Teething!

My baby is a happy baby. I know people say that all the time about their babies, but eh is a really happy baby. I don't know why because he hardly sleeps, but I'm not complaining about his mood (only about his sleep). By happy I mean a wall can make him laugh, and regularly does.

One of his first words was "look" (or LOOH LOOH to be technical). He points at something random, like a tree, says "LOOH!" and laughs and claps. He smiles at anyone who makes eye contact, he laughs at most noises (even the vacuum), and is so much fun to be around.

Today was a hard day for the poor little guy. He is teething, and for some reason his teeth don't want to come in order. He has six front teeth and four molars, with huge gaps in between, where the rest of his teeth should have come in first. He is having a tough time of it. Today he was crying from the start, and refusing to eat. He managed some apple sauce and yogourt, but anything else was torture.

I get it though. I don't personally remember cutting my first teeth, but if it makes my happy guy so miserable it must be painful. Here is some general information and all the tips I can share for anyone going through the same with their babies.

Drool and stool
- It is common knowledge that babies who are teething drool more than normal. This is often accompanied by looser bowel movements, because of increased saliva production. They are swallowing most of it, and it affects their stool.  It is not full-blown diarrhea, but close. To firm things up a bit, go with the BRAT diet. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.

Diaper rash
-Even if baby's poops are not affected, teething commonly causes diaper rash. Just like the rash that develops on a baby's chin from drooling, the rash will develop on the bum because of the excess of saliva that has been ingested. Sometimes it is minor and sometimes it can be very severe. If there is no improvement withing two or three days of applying diaper cream, go to the doctor. Avoid giving baby any spicy foods when he has a diaper rash, as some will aggravate it further.

Cold works-unless it doesn't
- Most doctors recommend letting a baby chew on a chilled teething toy or frozen banana. This sounds great in theory and for some lucky people it might work, but I have found that when the gums are so sensitive, the extreme temperature just makes it worse. I have seen parents force cold chewy things on their children until they accept them, but this doesn't make sense to me. If it's not helping, try something else.

Teething toys
- Most babies love chewing on things and teething toys or gadgets are specifically designed to be chewable. Neither of my boys can stand them. So if you have a child that loves a certain teething apparatus, buy it in bulk. If your child will not take one, let it go.

Wet washcloths
- These have actually worked for both of my children to provide some relief for pain. Wet a wash cloth (experiment with temperature to find what your child prefers), squeeze it out, and let them chomp away.

Soft Foods,
- If your baby normally eats like a horse (which mine does), and suddenly starts refusing all his favourite foods when he is teething, you may have to rely on soup, yogourt, applesauce, and pureed foods to get you by. A cranky baby is not going to appreciate being hungry.  Be aware of temperatures though; I have to serve everything at room temperature, because if it is slightly cool or slightly warm, he won't eat it.

Bedtime
- Even if you have established a regular and peaceful bedtime routine, expect some disruptions with teething. Some babies who go to sleep easily will scream after being put down. It could be because they have tried to go to sleep and the pain makes it difficult, or it could be that during this time your baby needs extra comfort. Go with your instinct and spend some extra time comforting him. You can always re-establish your regular routine in a few days.

Your baby may act like a different child:
Don't be alarmed. That red, puffy, screaming child is really yours. Throwing temper tantrums and testing limits is pretty common with teething.

When all else fails, use distraction. Do whatever it takes to keep your little one busy and distracted, and he might not cry quite so much. This is exactly what I had to do today. I took my cranky baby to a local play centre and held my breath. I thought that since he was not in good spirits it might have been a disaster. To my surprise, he forgot all about being miserable and played with everything twice. Trains, climbers, dolls, cars, crayons, animals, puzzles, etc. He was happily occupied for three hours of the morning, and it was only when we got home that he realized he was still in a bad mood. Out comes the apple sauce...