My 4 month old cut his first tooth last Saturday and seemed to be ok with it - no fever or irritability, but just last night he flipped out and it's obvious that his mouth really hurts him. He was doing really well in his crib, but last night we had to put him in his swing to soothe him because he was up every 45 minutes.
I tried homeopathic remedies (Hylands and Humphries) and last night finally used Baby Oragel and some Tylenol.
Anyone have any other suggestions? He's not cranky all the time, just on and off and is having a hard time sleeping. I'm scared to use the swing at night because I don't want him to get out of the habit of sleeping in his crib, but will a few nights hurt?
Okay everyone - I found tooth #2 this afternoon!! That explains last night. Hopefully now that it's broken through the skin, he will have a better night tonight.
Thanks for the support, even though I know there's not much that can be done. I know this will be ongoing for the next 2 years - but everyone's advice and support is WONDERFUL and helps a lot!!!
Hi T.- my name is A. and I would suggest that you give him something to chew on. He probably can't hold things too well yet but a cold washcloth would be gentle enough for his mouth and easy enough for him to grab.Also rubbing a bit of alcohole(rum,whiskey,etc....) would do the trick. Little for ,little for you...hahaha.Alright well...good luck to you. I have a 5 yr old and a 6mo old...ah good times.
You have got to do what needs to be done without too many worries. All babies go through this and moms everywhere at first will worry about every little thing. At first they worry about everything, but the longer you are a mom the easier it gets. When he is 18 you probably won't even remember this. Since it is his first tooth it will probably be the worst; he'll get used to the feeling of cutting teeth. Fear not this will only last a few days at most so use the swing when needed.
My kids are are in their 20's now, and back when they were babies their pediatricians recommended that we rub their gums in the eruption area with liquid Tylenol. It worked better than any of the other products. The dentist that I worked for also told moms to take an ice cube and rub it on the area or buy the freezable teething rings. I also used popsicles which they really enjoyed. Beware of the mess though. LOL
Ibuprofren is an anti-inflamatory pain releiver and is wonderful for teething b/c it helps reduce the pain and swelling from cutting teeth. It also helps them sleep a little bit better. When my son first started cutting teeth I did like you did... tried the homeopathic teething drops and then orajel and tylenol and none of them would work for more than an hour so. But when I tried the infant Ibuprofren it was like magic... it helped w/ the pain and swelling and helped him sleep! Just make sure you follow the dosing instructions... it says for children under 2 to ask ur doctor, but you just have to really look at their weight... hope it helps!
Use Ibuprofen, especially to take some of the swelling down, which can be the most painful part. Keep the oragel coming when your baby needs it. We did ibuprofen around the clock (pediatrician-recommended) just to keep them happy, which ultimately kept us happy and sleeping! There's nothing wrong with using Ibuprofen, your baby is in pain and you need to address that! Good luck! Also, wetting a baby washcloth and tying a knot in it, then freezing it until it gets a little crispy really works well! I've asked my ped- about ice and she advised against it, as ice can be a bit much for your 4-month old to take.
That is what you have to deal with when they are teething. Unfortunately there is no quick easy fix answer. I wouldn't use tylenol or ibprofen on a little baby unless they have a fever. I only use Oragel and it helps plus you can put a wet cloth in the freezer and let him suck on it. Good luck! I am going through the same thing with my 6 mth old.
Hi T.,
Welcome to teething!! My daughter was really quite good though the whole process but when things got a little hurty we gave her a ice cube wrapped up in a face-washer. Ice REALLY soothes the gums.
As for bringing him into bed with you, I think you are making the right decision. Once they get a taste of sleeping with you it is hard to get them out of your bed. This is OK if you dont mind sharing your bed but if not then I dont recommend you start.
Good Luck!!
F.
You should consult his pediatrician for dosage, based on his weight, but I would use the 8-hour ibuprofen (you can get this at the grocery store and the generic is just as good and WAY cheaper than the brand names) about 1/2 hour before bedtime, so it has a chance to kick in and relieve the pain before you put him down for the night. That, and teething tablets, always worked best for my little one. I've read a lot that say some bad nighttime habits can be formed during teething time, so I would recommend you keep him in his crib, rather than let him sleep in the swing too many nights in a row. He'll mostly need Mommy's soothing anyway!
Good luck!
K.
just an fyi-most pediatricians do not recommend using ibuprofen unless the infant is 6 months old
Hi-
I to had a super teether...he was getting teeth all the time and my husband and I would go for days with little or no sleep....I found that baby motrin worked the best for us. Tylenol seemed to do nothing for him. Also, try buying a finger tooth brush for babies and massage his gums at night...it will relieve the pain a little. The molars are the worst to come in.......
I used to run a daycare and a tip i learned was to wet a clean face cloth and then roll it up and put it in the freezer.when your little one starts hurting,they like to teeth or suck on the face cloth.let me know if it works.it used to for us.
I have a 9 month old who i was told by my mother who said to give him infant tylenol or motrin every 6 hours but use the dropper that has 0.4 on it and give the med to him.Also baby orajel it works too.
