How to survive teething.
Teething. Every baby goes through it, whether it’s at 3 months or at 10 months. If you’re one of the lucky parents out there who’s child barely shows any symptoms of teething, my hat’s off to you. But if you’re not so lucky, this post has a few tips and products that helped Ryan and I get through Emma’s first bout of teething. As luck would have it, our daughter started teething the first day of our week and a half long trip to Alabama and Florida. Oh, and we were driving.
I’ll spare you the details of our very long drive with a teething baby. But I’ll let you know what we did to survive. First, you’ll need Children’s Tylenol. I know, I know. Some parents don’t want to give their kids medication, and I get that. But teething hurts. These poor little babies are going through quite a bit of pain. Did you know that a baby’s teeth might start to poke through the gums only to recede back and then start poking through again?
With Emma, we talked to our pediatrician before giving her any Tylenol and now we give her the recommended dose whenever it seems that she needs it. For us, we run through the “checklist:” Is she hungry? Does she need to be changed? Is she cold or hot? Is she running a fever (which is a side effect of teething)? If she isn’t hungry or in need of a diaper change, then chances are she’s in pain. Some babies will start pulling on their ears when they’re in pain. Emma’s biggest sign is when she’s nursing. She’ll eat a little bit, but then start crying and unlatching. It’s heartbreaking to watch. When she gets like this, we give her some Tylenol.
Another thing that has made teething a little easier (emphasis on little, there’s nothing easy about teething) has been teething toys. We have a variety, but our favorite is the Nuby IcyBites Keys Teether. You can put them in the freezer or fridge so that they’re nice and cool on your baby's gums. Emma loves to gnaw on these whether they’ve been in the freezer or not.
I also would advise that you put a bib on your baby when they’re chewing on these. Emma drools so much when she’s teething and even more so when she’s gnawing on the keys. We learned the hard way that if your baby’s shirt gets soaked with drool and you don’t change their outfit (such as when you’re in the car), they can develop a rash on their chest from the wet material. I really like these bibs cause they’re still somewhat fashionable while also protecting your baby. Just make sure to take off the bib when you lay them down for a nap.
And of course, don’t forget to take care of yourself during this trying time. When Emma’s teething, I tend to go through my fair share of Halo Top ice cream while Ryan enjoys some Revolution Anti-Hero IPA. It’s important to make sure that Mom and Dad maintain their sanity.