Is there anything worse than teething?
Well, I'm sure there are worse things, but for a 10-month-old, teething is his arch-nemesis.
Droolface had a rough time this weekend as his mouth tries to push through his two top central incisors. Crying and tears were the order of the day and night yesterday.
How did you survive teething? Or are you going through it right now? Any suggestions?
Here are a few things we tried. They all seemed to work for a limited time.
• Frozen washcloth. Pop a damp washcloth in the freezer for a bit, then give it to the teether. The cold helps numb the gums and makes the little guy or gal feel some relief. It is limited because as soon as the washcloth warms up, it stops helping.
• Refrigerated teething rings. I have had the least success with these plastic, gel-filled rings. Again, the coldness is supposed to help, but in our experience, Droolface chews them for a minute or so, then gets frustrated and moves on.
• Teething gels. These topical gels are for babies older than 4 months. The kind we have comes in a Q-tip-like dispenser, which you have to rub along the gums. We did this last night while Droolface was screaming. It upset him, but when he's already crying, it doesn't really matter, right? A bit hard to maneuver inside a tiny mouth, and I'm not sure how much it really helped. After about 20 minutes he was back asleep, so maybe it was because of the gel.
• Teething biscuits. These are fun if your baby is already dirty and will be having a bath soon. They make a huge mess! I am not sure they really help with teething pain, but the little guy seems to have fun mashing them up. Distraction is a great way to get his mind off his teeth.
• Sophie the Giraffe. If you have a teether, get this giraffe. Or something like it. The price is a bit steep for a toy, but Droolface loves the darn thing. And, it does seem to hit the right mouth spots for him. Again, it is mostly a distraction, but it gave us some peace and quiet, which we needed to gather our frayed nerves and proceed with a few ounces of positive energy!
Send your suggestions to: rachel@capegazette.com, and good luck in the kingdom of drool!
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Real Parents. Real Food. Real Fun.
Welcome to Adventures in Drool! Talking about green living, getting rid of plastics and toxic chemicals in our homes and raising happy kids on a budget. Join the conversation (www.adventuresindrool.com) and don't forget to Like us on Facebook!
Rachel Swick Mavity, author of the blog, lives with a reformed drooler (Droolface), who at age 3 loves to get muddy, drink homemade smoothies, giggle and flirt with old ladies. Her current drooler (Birdy) enjoys spitting up on work clothes and leaving drool trails as a way of showing her love.
Mavity previously worked as a journalist for seven years at newspapers from Pennsylvania to Maryland and Delaware. In Sussex County she worked for several newspapers, including the Cape Gazette. She lives in Lewes with her husband, Ryan Mavity, their son, "Droolface," and daughter, "Birdy."
