H E L P ! Baby Is Teething!!!!!

Updated on March 05, 2007
L.W. asks from Gresham, OR
17 answers

My daughter is 5 months old today and has been teething for about a month now. Iam using the teething tablets and they work for a few min and then its back to crying and screaming. I have given her frozen baby rags and my last resort I give her motrin. Which I hate doing. I would much rather give her something else. But on the other hand I don't want her to suffer. I have heard rum but I am not sure if thats just an old wives tale or if moms really do do it. And how safe is it? I am sure it can be any worse then tylonal or motrin. If you have ANY suggestions please give them to me. I am about ready to start pulling my hair out and I feel horriable that she is in pain.

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So What Happened?

first off I am SHOCKED! that someone would suggest beef jerky and twizzlers....I haven't even introduced her to baby foods. So thanks but no thanks for the suggestion. I am now fully educated on the pro's and cons of oral gel and also shocked at the bad side affects to that. I learn something new everyday. Come to find out the mesh bags with frozen baby food in them are awesome!!! WORKED GREAT! and I am going to try the sponge thing tomorrow. Thank you!

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L.C.

answers from Portland on

Not a good idea for a 5 month old: Jerky, Twizzlers, Motrin, or Liquor.

Good ideas: Homeopathic remedies, baby orajel, *clove oil* (can be found at health food stores- numbing agent), baby tylenol.

Good luck!

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E.T.

answers from Portland on

My son is 4 months and has been teething since he was 2 months. I found that baby orajel works for him since he doesn't like teething rings, especially if they are cold.

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K.H.

answers from Seattle on

I was in your boat about two months ago and of all people my dad told me to go get the toys for the bathtub they are like foam kinda and let her chew on them. I did it with kaitlyn and she loved it so much. That worked for us.

Hope it works if not its only like 3 dollars down the drain and they can play with them later... Right?

1 mom found this helpful
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T.V.

answers from Seattle on

I use a Gentle Naturals it's homeopathic teething drops. The active ingredient is chamomile. It's really safe, even for babies as young as 4mo. My son uses this since like you I've tried about everything and hate to give him tylenol when he doesn't have a fever. I hope this helps.

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T.F.

answers from Eugene on

Baby oragel is a godsend!!! Teething tablets...my son didn't care for them. I was blessed though...he wasn't much of a fuss-bucket either. He just drooled a lot.

Another thing I did too...take a washcloth wet it down fold it or twist it. Put it in the freezer and let it harden...then give it to your baby. The cold will help and then it's also kinda a new feeling on their gums. My son didn't care for the teething rings either.

Do what you need to do for your baby. Just follow with what you feel is right in your gut. All we can is just suggest what we did and have done or heard. God Bless. Good luck. T.

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S.A.

answers from Portland on

Hey Lizzy, I am not sure if your other kiddos got teeth this earlt, but it is very early. Most babies don't start teething until after 7 months. There might be something else going on. Has she had a cold recently? With the increased saliva and fluid she might have an ear infection. It is probally best to have her seen by her pediatrician because there might be something else going on. I don't know anything about liquor and teething. Also, Motrin is not safe for babies under 6 months, there have been links to sezures and early motrin giving....Only tylenol is safe. Good luck, and keep us posted on how it goes. Take care, S.

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D.N.

answers from Medford on

Yes, mothers use to put rum on their baby's gums but it is highly NOT recommended anymore by doctors. No alcohol should ever be given to a baby, even a little. Also, I don't think you are supposed to give babies Motrin - my doctor always said "No Motrin, only Infant Tylenol." Another note, which my pediatrician also agreed with, Hyland's Teething tablets may not be safe. They contain belladonna which in larger amounts is fatal. Yes, Hyland's says they do not use much, but they are not FDA regulated and therefore they could screw up the dosage amount. So I never used them.

As for the teething, it's gonna hurt. You do what you can and hope for the best. My son would never chew on cold rags or teethers either. I just gave him Tylenol when it seemed real bad. He did like chewing on various soft toys though and maybe you could try the teething biscuits. I'm don't remember the age limit on the biscuits but you could look into it and just be sure to keep a close eye on her in case she breaks off a chunk (they ususally just gum it to mush).

I hope this has been of some help to you. Good luck and as you know with your other 2 children, this too shall pass.

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N.C.

answers from Seattle on

Frozen popcicles and frozen grapes sliced.
They work great.

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M.P.

answers from Norfolk on

Definately stay away from the alcohol. Any amount of alcohol is NOT good for infants or small children. I would recommend asking your pediatrician for dosing amounts on over the counter pain relievers as well. My doctor recommended Tylenol instead of Motrin unless it was so bad that I had to alternate the two - but I don't think we alternated until after my son turned one. It's very easy to OD at that age so call your doctor and keep a log of what you give them so they're not getting too much. My son wouldn't take any teethers either he still wont, he chews on his fingers. Some days he's just cranky from teething, we stay home and I spend a little extra time cuddling with him. This too shall pass!

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K.I.

answers from Lawton on

L.,
Hey there, My name is Kim, Im also a sahm.. I have a 1 year old who has had the same problem since he was 2 mo. i started out w/ the teething tabs and yes i have tried the rum.. it works and infact my dr suggested it. but i have recently found a new thing that works.. its calledcamilia by boiron.. its a homeopathic medicine..
I hope this helps your little guy.. it helps mine..
good luck!
Kim in alaska

M.M.

answers from Portland on

hi there,

i would not recommend giving you 5 month old baby salt and sugar to help with the teething. ( jerky n twizzlers ). i would recommend the baby oragel which seems to work with my son, and a little infant tylenol (not regular tylenol)works great for him too - and it's doctor recommended. i would be more concerned with giving your daughter rum than tylenol specifically made for infants. my mother works in mental health and child development, and my step father is a recovering alcoholic. my mother is an expert and helps run outreach programs educating about fetal alcohol syndrome. your baby's brain is still developing and alcohol WILL cause brain damage. alcohol is the leading cause of mental retardation in the united states today. most breastfeeding mothers are wary to drink alcohol themselves and even then breastfeed because trace amounts transfer into the breast milk, so you probably wouldn't just want to skip ahead and put it directly into your baby's mouth. i personally think it is also a safety issue. my son loves to grab at any cup or can he finds sitting around. if your baby is used to the taste of alcohol, she sis more likely to drown your beer when she gets ahold of it later on because she is used to the taste. i'm sure alot of people will say, 'well we all survived alcohol on opur gums when we were little' , but as a loving parent and with all of the research that has been done ,(google "effects of fetal alcohol syndrome" )i would hope people would not not want to risk it. good luck!

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M.W.

answers from Seattle on

My baby had 4 teeth by 4 months and 8 teeth by 8 months, so I know what you are going through. The sooner they cut through, the sooner the pain is over. So provide a lot of teethers. Buy some teething rings and rotate from the freezer to mouth. I also would wash my hands and give her gums a little massage.

I wouldn't use Motrin until after 6 months and wouldn't use alcohol. I'm sure it would work, but the sugars aren't good for her.

Have you seen the mesh baggies that you can put food inside so they don't get chunks off? They have them at Target or Walmart. I bought those and would put ice in them or frozen carrots or peas. I know you haven't introduced solids yet probably, but that's a lot more natural than alcohol or Motrin.

Good luck!!

P.S. the baby spoons with the rubber or plastic (or whatever it is) coating were helpful. My daughter would just chew and chew and chew on them.

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J.J.

answers from Eugene on

We use on of those blue finger baby toothbrushes and let him bite on the end of it as hard as he wants

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T.L.

answers from Anchorage on

L., I was very grateful for twizzlers and beef jerkey! I used it with all three of mine!

Hope this finds you well!

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T.P.

answers from Seattle on

Yup, rum does work or whiskey. A family that I know very close to me use to rub whiskey on her sons gums but you only have to use a little bit. Just enough to lightly coat the gums. Her husband always had a bottle of whiskey on hand for his occasional drinks so she just used what was handy. I would guess that any liquor similiar to it would work well too, but obviously you would not want to use Hot Damn or somehting similar to that. I'm sure you get the idea.

Good Luck

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J.S.

answers from Seattle on

I only use Motrin to bring a fever down but I'm not sure I've ever used it that young. Tylenol is what I've been told is safest for young children and that's what I used with my boys, but only when the teething was fairly bad.

I have been warned by the doctor to not use any numbing teething meds because they may numb the gag reflex.

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L.B.

answers from Yakima on

have you tried those biter biscuits by gerber they are messy but they are sweet and they melt in their mouth and will keep them occupied for a while i have also used beef jerky

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