Teething Nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!

Updated on April 13, 2009
H.B. asks from Phoenix, AZ
14 answers

My 5 month old daughter has been teething for close to 2 months... at first it was the usual turning in to a drool monster, swollen gums, gnawing on whatever she could get into her mouth, and some discomfort until recently. Now she is very warm but doesn't have a fever, vomitting, diarrhea, her gums are still swollen but only where the 2 bottom teeth are there is only swollen bumps, fussiness (which is expected), and she is having a hard time sleeping. Her Pediatrician doesn't like the use of Baby Orajel because of the alcohol in it and said only Childrens Tylenol when she is really uncomfortable. I have tried the refrigerated teethers, frozen baby food cubes wrapped in a wash cloth, frozen wash clothes, Humphreys Teething Tablets, and everything else suggested so far... and nothing is helping!!! Has anyone had a bad teething experience and knows of any ideas or products that are safe and effective? How long did the "nightmare" last? I am a single mom and lets just say I am not getting any sleep so if anyone has ANY ADVICE it is greatly appreciated... Its definitely a very trying time for us right now... I am very loving and try to comfort as much as I can and she will allow. Thank you all in advance! =O)

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So What Happened?

Well we are almost done! I can feel the edge of the tooth... hopefully not much longer!!! Thank you everyone for all of the awesome advice! Motrin has made a big difference...and so did the frozen fruit and veggies. She still isn't wanting to sleep much but its not so bad now that the crying isn't as bad. Thank you everyone!

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M.J.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi H.! I am going through this right now. I am using Motrin over Tylenol. It seems to work better and Hyland's teething tablets. I still use Orajel. To me it is only used occassionally so it isn't a big deal. But it is true that there is no magical solution. Sometimes I find myself feeling a little helpless because there is nothing I could do. She could be playful for awhile and then irritated the next. I even took her the doctor to rule any other illnesses out and the dr said that it was just her teething. I guess I was thrown for a loop since my son didn't even react to his teething. So just know soon it will be over. You and I will both be relieved. I do have a husband but I tell you he is such a deep sleeper that he can't even here her most of the time. I know how you feel sometimes that broken up sleep weighs down on my energy level. I wish you well!

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K.F.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi H.,

We all feel for you that's for sure! Every little one has had good and bad times with the terrible teething woes. I found Moring to be the most helpful and I also use Hyland's Teething tablets with my second child. These really seem to help. Just minutes after I give my son 2 tablets he's back to playing and happy again. I wish I would have tried these with my first son! Good luck and keep sane. I know how trying these times can be.

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B.L.

answers from Phoenix on

Dear H., I now the feeling! my son went through a really hard time during his teething period, what I found really helpful was lots of baths, it seemed to help calm him down for a bit and I also gave him long green onions, they have a natural numbing effect on the gums. It worked for my little one hopefully it will work for you? I too found tylenol helpful but motrin was more helpful because it last longer. I would also mix tylenol with motrin. Tylenol works faster but motrin works longer.

B.

M.W.

answers from Phoenix on

just use oragel...i used it through out my sons teething & it doesnt hurt them. it will help ease her pain, besides its your baby not your doctors!

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S.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Motrin was the only thing that help my kids. My girls are older now and I still use Motrin for fevers, tylenol just doesnt work for them. I remember my oldest dd was a horrible teether and I used Tylenol and I was so tired all the time because it wasnt working and she wasnt sleeping and she was soooo cranky. After months of that, then tring the motrin and it was like night and day, I kicked myself in the butt for not tring it sooner. Good Luck

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B.S.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi H.,

I would like to tell you there is some magic way of getting through this time, but honestly there is not. One thing that helps is making sure your little one has lots of fluids especially water so popsicles or ice pops are a good way to treat the swelling. The mess is worth it. Another thing is plenty of rest but that is hard if the baby is sleeping too much during the day. Give her tubby time and a rub down with a soothing lotion followed by time with you until she falls asleep. Use music or nature sounds to relax her close to bedtime and be sure to take your vitamins. The days will get easier, but not for a while. I too raised my children with my husband deployed more that he was home. I now have 5 grandchildren. You can do this... just don't expect overnight answers and by Christmas, this will all be behind you.

When in doubt about medicine, talk to your pharmacist. They can help you determine the dosage for her. Using Motrin is good because it reduces the swelling but the pharmacist may also have some other ideas such as Benedril at bedtime to help her relax more. Pedialite has popsicles with less sugar than ones from the grocery but a they are more expensive. Use those if she has vomiting and diahrrea. With those symptoms you have to reduce the milk intake and she will need electrolites, othewise regular popsickles may help. Keep a journal. You will be surprised how much better you feel when you release your stress.

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R.J.

answers from Phoenix on

H.
I don't think this has been suggested. Fresh food feeders-you can find them at Target and Walmart too. I sat my daughter in her highchair whenever she was super fussy and gave her both feeders at one time-one with a frozen strawberry and the other a frozen banana chunk. I have also used papaya and mango. Their hands don't freeze from the ring and they can knaw on this for a good 1/2 hour, it eases the swelling and pain but it also helps push the tooth thru with less pain. http://store.babycenter.com/product/feeding+-+nursing/sol...

The other thing I found that worked well was a teething keyring I found at Walmart. It is not the typical teething ring that freezes their hands, it is a key ring and only the end of the key freezes.

I only did tylenol at night and used orajel during the day. My daughter is 8 months, she got the first two bottom teeth at 6 months and is now working on the top two-it's the worst. She is so crabby.

Hope this helps some. I also make all my daughters food, so I can use pieces of what I make in the feeders too-such as green beans or peaches that have been frozen.

I would talk to your daughter about the vomiting and diahreah, I don't think that is normal, she may be sick.

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S.D.

answers from Phoenix on

Oh mama, I am so sorry that this is so h*** o* your little girl (and you too, I would guess).
I never had any luck with Orajel, but I have found a great natural teething called Punkin Butt Teething Oil. I started carrying it on my cloth diaper website because I love it so much and wanted to offer another option for parents that don't want to use Orajel. I also have also found that teething necklaces made of Amber also help (I have those too, but they aren't listed on my website yet)
Good Luck! I hope you find a solution soon :D
S.
www.diaperstyle.com

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J.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I think every Dr. will tell you to only give them Tylenol and never use Motrin but, just like Tylenol may not relieve pain in many adults it doesn't work for all kids. You can piggyback the Tylenol w/Children's Motrin (dye free seems to make a difference w/my daughter).

Give the recommended dose of Tylenol in the AM which you can give to her every 4 hours. Once the four hour mark hits give the Motrin which is given every 6 hours. Then, at the next four hour mark give her the Tylenol and so forth. This will give her a constant relief of pain before the medication can wear off and give her a chance to get some rest. I always tried to time it so that before bedtime my daughter would get the Motrin.

If you're not comfortable w/doing the piggyback method than just give her Motrin at night before bed - I promise it makes a big difference. The Highlands teething tablets seems to work for my daughter too - they're homeopathic so exceeding the dose of 2-3 tablets is fine. The sweetness seems to help get their mind off the pain too =)

Hope this helps you.

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D.S.

answers from Phoenix on

Have you tried Hyland's Teething tablets? They are homeopathic and seem to help at least soothe my son and help him sleep. Good luck!

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S.

answers from Phoenix on

H.,

I feel for you. I've been there. My 2nd son was not so bad. But my 1st..............it was BAD. Motrin worked best. (can't remember what age they can start that). Orajel helped some. Tylenol helped some. Everything else did not help. So we would alternate between tylenol and motrin, mostly at night. Everybody told me it would get easier- but every tooth was just as rough. And the 2 year molars.......he would throw himself to the floor, screaming and crying-unable to be consoled.
I don't mean to paint a bleak picture. I hope yours is easier. But don't feel like it is abnormal if teething continues to be painful. It will end. Keep her comfortable and maybe get a different Drs. opinion. Maybe a diffenent Dr would say go for the tylenol/motrin/orajel combo. Sleep is important for both of you. I hope you can get some.

Best of luck.

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H.N.

answers from Phoenix on

Oh I feel your pain. My son is now 10 1/2 months and we are still teething. I know that they don't recommend motrin until they are 6 months old. Have you tried to message the gums. This helped my son with the bottom teeth. I also used the fresh food feeder and would put frozen watermelon or ice chips in it. This also helped at times. I don't really use Orajel because he has a hard time nursing when I have used it. But if you are desperate you might want to consider it. Try and take naps with your little one. It will get better hang in there.

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A.K.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi H.,
I have the perfect advice for you! My son started teething at 3 months old and it was a nightmare at first, but then I found this really great product! Its a mesh bag with a snap on hinged lid and handle that the baby absolutely cannot get open. This was such a life saver for me because Lucas teethed for like 3 months straight! I used to put frozen peas, frozen blueberries...anything like that in there works. You can get them at babies r us, Frys, I think wal mart carries them as well.
Good luck!

G.M.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi H.,
Motrin worked better for my son than tylenol did because motrin is an anti-inflamatory med while tylenol is just a pain reliever. When the teeth actually move to surfice, that's when it hurts them the most. It did my son. Call your pediatrician/Nurse and give them the age and weight of your baby, and see if there is a dosage of motrin for her. If your baby uses a binky, try putting the nipple part on an icecube for a while to make it really cold, and let her suck on it. This helped my son a lot as well. Fever is normal when babies are teething. Diarrhea and Vomiting, I'm not sure. My son didn't have that. But if your little girl is experiencing this, please call your pediatrician and see what all you can do. They might suggest pedialyte to help replace the electrolytes in her body if she's having the diarrhea and vomiting. I hope this helps. Sorry I couldn't come up with more ideas for you. This will pass. My son not only got in his first two teeth at that time, but it seemed like he was getting them all in at once. It was a nightmare. Hope your baby girl feels better soon. :-) And you too of course. G.

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