Teething Trenches

Maxwell turned one in July, and up until last week had two teeth. He’s now cutting 5 at the same time, and everyone is miserable. Audrey had a mouthful of teeth by the time she was one and I don’t recall her being so fussy while teething, so this is new for us. My smartwatch tells me I have slept 2 hours and 18 minutes last night, and the dark circles under my eyes confirm that. Between waking up in the middle of the night, constant fussiness, mild temperature, and drooling enough for me to consider attaching a microfiber cloth to him to consider it “mopping the floors”, I am ready for these teeth to come in, and so is he! I know there are tons of Mama’s like myself at 3 am and at their wits end searching google and blogs for ways to help their littles feel better so I thought I’d compile a list of my teething tricks.

Ice, Ice, Baby- When I have a toothache I crawl into a fetal position and try not to move because for some reason teeth pain is worse than natural labor, so I can not imagine how cutting 5 teeth at the same time feels. I noticed everything cold seems to calm him for a few minutes, so I refrigerate everything. All his teethers, cold snacks, frozen washcloths, frozen silicone reusable straws that he can gnaw on, and popsicles seem to ease a bit of the discomfort.

Hard Foods- He seems to be soothed with something rubbing against his gums; hard carrots, cucumbers, hard bagels, frozen pancakes, and rice cakes are our current favorites.

Tylenol/Motrin- I hate the idea of giving him medication frequently, but when the tears won’t stop and he is grabbing so fiercely at his mouth, I know he is in serious pain. I alternate between Tylenol and Motrin and use Motrin at night since it lasts longer. I usually take a tiny bit and rub it along his gums as well to apply it directly to the gum tissue.

Teethers- I think I own one of every teether on the market, and I can’t tell which ones work and which don’t. He seems calmed by one and bored with it quickly. He currently likes the silicone ones and the old school Nuby teethers. I find that he is most entertained and soothed by things that aren’t specifically “teethers”, like our silicone spatulas, silicone reusable straws, and a baby toothbrush. At this stage of the game if he wanted to gnaw on my fingers to help get these teeth in, I’d consider it.

Change of Scenery- When all else fails and I can’t get him comfy I change where we are hanging out with either stepping outside or running him a bath. Being outside distracts him for a few minutes, the fresh air, cars, and sounds allow him to focus on something else for a few minutes. Bath time is always a win with my kids, it’s like the magic elixir. The water is soothing, he can play with bath toys, and I throw in a lot of washcloths for him to bite on.

If you are in the trenches of teething, we are right there with ya’. Try to keep the frustrations of lack of sleep and constant tears in perspective and remember that this is a short season and it will pass quickly. Perhaps I don’t remember Audrey teething because it was so horrible (like labor) you forget it? Extra cuddles for babe and extra coffee for mama!

Leave a comment with your favorite teething tip or toy.