Cut Your Teeth On This

It just never seems to end.  Once you have them finally sleeping through the night...the teeth start poking through waking them (and you) up from what was once a peaceful night sleep.  It's a chaotic circle of sleepless nights, never knowing when that final little white bone is going to poke through, when is the next one coming, dreading and at the same time hoping that more than one will poke through at a time.  It can be stressful.  But in the moment of all this stress with your bra stained from breast milk and peas on your shirt take a minute and focus on what the best solution is for your baby for now and in the long term. 

I was a bit put off the other day when a group of neighbors were gathered in the street.  The one had a baby a few months back and he was cutting those pearly whites.  She was stressed because he wasn't sleeping and looking for advice.  Two of the neighbors began advising her on how to alternate two types of child pain meds every four hours to essentially keep the poor little guy 'drugged up' until when???? He hits 2 and all his teeth are in? 
Maybe i'm a tough love mom, but they need to learn how to handle a little pain!  I'm not saying ignore, but let's try some natural ways to help our little ones make it through this tough time rather than shoving tons of medication down their throat and just numb them up for life.  Ok...maybe that's a little extreme but their little bodies are trying to develop and form.  Do we already want to pump their little livers and blood stream with pain killers (children dosage or not)?

So what do you do?  Here are some fun easy tips that i used with my children and no, i did not give them children's (enter any type of over the counter or prescribed drug here).  And I fully admit to anyone who asks, i know i am an over the top natural freak when it comes to my little ones, but why risk the other?  So if your little on is cranky and you are chomping at the bit to give him or her something to sooth their pain try this:

- wet a wash cloth and freeze it.  The cold feels great on the gums and the little texture on the wash cloth also is soothing on the gums
- discovery toys has a great set of teething rings!!!  I ordered two sets when i had my son, each on is set to reach different parts of the mouth to rub right on the exact area of where that little tooth is breaking in at
- mesh food pouches, they sell these pretty much everywhere but you can put any frozen food in it or even just an ice cube, it keep the frozen item trapped inside the little pouch, there is a ring for them to hold on to (or chew) and it's portable.  Every restaurant has ice to sooth a teething baby while out.
- distraction.  play, entertain and distract them from the pain they are feeling
-love. hug. kiss and repeat.  they are in pain and want the comfort that you will be there to ease their pain and love them through it.
- there are some great all natural little teething tablets out there that sooth and comfort (especially at night) without all the chemicals, just look, they are out there.

The good news is the teeth do eventually come in, the bad news is they all fall out and come in a second time around Kindergarten...but that gives you at least 4 solid years of sleep in between