Running the Teething Gauntlet: Dealing with Teething Pain
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosures Policy for more info.
I feel like I have portrayed a very happy image of our life here on this blog, so this post is a reality check. Family life is NOT always easy and it is NOT always happy. This week, we have definitely had to work for it. Mia is teething, and teething bad.
The First Tooth
Mia’s first tooth popped through at 6 months old. She wasn’t really fussy and wasn’t a big drooler either. She went a weekend where she only took 1/2 hour long naps, but she wasn’t cranky when she was awake. That next Monday, I dug something out of her mouth and felt a sharp object in there! She had a tooth! The first bottom tooth came in and the one right next to it came the next day!
“Whew!” I thought. That was easy! I thought we had it lucky with teething. A little mild discomfort we could deal with. Oh how wrong we were! Fast forward three months.
Teething: The Second Round
Mia went over three months without another tooth. We could tell there were probably times her teeth were shifting their way down because she drooled a lot and she liked her frozen teethers, but it was never anything that interrupted her usual daily routine.
Then came the weekend of August 5th. Of course, we had a wedding that weekend. Out of town.
Mia wouldn’t nap. She started cranking and cranking. After the wedding, she slept from 3:15-5:30. She would have slept longer, but I actually broke the first rule of having children and woke her up. The reception had started and I also wanted her to go to sleep that night. BAD IDEA!! We walked across the street from the hotel to the reception and Mia was not a happy party goer. She didn’t want anybody but Mama. I would hand her to her Daddy and she would just scream! She ate a little, we changed her diaper, and still she fussed. Finally, she passed out on my shoulder.
Relief! She just needed another 1/2 hour of sleep and she would wake up happy. Right? Wishful thinking.
When Mia woke up she started acting a little more like her regular self and she even let Cody carry her around a bit. We decided to take a photo booth picture as a family. Mia’s first! She was not super impressed and definitely still seemed tired.
The Fever Hit
After the photo booth, we sat back down for a minute and I noticed Mia felt really warm. Luckily I had a thermometer in the diaper bag and we took her temperature. 100.3! Oh no! No wonder she wasn’t happy!
We did not have any tylenol 🙁 and it was raining 🙁 🙁 . Cody had to run across the street and get the car. It was 8:30 and we had to get to Walmart. I didn’t pack any because we hadn’t needed any in 9 months!
Of course by the time we left Walmart, (and it was a quick trip!) rain was pouring from the sky so heavily that you couldn’t see the lines on the road or the car in front of you. Our phones went off. We were in a flash flood warning!
Finally we made it back to the hotel and gave Mia tylenol, which she promptly threw half of it back up.Tthen she started playing. She slept with us for most of the night, which she never does. Thank goodness we were in a king sized bed! It was actually comfortable enough that we slept in the next morning before we went home without shopping or seeing any sights. Mia had a fever the whole day.
Teething Week
While Mia’s fever ended at the beginning of the week when one of her teeth popped through, she didn’t go back to normal. She was clingy, crabby, and tired. To top it off, she started a new daycare. I don’t know if it was separation anxiety or her other top tooth coming in, but one day she cried all day long. She was hoarse that evening.
I felt like a failure! Why couldn’t I stay home and comfort my upset child? I couldn’t provide her with what she needed. I couldn’t take her pain away. She wouldn’t go to Cody and that made me feel guilty. I didn’t want him to feel unnecessary, and I needed a break! I became anxious about everyone and with a baby screaming nonstop, we got short with each other. All I really really wanted was my sweet baby back! So many many prayers were said at night!
We think her behavior this whole week has to do with her teeth because even at home she is fussy and clingy. She has only had to go to daycare part time and while I’ve been at school, I have just been working in my room so I’ve been able to drop her off late and pick her up early. I don’t know what we are going to do next week when school starts!
For right now we are looking forward to the weekend where we can focus on Mia. It’s time to give her the loving she needs as well as help her gain her independence back! Another of her top teeth popped through this morning, so maybe there are clear skies ahead! As for now, here are the remedies we have attempted!
Dealing with Teething Pain: Relief
Teething Toys
These keys seem to be one of Mia’s favorites. We pop them in the freezer for awhile and they get really cold. They also hold true to their claim and stay colder longer than other teethers. At least as much as we have noticed!
This toy seems to be her second favorite. Also by Nuby, it doesn’t stay cold as long, but it has some great texture features on the top. The little pokey things help massage her gums!
Household Items
Sometimes it is necessary to mix things up! We have tried spoons that have sat in the freezer for awhile as well as frozen washcloths. Mia doesn’t stay as interested the spoons, but she will suck on a wet washcloth for a while. I thought the washcloth looked hard and uncomfortable, but she liked it! If I don’t have a frozen washcloth on hand, I have also just given her one soaked in cold water. It is also easy to refill quickly. Just wring it out so it doesn’t drip everywhere!
Popsicles
We have done a little bit with breastmilk popsicles, and while Mia does okay with them, they aren’t my favorites. I forget to put my milk in an ice cube tray and when I do remember, I forget about them! Also, as they melt, they get breastmilk everywhere and then Mia smells like sour milk! Yuck!
Medications
Finally this week with a fever and such fussiness, we have resorted to the pharmacy. If it will take away her pain it is worth it! We are not doing her that much harm by giving her the recommended dosages and we have discussed it with our doctor. The problem is, Mia does NOT like tylenol (she has thrown it up twice now) and she will hardly let you touch her gums to put Orajel on them. I think I got more on her lips than her gums!
I know there are other options out there for teething pain relief and I have researched SO MANY of them. If we are still struggling by the end of this weekend, we will be checking out other options! I just want my sweet little happy girl back! I want to be able to start school knowing she is happy and healthy. Why couldn’t we have gone through this two weeks ago??
Advice
What are some methods you have used to relieve teething pain? What about separation anxiety? I am sure we are dealing with that too! We need all the help we can get! Comment below and be sure to subscribe to Blessed Mama Life using the box at the top or bottom of this page!
Our favorite was the teething tablets by Hylands… But they discontinued them last year because of reports of seizures (yikes!). But we never had any issues and it really helped when Samson cut 5 teeth at 7 months (so draining on all of us).
For the next go around I’m going to try the home remedy an IF friend recommended and used with her son. A dab of vanilla extract on the gums. It’s supposed to help numb the pain and irritation, plus upset tummies.
Samson also loved those teething toys you mentioned above! And I agree about the breast milk popsicles. Have you tried the baby mesh feeders? He loved that too! Put a cube of frozen puree in it and let her naw at it.
I think I read about the vanilla extract. I might have to try that! We do have some mesh bags and I’ve been meaning to put bananas in them! We tried them when we were first feeding her solids and she did like them. Now maybe she will like them for a different reason!
Frozen teething toys and teething tablets were Our go to! I have to admit, my son did have too many crazy episodes of discomfort from teething ((thank Jesus 🙌🏻)), but we absolutely deployed the two options above to help when he did!