Teething. I still shudder at the thought.
It wasn’t always like this. L breezed through it all and I didn’t know how good I had it. A kid who just had teeth appear. It’s an amazing thing.
Then I had B. And things were a bit different.
So different that I often found myself in the pediatrician’s office, many times (sorry insurance) demanding that something must be wrong with him. He screamed non-stop. He wanted to be held; I would hold him, and he screamed wanting to get down. I would put him down; he would scream wanting to be held. He was up 5-6 times a night. His poor bottom – the rashes were unexplainable. And yet he checked out ‘fine’, over and over again.
I would tell my pediatrician about his swollen gums and he would chuckle, “Oh, some kids get slightly irritable but you can’t blame it all on teething.” And the killer “I don’t recommend Motrin for teething.”
Oh. Well, B probably consumed more Motrin in those 18 months of teething that L has in his entire life. Sorry not sorry.
See, every. single. tooth. was a 3-4 week painful ordeal. I would check his gums 10,000 times a day. Did it poke through? At times it had. And yet then disappear again, like it was taunting me. And the night wakings were awful; nothing would help. Motrin would only take a slight edge off. The rashes would get worse by the day. His little system just could not handle all the extra saliva.
You know what fixed it all? His teeth breaking through. I’d have my happy chubby little guy back. Things would be grand for a few weeks. Smiles, sleep. Zzzzzzzz. And then… it would creep back again. Time for another set of chompers to unleash their terror on our little family.
It’s no wonder when B cut his last 2 year molar (right at age 2, he was a bit fast with teething), M and I celebrated with the best bottle of champagne we could afford. B’s teething took a toll on all of us. We’d fight because we were tired. We’d get impatient with B (is it really that bad????). We’d be short with L. None of it was good. But we made it through. And he’s been sleeping and (generally) happy ever since.
I wanted to write this for any other moms out there that might be dealing with this and are quickly dismissed by a pediatrician or a search on Google. In our case, teething was real. It caused a bad runny nose, a horrible rash, multiple night wakings, and extreme crankiness. Here are a few tips that helped, and some that didn’t:
- Popsicles. On the worst days, I’d give them to him all day. He loves these and the ‘no sugar added’ made me feel like a better mom. Score.
- Motrin took a little edge off but it was no miracle.
- At the slightest sign of a rash, I immediately switched to damp paper towels instead of wipes. They were much more gentle.
- Get as much fresh air on the little booty as humanly possible. I realize this is a hard one. There were many winter days I sat alone in my basement just letting him run wild naked.
- Aveeno oatmeal baths. It’s the only time he would be happy. Obviously, I bought them in bulk.
- NO juice. The acidity makes the rash worse.
- We used two diaper creams. One for prevention and one for healing. The preventative one goes on all the time. The healing one would go on top of the preventative one at the first sign of a rash.
- Give yourself a break. Even if it’s to wander through Target for 30 minutes or take a quick walk. Leave the teething monster with someone – anyone – and get the heck out.
- On the really bad days B would wake up around 4:30AM to begin the day. I would then lay with him to get him back to sleep. At first I thought I was starting a bad habit but he needed the comfort and sleep, and as soon as the tooth popped through he went back to sleeping happily in his crib alone.
- Wine. A lot of wine.
- And the best tip I can give you? M would give the ice cubes out of his scotch to B on the really bad days. I’m actually not joking.
I hope a tip or two can help you, should you have a little teething one of your own. Just remember, like any bad stage, it does pass. It can be hard to know that when you’re in the thick of it but B and I are living proof of making it through those 20 little baby teeth.
Do you have any teething tips to share? Leave them in a comment below.
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Courtney
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The worst. Sorry, not sorry. HA!
I had no idea how hard this could be. I remember the struggle with B…I remember the creams and ointments and paper towels, but I had no idea until E. YIKES. So glad you shared this. There isn’t enough Motrin in all the world to take the edge off of an angry baby cutting teeth. You have been my cheerleader this whole time. She finally has 6 of the little m-effers. I will be getting a bottle of champagne as well when those last 2 come in. There should be a support group for mothers of teething infants…
6 down!! You can do this!!!! I am here to vent to anytime and I will be buying you that bottle of champagne 😉 I know the pain and I totally agree about the support group!
That first picture is priceless! I wanted to give you a heads up – Heinen’s has Chobani 10/$10 this week and they also have bone in chicken breasts, 4 lbs. for $10! 😀
Enjoy the weather this weekend!
Biz recently posted…Nachos on Napkins
Oh awesome deals!! Thank you for sharing!
Twitter: roamingfamily
says:
It’s been so long since I’ve dealt with the teething stage! I do remember having some rough days/nights in there though! I used to get a wet hand towel and stick it in the freezer for a bit and let baby suck on that. Seemed to help!
Twitter: SavingCmnCents
says:
I’m so grateful that none of my kids struggled with teething too badly. I was a big proponent of mulitple popsicles a day (sugar-free was what made my day)! It’s true that every kiddo can have a totally different teething experience!
Jessica Harlow recently posted…Bee friendlier and help save the bees!
Earaches too… the kids suffer so badly with them when they get them. Your tips are good, and getting out for just a few seconds can rejuvenate your empathy. 🙂
My om told me to give them a wet washcloth to chew on & it worked like a charm.
Twitter: _Everyday_Life_
says:
I grandma told me a slightly frozen washcloth to chew on would work wonders It truly did.
becca recently posted…Music Monday #Music
Twitter: KatieMarkeyMcL
says:
Thank you for sharing your experience! My first had no teething issues, but I recognize that all children are different and that may not be the case with baby #2 (on the way). I do believe that the issues/pain of teething is very REAL!
Katie @ Pick Any Two recently posted…4 Ways BJ’s Makes Life Easier for Busy Moms with Babies
Twitter: stayclosetohome
says:
This is definitely a challenging time for moms. You never quite know what your baby is crying about. Great article.
mariua @closetohome recently posted…Entree Size Spanakopita Recipe
I do not miss those days. I remember rubbing a little alcohol on the gums of my oldest at night when it was really bad. And we always had those frozen teething rings on hand for all the kids!
lisa recently posted…The First Communion Invitation Search
All babies are so different. Some of mine struggled with teething while others had no problems at all.
Mama to 5 BLessings recently posted…Treasured Photo’s With Disney’s Memory Maker #WDWBigFun
Twitter: hautepeople
says:
Lol @ Wine .. I can only imagine. I guess all kids have different symptoms of teething. Its a painful frustrating experience for both Mother & Baby
I didn’t realize that popsicles were good for teething babies! I will keep this in mind!
Stacey- Travel Blogger recently posted…Spring Entertaining with RO*TEL’s Rockin’ Guac and Bud Light Lime-A-Ritas @TheRitas #ZestyInADash
This is really helpful. I think this is a pretty common issue that parents have to address.
Liz Mays recently posted…5 Ways to Serve Nuts as Appetizers
Twitter: pinkkballoons
says:
Your son is way passed adorable! How did you get that perfect photo? Thanks for sharing him with us!
Teething was really real for a few of my kids too! Popsicles and Motrin were my go-to as well as a frozen washcloth.
Tonya C recently posted…Monster High Party – Gloom & Bloom featuring Amanita Nightshade + Giveaway
Awh! So precious! I remember when my little one was teething, I swear I felt so hopeless. These are such great tips!
aly mashrah recently posted…Pamper Your Skin: My Skincare Routine
Twitter: MMGMOM3
says:
Man I wish I had these tips when my girls were little. Hopefully these tips will help other moms who are going through the same thing.
Melissa Vera recently posted…Making Easy Meals Tastier with Nello Sauce
My son was an awful teether. Nothing made him happy.
Debi recently posted…Quick and Easy Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
Twitter: kickingwkelly
says:
Oh goodness, I remember those days! My son screamed all the way through teething. So glad those days are over. You have some great tips here!
Kelly Hutchinson recently posted…Gifts For Mom: Homemade Chocolate Mint Sugar Scrub
Twitter: bonbonrosegirls
says:
Popsicles were really helpful for us last time and we’re about to be there again!
Kristin recently posted…Fresh Spring Look for $20
It was definitely a hard time for us. All I can remember is lots of late nights and slobber.
Krystal recently posted…Steak Fajita Salad Recipe