What really helps with teething?

There are so many wife's tales out there about what to give your child when he/she is teething. I thought I would tell you what works for our family. For some children these work wonders and for others, nothing seems to soothe them. If you are a first time parent, hang on because this is probably one of the first tough issues that give you that helpless feeling and leave you wanting to grab at something, anything to make the pain go away.

1. Tylenol/Ibuprofen switcharoo. Normally, if you were giving one medication you would have to wait 4 hours for the next dose, but if you rotate the two you can give them in three hour increments. This way one does not lapse before the other kicks in. They also have slightly different affects so it gives your child the benefit of both....now what those are I can't quite remember.

2. Frozen Washcloths. Wet a washcloth, freeze it and give it to them to suck on. Don't forget to put another in the freezer when you take that one out.

Things I would watch out for:
- Teething rings. I know people really like these. My daughter did until one day her ring was recalled because the gel inside could be poisonous. I stay away from these now.
-Biter Biscuits, wheels- I think these are great for a little snack, but I personally don't give them when I know my baby is not hungry. Our family has food issues anyway, I don't want their first experiences with pain relief to be food.

Things other people like:
-Frozen Waffles
-Teething Tablets. Personally I think these are a joke but if they work for you, hey! Who am I to say? The reason I think they are bogus is because a friend's older child ate a whole bottle of them. When the parents called poison control, they laughed, telling the parents that there is really nothing in there anyway.

If you find something that works for you, let me know and I will add it.

The birth of a tooth

Teething. It is a dirty word at our house right now. With my daughter, I would wake up one morning and wola! A tooth had appeared overnight and not a complaint was filed. With my son, it is a totally different story. The wining never stops and he turns downright mean....if a 8 month old can be mean. Yesterday he cried most of the day. I rocked him, did the Tylenol/Ibuprofen switcharoo, I gave him frozen wash cloths, waffles, whatever I could get my hands on....no help. So finally, I had all I could take and put him in the bed. What does he do??? He lays there and coos and laughs at himself. Seriously? You have to be kidding me! Do you hate me? I start evaluating myself and the rejection that I feel already from this 8 month old. In my head I should have just laughed, but I had gotten to that unreasonable emotional state by that time.