Wednesday, November 2, 2011


Please excuse the very late posting today; I have an incredibly unhappy teething baby with one toof and more on the way. I'm feeling pretty helpless here. Every time she looks up at me with oversized tears in her big brown eyes and a frown that's bound to break anyone's heart, all I know to do is hug her and tell her it's going to be OK... not exactly supermom skills. There've been a couple times she's ended up with a fever, and a few times that she's been completely inconsolable, in which I've given her some Baby Tylenol. Although it does seem to take the edge off a bit, I wouldn't say that it alleviates all of her agony, so I don't want to get into the habit of giving it to her just to give it to her, you know? Do any of you have any secrets to help soothe a teething baby? They'd be greatly appreciated. She'll also develop teething rash from time to time and I'd love some suggestions to help with that as well. I know some people put a little Vaseline on their babies' faces, but I feel like the oil in Vaseline would cause her to break out. Right?

9 comments:

  1. I don't have a baby myself--working on growing my first currently!--but I've heard great things about these: http://www.hylands.com/products/teething.php

    Hope she feels better soon!

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  2. try putting a damp wash cloth in the freezer for a bit (just enough to get it nice and cold) and let her chew on that, or a big cold carrot (so she won't choke on it, but she can chew the heck out of it) hope that helps! teething sucks. :(
    -Tina

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  3. coconut oil is lighter than vaseline. i use it for everything in terms of baby.

    hyland's teething gel always seemed to work for us for short periods of time.

    apples are good teethers before they can chew off chunks. is she biting down on stuff vigorously? knuckles are good teethers too. ;) rub her gums a little if she likes it.

    mesh feeder bags with frozen bananas or ice or frozen grapes: http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Pack-Fresh-Feeder-Colors/dp/B000GK5XY2

    i think you've said that cheech doesn't like being worn, but on bad days, throwing dax on my back in the Ergo and getting out of the house was the only thing to calm us both. he would be calmed by the activity and the getting out and the comfort, and i would get a bite to eat or coffee, and he'd usually catch a nap too.

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  4. also: with the frozen ice or washcloth, you can brew some chamomile tea and use that in place of water to freeze and it has some soothing properties. it's safe for babies.

    i'd recommend an amber necklace, but i have no idea if they work.

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  5. ALSO! omg too many comments - i would like to add that hugging her and telling her it's going to be OK is totally a supermom thing to do!!!

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  6. Poor Cheech! We are in the same boat here, so I don't really have any magic solutions. Just wanted to second the vote for coconut oil. It seems to magically help every skin problem, and it's gentle.

    My baby also likes the cold, wet washcloth and the cold carrot. At least it's nice to be able to offer her something different to gnaw on once in a while. There's a silicone teether that looks like a raspberry -- she really like the bumps on that one.

    We tried some homeopathic teething tablets and I really couldn't tell any difference. She also has an amber necklace, but I have no way of knowing whether it's truly helpful, or just a cute yellow necklace. :)

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  7. There are homeopathic teething relief drops that someone recommended to me and they seemed to work well for us. I found them at whole foods but they also sell them online:

    http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Camilia-Teething-Relief-20-dose/dp/B000XHGTPK

    We also used those mesh feeder things and the wet/cold washcloths, but
    never underestimate the power of sophie the giraffe. My son just goes to town on that thing when his teeth hurt!

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  8. It's my Pod!

    Teeth suck. We're all about the tylenol/paracetamol/ibuprofen which seems to help. We're also all about the lydocaine gel which really helps. Frozen washcloths help a little and those teething toys that you put in the freezer. Someone suggested a frozen banana to me but Ella was just like 'what the fuck is this??' when I gave it to her. Some people swear by amber bead necklaces which they wear (not chew on, as I first imagined) but 1) it seems an awful lot like hippy crap to me and 2) screams one twin strangling the other.

    Sticking some used chamomile teabags in the fridge then letting her chew on the seems like a good idea.

    And hugging her and telling her it's okay is totally supermum material. xx

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  9. I must admit the amber works for us. We weren't sure as she pretty much always wore one so how can you tell. Then I forgot to put it on her for 5 days and she had the worst teething she ever had. Cooincidence? Who knows but I say it can't hurt. They're designed to break safely etc. You can get anklets too. www.dinodaisy.co.uk is good think they deliver worldwide.

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