mean well. You're trying to give us a break here and there. I get it... but for the love of God, please just get it over with already.
Thanks,
Me
I haven't been posting regularly this week as my daughter has been teething. It is brutal, and I'm exhausted. My little angel has transformed into this screaming demon child. Of course, I don't mean that, and yes, I feel terribly sorry for her, but my goodness. I had to sit her in her playpen for less than 1 minute to stir dinner this evening. My husband heard her screaming down the road as he walked home from work. All doors and windows to the house were closed. We've been dealing with this whole teething thing since she was 4 months old, but it would come in waves and has never been so intense. Why has this week been so bad? I found the culprit. There is a tiny little hint of white on her bottom gums. :-)
This brings me to the topic of today's post. If you think your baby might be teething and are looking for signs and ways to help, you're in the right place. Most babies begin teething between 4 and 7 months, but ALL babies are different. My daughter will be 10 months tomorrow and still has no teeth surfacing. Again, please note that I am not a pediatrician; if your child is experiencing a high fever or seems to be suffering from some sort of ailment, please consult your doctor.
Signs Your Baby May Be Teething
- Excessive drooling
- Fussiness
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Fever
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Decrease in appetite
Possible Ways to Help Ease Baby's Discomfort
- Chilled teething rings
- Chilled pacifiers (This is a trick I learned from my sister. I use the Soothies pacifiers because the entire thing chills and my daughter likes to chew on the base. She hasn't used pacifiers in months but likes to chew on these. Soothies also makes teething pacifiers, but I've never tried them.)
- Baby Orajel (Naturals or the original formula)
- Clove Oil
- Infant Acetaminophen and/or Motrin
- Teething Tablets
- Chilled baby food
- Water (to rehydrate)
- Use a clean finger to rub gums
- Snacks that Baby can chew (arrowroot cookies, Gerber Graduates snacks)
- If your baby develops a rash from the drooling, pat the skin dry, then coat with petroleum jelly or Aquaphor.
- Comfort and Love :)
The most important advice I can give is this:
Be patient. Take deep breaths through the crying and remember your baby is experiencing major discomfort. It isn't his fault that his gums hurt and your schedule isn't working out as planned. :-)
For further reading, visit the sites listed below.
My brother eventually had to go to the dentist for them to cut his gums and then the teeth popped up and he was all good. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? I've never heard of that. That's crazy. I read a lot about how babies should be taken to the doctor if they're in too much pain, but I didn't really understand why. I didn't realize that happens. Bleh.
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