Teething and not sleeping! Help!

[seed17]

My 5 1/2 month old DS seems to be teething, and has been waking every hour or so for the past 5 nights to nurse...he was never a good sleeper but this is torture! He is drooling and chewing on everything in sight, and his gums are a little swollen and seem pretty uncomfortable.  Any suggestions on safe, natural remedies to soothe his discomfort and help us all get a little more sleep? Poor peanut, and sleepy mama and papa!

[sere234]

I'm right there with you! My DS is also 5.5 months and doing EXACTLY what yours is! Here's what we've done: 

DH sleeps in the guest room on worknights. I can take a nap (sometimes) the next day but he can't at work so this works best for us.

I've gotten DS to actually take a pacifier and this seems to help.

Try a wet washcloth for him to chew on? My DS hates this but I've heard it can help!

Co-sleep! You might already do this....

Hold your sleeping DS (when he actually does fall asleep!)and look at his sweet face. Makes me more loving anad patient.

DH sometimes takes DS at night for a waking-sleep-waking stretch. We don't do this often since DH is prone to acting out wild waking dreams but sometimes I can't take anymore nighttime crying!

Just grin and bear it! It will pass. This is what I keep saying to myself!!!

[seed17]

No way! Our little guys have the same birthday! Too funny.

Thanks for the support, I've tried the washcloth and he is not interested.  His teeth only seem to bother him at night, we all share a room and he ends up in our bed most nights even though we transitioned him into his own bed a couple months ago.

I also feel better and more patient when he has fallen back to sleep and I gaze at his sweet little face.

Good luck!

[nilatti]

I fed my guy a breastmilk slushy the other day, and it really seemed to help!

[moonmamajess]

My DS born 8/27/10 has had a few of these nights as well! Definitely trying on my nervous system, but i have used Boiron homeopathic camamilia teething pellets which seem to work. I have also heard good things about Hylands's homeopathic teething tablets and also that Hyland's colic tablets work even better. Havent tried the Hylands brand tho so only have a testimonial for boiron- which can be bought at your local co-op or health food store, or online. Best of luck! ... Now go take a nap :)

[fullofhope08]

I was where you are 4 months ago. It's tough. My 8.5 month old ds now has 2 teeth to show for his efforts and all the crankiness and sleeplessness.

here's what I've learned in the last 4 months. It does seem to get easier for them. While my son teethed for 2 months on and off before his first tooth arrived (not all babies do this, and I hope yours are more inclined to teeth for a week before they emerge). At first, he struggled badly with the pain. He eventually seemed to get used to it and could handle the discomfort better.

Homeopathics are great for teething. for us, the hyland's gel works the best. Homeopathics go by symptoms. Since the different products have different remedies in them, you may have to try a few to find the right one for your little one. the Boiron remedies didn't work for us at all. But the gel - great stuff and helps him settle quickly. I also heard that the hyland's colic tablets work well but haven't tried them.

Wet facecloths in the freezer - work for us but not really at bedtime, more so during the day when he wants to chew. he really likes chewing on something hard. So I keep one of his wooden toys in his crib for nap times.

the added drooling that goes along with teething can cause a bit of havoc on their bodies - chapped skin on their chins, upset tummy, diarrhea, diaper rash. This wasn't an issue for us until this week but I think he's trying to cut several bigger teeth and so his system is a mess. Chamomile and peppermint were suggested to us. I have made a relatively strong tea with these herbs and some catnip (winds up cats but is a sedative in humans. my herb books all recommend it for teething). I then dilute it with water and let him drink it as much as he wants. We just started this today so I can't vouch for whether it'll work. I also found a suggestion of giving them a frozen piece of banana (for those old enough to eat solids). I'll be trying this next.

I try to keep him busy during the day - he's happy as long as he's distracted. Naps and nighttime are the toughest...but they will get used to the discomfort and you will find a routine that works for all of you. A few months ago, we were often up 6-8 times a night. Despite the fact that my son is teething worse than he has been to date, he's only up 3 times a night lately. So it does get better. but I know, it's rough when you're in the midst of it. Like I said, we're dealing with some pretty intense teething right now. he seems to be coping it relatively well but his body is so upset - lots of diarrhea and his body generally being upset. I think we'll see some teeth pretty soon.

good luck and I hope those teeth pop up soon! My favourite part of all of this is rubbing my finger along his gums and feeling those little picks of the top of his tooth having cut through the gum. As my friend said the other day, it's like we've just won a prize when we feel it. I couldn't agree more.    and I agree with sere234 and seed17 - cherish their sleeping faces when they finally get there!

[Knitting Mama]

I understand wanting to use natural treatments and do it myself 99% of the time. However, when it gets to the point that my daughter can't sleep because she's so miserable, I break out the ibuprofen.

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

We use hylands teething tablets and gel, although to be honest, I'm not sure that they do anything.  We use a mesh feeder with crushed ice, frozen fruit, and frozen washcloths.  We also use ibupofein (sp) when it gets really really bad. 

[TreeRose]

Glad I checked in - all these August '10 babies! Our DD born 8/29/10 is in the same place! DH was asking what was going on and I said teething though more just to have an answer for him and myself rather than pure wisdom!

At nighttime I just prepare myself mentally for the worst. We co-sleep and EBF so she's at a buffet all night. Some nights better than others.

I've also tried the damp frozen washcloth. I can't tell if she likes it because she chews on virtually anything. What she LOVES is cold cucumber. This can stop her in mid-fit. She's had apple, cucumber, bananas, and avocados but the cucumber (cut like a spear, skin on, seeds out) really makes her happy. She intently sucks it and really seems to love it, judging by her screams when she's dropped it! :)

We've tried Boiron too but I don't know if it's done anything for us. There are days she screams and days she doesn't. She wears an amber necklace during the day but day or night she may wake up from a sound sleep screaming and I feel terrible. Poor babies. Between that and growing pains, I have all the sympathy for them... and for us mamas.  :)

[fullofhope08]

Just curious if you find that ibuprofen works better than tylenol. I have held off giving my son any meds as I don't like the idea of him taking meds nightly 
for weeks on end, which can be our reality. I tried tylenol the other night and he was still awake 2 hours later.

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 

I understand wanting to use natural treatments and do it myself 99% of the time. However, when it gets to the point that my daughter can't sleep because she's so miserable, I break out the ibuprofen.

[Knitting Mama]

Yes, I do indeed. She seems to be a lot like me in this regard-- Tylenol never did jack you-know-what for me. But ibuprofen works well for both of us, and bonus, I only have to dose her once with ibuprofen, instead of over and over with Tylenol.

[seed17]

Things have improved a bit now that he's back in bed with us...a 4 hour stretch last night! If (and when) things get bad again, I will probably try baby tylenol even though I have been resisting any medications-we have been using Boiron Chamilia and Hylands teething gel which do help for a bit.  Does anyone know of a brand of infant tylenol that doesn't have artificial colors and flavors?

What is it about these August '10 babies? Some nights I wish I had a wet nurse , I feel like an all-night diner!

[organicmom3]

My husband, as a doc, prefers recommending ibuprofren....I think because it tends to have a better  rep for working and because when we do a drug store brand we can usually find one with a lot less additives, etc. .... we always do the color free too!  We try not to use it much....even only using it once or twice a day during a bad spell, but never twice more than a day or two in a row.... we use it when we have too....but don't want to rely on it or allow a build up in ds's precious little body!

[Knitting Mama]

seed17, the Target generics are dye free, though I am not positive that they are naturally flavored.