Teething - Suffolk,VA

With my son, he only acted like he was in pain for the first one, but he got all 4 front ones pretty quickly. My daughter on the other hand will drool and cry for 2 or 3 weeks before it comes in. She just got one last week, and she's already crying about the next one, which we can see, but we know it'll still be another week or so before it comes through. She's usually still fussy the first day or two after they come in, but then she's fine.

You're right that every baby is different so I can only tell you what happened with my boys. Their teething patterns were virtually identical, except that it didn't seem to bother my oldest and my youngest seems to be in agony from it.

Once they started teething at about 6 months, they didn't quit. After the first two, their teeth were a little slow to come in once they started so the next tooth would already be queing up to start pushing in once they cut the current one. It seems like my boys each went through a solid year of teething without a break, then they had a little break, then the molars started coming in. It's tough on them, poor little guys. Here's the best advice I can give. Combine Tylenol for extended pain relief, with Orajel for instant topical relief and also give the Hyland's teething tablets to reduce swelling (and I personally believe that they actually soften the gums too since my little one's teeth actually break through a few days maximum after we start them). The relief this combination gives them is so powerful they seem to fall asleep a lot more, especially since teething usually keeps them up at night and they have a lot of sleep to catch up on.

Yes it's very normal for them to be in pain until the tooth cuts through the gum but once it's through they should have less pain with it. It still might be a little tender until it's finished "moving up". However, if your little one's tooth has cut through and he still seems to be in the same amount of pain, I would bet that the next tooth has already started to push up. Feel for hardnesses and swelling on his gums above the first teeth and dose with Orajel at those sites.

Best of luck, teething can be miserable.

HI A.,

I think it is different for each child. I tried this trick when both my children were teething and it worked great. Get a dish rag wrap up crushed ice in it and then tie the rag off at the bottom so it is tight enough so none of the ice falls out. Then give it to your child and let him/her suck and bite on it, trust me it works because it is cold and hard and soothes the pain of the teeth coming in and it feels good.
Good luck.
K.

Yes, it's normal for them to be in pain until it is in all the way. Every tooth can be different and every baby is different. We had some teeth that didn't seem to bother him at all and then some that were a nightmare. And the length of time is so different with the different teeth as well. Try the natural teething drops and of course Tylenol (at the right dosage of course). For the easier teeth the teething drops were enough for us and for the difficult ones only Tylenol would help. Teething rings never helped my son. And just give him lots of love and comforting. You will get through this. It's a very long process but there are good breaks in between

I first want to say I STRONGLY advise you to NOT use orajel. There have been several infant deaths linked to it and it is currently being researched and in consideration for being pulled from stores. The reasoning is that if the baby swallows it, even a small amount, it can numb their gag reflex. Therefore, they don't know to swallow ro to gag when something is in their throat and they can either drown from their own saliva or choke on something that's lodged in their throat.

I won't use the teething tablets because they are herbal and therefore not FDA approved. Also, they have caffeine and I certainly am not giving my 7 month old caffeine!

Now that I have scared you and every other mom of a teething baby out there, lol, babies react different to every tooth. The first one is always going to be the worst because its a new sensation to them and they are too young to say what hurts. We use motrin. My pediatrician said it works better than tylenol for teething because its an anti-inflamatory.

My son got his first tooth the day before Christmas Eve.

With each tooth that came in for my son there was a different experience. With the first few, he seemed to be in a lot of pain, but it came and went throughout the day. With some teeth, we didn't even know they came in because he didn't show any symptoms. He just cut his first molars and those were really difficult for him. He's not been himself for about 2 weeks off and on. I wish I could offer more advice, but what my husband and I did was wait until he seemed he was in pain and then give him some tylenol-- we didn't want to keep giving him medicine when he didn't need it. Once he turned 9 months, we started giving him Motrin for the pain and it seemed to work better and longer. Just try to have lots of teethers on hand. And we would put frozen fruits in a feeder to let him knaw on, but your son might be too young for that...

I wish you luck. Teething is just as tough on us as it is them. :)

Try Hyland's Teething Tablets...they dissolve quickly and are wonderful! instant relief and happy baby! they are in all drugstores and Walmart.

Each of my 6 kids has been a little different with teething. Some were bothered more than others and some it was easier to tell that it was their teeth bothering them and not something else. You can always use tylenol or ibuprofen to help with pain. One of my daughters would not take any meds but was in obvious pain. I drank chamomile tea in the evening and then would she would nurse close to bed time it would help her to sleep better.

When my daughter was teething I always knew when her next one would come because she would be very fussy, even get fevered, and then eventually she would throw up. The following day the tooth would have broken through her gums. This must not be uncommon as my niece is now having the exact same conditions with her 10 month old son who just had his first 2 teeth pop through last week. Good luck!

Hey A.,

My 11 month old daughter cut two teeth at the same time when she was 6 1/2 to 7 months. She was in pain for a day or so, we just gave her tylenol which helped alot. Since then she hasn't cut anymore teeth and she'll be 1 next month. Like you said each kid is different. Happy 6 month milestone!

Happy New Year
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