Teething Woes

This past week both girls have cut their first tooth. Abby is working on her second one now.

It's obviously been quite a week and the girls have been suffering so I've been giving them calpol to ease the pain. But it's been so bad that it's been every day, which I feel a bit weird about. I try to distract them or give them things to chew on first but at the moment the only thing that really calms them is the calpol. The poor bright red cheeks make me feel so sorry for them.

I've seriously tried everything. They have cold teethers, chewy teethers, hard teethers, bickiepegs, finger food snacks, teething powders, bonjela. All seem to help (except the bonjela which is just crap) for only a brief time before I have to resort to the medication.

I feel like if they're really in discomfort then it's cruel to not help if I can but Jon gets on me about how much painkillers they're getting and I don't want people to think I'm just dosing them up to keep them quiet.

Any advice or comments? Am I doing this right?

You are doing it right! Nothing wrong with Calpol if it helps the poor babies! You can swap between Calpol & Neurofen, that might help too! What about giving them things like big carrots to chew on, pieces of cold cucumbers?

I am not your best advisee because both of my kids have just woken up with teeth, Immi woke up with two teeth this summer, and Noah just seemed to get all of his peggies in quick succession. I'll be sending some of those vibes to you and your girls!!

I hated how some people would make me feel bad about giving my daughter calpol.  It was as if you are being a bad mum for giving it to them if there isn't a fever.  You are doing fine though!  This is the kind of thing it's made for.  Those first teeth are the worst.  I ended up keeping the calpol by my bedside during the first teeth.  It does get better though.  Don't feel bad about trying to take away some of your children's pain.

One other thing that I found helpful was to use liquid anbesol.  Sometimes it's trickier to find, and they don't usually put it with the baby stuff.  I got mine from my chemist on the recommendation of a fellow mum.  You're right-the bonjela stuff is completely pointless.  I put some in my mouth after it didn't seem to do a thing for my baby, and all it seemed to be was a slightly flavoured gel.  The liquid anbesol actually does some numbing.  The liquid one is also safe for babies--I think their gel is not good for babies, but I may be wrong in that.  Anyway, the liquid smells and tastes bad, but it does help.

Good luck!  This too shall pass.  Subsequent teeth get much better.

Poor girls.  I've been having a hard enough time with one teething baby.  Teething has messed with his stomach and his mouth.  I can't imagine going it with two!

Try not to feel bad, it's what Calpol was designed and marketed for.     You can alternate between Calpol and Calprofen (or Children's Neurofen) at 2-3 hour intervals between each if it gets to be really bad.

If you're looking for Anbesol, try your local Lloyd's Pharmacy.  It'll be kept behind the counter (behind lock and key - literally - depending on your local Lloyd's).  Liquid Anbesol   

Good luck!

I can't imagine teething from twins!  Bless you!

I hate giving the kids any type of medicine unless I have to.  But Noah was teething pretty bad a few weeks ago and I resorted to Calpol for a few days.  I tried to comfort him as much as possible and distract him but sometimes it just doesn't work.

I felt bad about it at first but personally I think it's a little cruel to make them suffer in pain if you've tried everything else and you know the medicine will relieve it.  *shrugs*

My daughter had a horrible time teething and we finally broke down and used Calpol & Calprofen (childrens neurofen) alternatively and we used the full strength Bonjela - not the baby stuff - in between. It was the only way for her to be comfortable.

You're doing nothing wrong. What's wrong is the parents that will dope thier kids up with Calpol so they'll sleep because they can't be bothered with their children.

Thank you everyone. I don't feel so bad about it now.

You're doing nothing wrong. What's wrong is the parents that will dope thier kids up with Calpol so they'll sleep because they can't be bothered with their children.

This is the issue. We know someone who does this. She doses her kids up because she wants them to sleep or just leave her alone while she talks to her friends. It's all a matter of opinion but I just hate to watch how she raises her kids. There are other things that she does which would make you cringe.

Awww, poor little girlies!  Your girls are just the cutest!  I really need to get over there & see y'all again sometime soon, maybe after they're over this little teething spell... 

... maybe after they're over this little teething spell... 

Ha ha. So see you in the next few years?

How long does it go on?  Can't they push them all out & get it over with quickly?!

 

My daughter cut her first tooth at just over 7 months old. She's almost 2 & 1/2 now and she just got her 1st 2 year old molar...only 3 more to go. So for us it's been 2 years of on & off teething. At least now she can tell us if it hurts or not. 

Thank you everyone. I don't feel so bad about it now.


This is the issue. We know someone who does this. She doses her kids up because she wants them to sleep or just leave her alone while she talks to her friends. It's all a matter of opinion but I just hate to watch how she raises her kids. There are other things that she does which would make you cringe.

F-SIL was telling me she knows someone who gives cough syrup to her eight year old to get him to calm down when he's acting up and to go to sleep. She said she was considering reporting her to CPS but I don't know if she did. I was totally shocked, it never even occurred to me that you'd give your kids medicine other than when they were ill!

But that's absolutely not what you're doing with your little buttons

You're doing the right thing to give them pain relief.  Definitely try the alternating calpol with calprofen thing.

Things like Benedryl actually make most kids hyperactive, especially as they get older. It doesn't make most kids sleepy. strange but true.

Things like Benedryl actually make most kids hyperactive, especially as they get older. It doesn't make most kids sleepy. strange but true.

Yeah, I had to use Benadryl when flying with 2 kids on my own (when they were 8 months and 2) and that's the last time it ever worked as a sedative. Now my oldest is on another antihistimine 4 out of 7 days a week and I swear those 4 days are the worst for bed time.