Let us talk for a bit here, parent to parent. I don’t know how teething is for your family but I do know that if I hear one more person suggest it’s not that bad or that I am exagerating what my daughter goes through I may not be able to control my response!

As with all things, every child and family will have a different experience.   As with most things involving my two girls they have both had different ones too. My eldest got her teeth starting at 6 months and other than waking up a little more at night and eating less food (including what I dubbed “nil ny spoon” as she didn’t want anyone putting things in her mouth) she was generally ok. My younger daughter however got her first tooth at 4 months. She screamed for days. Then the next one started…  Last Novemeber we got to 16 teeth and finally the poor thing got some respite, until this week. Suddenly she is crying at mealtimes as her mouth hurts and the screaming is back. Hours of screaming in the night.  I look in her mouth and there are her 2 year molars half poking through purple bruised and bloody gums. You cannot tell me that doesn’t hurt!  So let’s look at the survival strategies that we use, both her and I.

• Extra naps – with her missing so much night sleep she needs to catch up.
• Easier to eat food that require less chewing.
• A night off – I’ll sleep in the spare room and my husband tends to her (in an ideal world anyway!)
• Bonjella works well when I know which tooth it is coming!
• Giving her something cold to chew on, at her age a cold piece of carrot works well as it reaches to the back of her gums, for younger babies teething toys work well.
• Sometimes elevating her head a bit helps as it reduces the pressure.
• If she is really in distress I do give her ibuprofen . I choose that over panadol due to the fact it is also an anti-inflammatory.
• Cuddles, lots and lots of cuddles!

What are your best tips for getting through this difficult stage?