Teething Fussiness and Daycare

I always kept a couple of binkies in the freezer. The nipple gets really cold, and she would gnaw on it. When it warmed up, I exchanged it for a new cold one.

I think that people like myself that rarely use meds for myself are less likely to medicate my children. However, I also find that babies that are less likely to fuss because of pain need the tylenol moreso when they fuss because of pain, as they are in more pain than the baby who fusses easily.

The daycare just doesn't have the ability to take the extra time to help her with the discomfort in other ways. I would expect if they are giving to her and you are not, she isn't getting too much, and is still learning how to deal with discomfort in a different way than medicating.

You can buy packs of cheap washcloths, send them to school and ask that they use several each day (so she gets fresh ones throughout the day). Just have them put the dirty ones in her cubby each night so you can take home to wash. Just thought I'd mention that as another solution, since she does well with the washcloths.

If she really is happy normally and crying now, then it seems like she must be in pain. Why would you want to allow her to stay in pain at daycare? Are you concerned they won't follow the dosages properly? I mean it's not a crutch if she's really in pain.

Some babies take pain in stride and others become mad as hornets at the pain. Crying is her way of saying she doesn't understand and it hurts and she is demanding mommy or daycare lady fixes it! LOL.

I think you need to relax. If you trust them to give the meds appropriately, it's safe. This will pass. If you don't trust them, then you have a worse problem on your hands. No child should ever be in a situation you don't trust. Sometimes mommies intuition is telling you something. But sometimes it's just unreasonable fear because deep down you feel bad you are leaving her.

Suzi

Just for the record, the teething tablets are all natural and they wont harm your child, I used them for my son and he is fine. They dissolve in the mouth and ease their pain when very cranky and helps them sleep. You can alway buy baby anbesol and put a little bit on the gums to soothe them so she wont be in pain. Its temporary but it will help. i bought the Hylands teething tablets from walgreens. They worked wonders. I would give my son a couple and give him tylenol he was fine.

I would not use the teething tablets! Pediatritians do not reccomend them because they are not regulated by the FDA and they aslo have a sedative effect because they contain beladona. I'm sure they work because kids get a buzz when they take them. Tylenol is much better than getting your kid stoned.

I would not worry about giving Tyleonl through the day. If you have a headache or back pain do you take something? Teething hurts and if tylenol helps give it! She will only be teething for a short amout of time so if you only give the Tylenol when she is in pain you will not hurt her.

Good luck! I'm in the same boat with my 7 month old son.

My kids' doctor always advised using Baby Orajel. It was like a miracle. I keep it onhand still, for if I get a sore in my mouth or a cut. It numbs it immediately. Now, my daughter in law's pediatrician said never to use it because it could numb too much of their mouth (throat). But I always just put a touch of it on my finger and rubbed it on their gums. I had four kids and used it on all of them with no problem.

I personally wouldnt allow giving her tylenol all day unless shes running a fever. I do recommend Baby Orajel, vibrating teethers(sold at walmart), Munchkin makes a handheld mesh bag for babies(sold at walmart,target, babies r us) that i used to put ice cubes in to give to my kids while teething-just make sure shes wearing a thick bib!:)

M., if you think they are "abusing" the tylenol, tell them they are not allowed to dose her, but I know teething...I have gone through it with 3 of my own and countless other peoples dear ones, and I know some babys tolerate the pain better than others. If my child was in pain I would want them medicated. You didn't say how many other children were in the same group and sometimes even if a little one has undivided attention, very little will make a difference if the child is just flat out in pain.Listen to your instincts, and be honest about how you feel to your child's care giver...a good care giver cares how the child feels, if you think they are abusing the tylenol, find a new place to take your little one...but more than likely they just are trying to make your child comfortable.

Teething does pass = )
Good luck!
B.

The teething tablets are fine to use. My two got into them when they were 3 and 1 while I was in the shower one day and they devoured the whole bottle between the two of them. I was terrified! I called poison control immediately and they said not to worry, since they are all natural, each one of them would probably have to have eaten the whole bottle by themselves for it to do any harm, and then it would probably be just a tummy ache. If you are concerned about the tylenol, then just talk to your provider. Remember, they are probably just doing what they think they can to help her feel better. If she was so upset when she was at home with you, then can you imagine how she felt at daycare? Hopefully she will get some relief soon!

Hey! While I was looking for Christmas presents for my little man online I came across this teething binki that had good reviews. I think my baby might be teething too, Im going to get it for him. Anyways here is the link to it.

http://www.amazon.com/Razbaby-009-RT-RaZ-Berry-Silicone-T...

I would be worried about the daycare medicating her too! And I wont try teething tablets either! Dont let people make you feel bad about worrying about your baby, thats what moms do! Good luck with your sweet baby!

have you considered taking her to the dr. to make sure it is teeth and not an ear infection along with the teething? I like a few others on here am an inhome daycare provider for 10 years. I've had my share of teething babies and never had any that needed the tylenol on a reg. basis while teething. hope all work out for you and your little one. God bless and have a wonderful holiday.. Becca

If she's fussy because she's teething, it's because she is in pain. If she's happy after she's had tylenol that means it is taking the pain away. Your childcare provider doesn't want to see your child in pain because they care about her, not because they've been "spoiled" by a happy baby. If you don't trust them to care for your daughter you should bring her somewhere else.

Nuk pacifiers can be filled with water and frozen. My son loved them. Also-frozen mini bagels worked very well.

You need to talk to the director of the daycare about this poblem, because believe me- she'll be on top of her employees if there might be an unhappy parent. She doesn't want to lose your money. Also, you know they have many babies in there, and if your daughter is crying then she could be disturbing other babies, especially newborns napping. Second, check with your ped. about giving her baby ibeprofen. It's much stronger than tylonol and lasts up to 8 hrs. When teething is really bad for my son, I give him that. You shouldn't give it to them every day, but I would think a few times a week would be ok while the bad teething is happening. This way, you can give it to her in the morning before you drop her off and restrict them from giving her any tylonol, explaining she's already had her meds for hte day. Thankfully, teething just comes and goes, but I know it's hard, especially to drop her off and leave. Just send her favorite foods with her for lunch, if she's on food yet. Also, my son likes to knaw on a wooden kitchen spoon (spatula). You could send certian teething toys/objects with her, and tell them jsut to keep them in her crib at all times, and she can play in her crib with them. That way the other babies aren't playing wiht them also. And always remember- this too shall pass!

M.,

My son doesn't like to hold onto teething toys either. What he did LOVE to teeth on which he found himself was his paci holder. We used a soothie passie and if you have ever seen them, they use very different looking holders which are a very thin, easy to hold and chew plastic. It has a big hole in the middle making it easy to grasp. He loved it!!! He doesn't even use a passie any more, but we give him the holder to chew on to ease his teething pain. Good luck.

I am a mother of 5 and inhome daycare provider. So I have to agree that you need to figure out what your reasons for not wanting her daycare provider to use something you would to comfort her. A daycare provider needs a doctors order to administer the "drug" and sign off each time administered (following the dr's order). Overusing it shouldn't be an issue but when you say "used as a crutch" I am unsure what you mean?! - it's sometimes hard in the email world :) Anyway, I have gone through my own children's and many others's teething. I have had SO many parents drop off tylenol telling me their child is teething and crabby - and I've never needed to in over 7 years! I personally find it interesting that you are willing to invite synthetic drugs into your baby and not all natural ingredients but I'm a bit of an anti-drug/medication momma! I have so many tylenol,benadryl,cold-stuff's expire in my cabinet :) :( Which means, I am not against using it when REALLY needed but that is very rare - and then the rest is wasted. As far as other people's children, if they REALLY need it they shouldn't be in care. With all that said, I wish you the best. It does pass. She will be ok despite what she might think/feel at the moment. All the advices for "vices" helping her/you cope sounded great (except maybe the bagel - breaking off a hunk of that could be dangerous). Happy teething! :D

My son never used a teether or the frozen washcloths...he just wouldn't. First I used the teething tablets (which worked most of the time), and when it got a little worse, I used tylenol (and not very often). Then on the days (and nights) he would scream from pain, I would use baby orajel. You can't use this very often, so I saved it for extreme cases of pain. As far as the daycare situation, I would bring a package of washcloths to them, maybe already damp and frozen in a bag, and ask them to keep it in their fridge or freezer, and ask them to use them throughout the day. When one gets dingy, than the can put it in another bag, and get a fresh one. You can get packages of washcloths pretty keep from dollar stores. Hopefully this helps.

Good Morning M., Try the teething gels, it numbs the pain. Numbz-it I think. they also have the night time gel that helps them sleep if needed.
Zane (gr son) is cutting his back molars he is almost 13 months. I use these with him daily when he is hurting.

God Bless you and your precious little Angel.
K. Nana of 5

Babies who are in pain most need their mommies to hold them. There are medications that can work (tylenol, motrin), but the best thing is just to be there and hold them. It's a shame she doesn't have that, and daycare workers are not a good substitute for you comforting your child.

I've used the frozen washclothes and what I did was went to Walmart and got a whole package of them, washed them, then individually wrapped them in snack size ziplock bags in the freezer (which made it great for individual usage). Frozen bagels and waffels also work great (built in spit pockets- ha ha) but you do have to watch them for possible choking hazards. I also went so far as to try some frozen popsicles. At this point we also quit heating the foods so much and even fed the kiddo some refrigerated foods...the cold seemed to help (maybe try some chilled jar fruits?).

For me, I used the Motrin pretty religiously as well as the Orajel. My son was immune to Tylenol b/c I had severe migraines when I was pregnant with him and they had me on Tylenol3 for them. My daycare in MO had time charts they had to fill out for the kids and had to follow dosage guides very strictly because of potential lawsuits. When we moved to KS we found out they won't even administer w/o a Dr. order! So I would say dose her before you send her or tell them they can dose her ONLY ONCE a day if she needs it. That way they have to judge when best to give it to her. I'd hate to have no meds on her chart if she is hurting pretty badly... just a suggestion.

M.-
I just needed to respond about the teething tablets and Tylenol---late I know! Teething tablets are absolutely natural and are far safer than Tylenol for a little one. Belladonna is not a sedative and does NOT give you a buzz. I encourage people to really research things before they discuss it. Pediatricians do not know about homeopathy which is why they don't reccommend it. Homeopathy is the safest medicine around and has been used for centuries all over the world! Have you ever investigated what Tylenol really is and what it actually does to your body to get rid of the pain??? Far more dangerous to the body than an all natural supplement!! I used teething tablets for all of my children and they work great. I never used Tylenol for teething. Anyway--just my opinion.

I am an in home provider and I do not like to give Tylenol unless absolutely necessary. I do not know where your provider is located. but in Kansas you as the parent have the right to fill out a form stating they cannot give your daughter any meds without calling and asking you forst. They also have to document everytime they give her something and how much. so you could look at the bottle at the end of every day and see how much was really given, most have marks on the side. I know many children are over medicated and it saddens me as a provider and a mother. Hope this helps you know your rights.

Don't worry she will be fine and you're a great mom for caring so much. If you are worry about giving her too much medicine-here's a thought that may help that worry. My question is if you were uncomfortable and hurt do you take medicine? Some children it is very painful and others not so much, it's only temporary and if it helps her through I'd have no qualms in giving it to her.
Oraljel is great, unfortunately it not tasty and the poor things make horrible faces when its given, but it helps ease the pain.
Best wishes and have fun while they are so little!

M.,

As a daycare provider and a Mom of a 14 month old, I can see both sides of the problem! In my daycare if a little one is teething, I simply ask the parents to bring a bottle of tylenol and a tube of oragel for pain as needed. If the child is not acting as if they are in pain, I do not give them medication. When teething interrupts their naps or their overall happiness, I try whatever works for them. After all kids are all different and what works for one, may not work for another...I suggest you speak one on one with your provider and express that you don't want your child overmedicated but you DO want your child comfortable.

I know you hate medicating her, but it's so tough on them! We did baby Orajel and Tylenol as needed. We tried to keep Tylenol confined to nighttime unless he was really fussy, but the orajel seemed to be a big help. Good luck - it gets worse when their molars start coming in!

Have you tried the vibrating teethers? I have one from "first years", it's a star. Leap frog (i think) makes one but I don't think it works well.

Hi, my kids would never hold the rings either - too cold I guess. We would attach them to the pacifier keepers that clip on to their clothes, it seemed to help. We would also rinse pacifiers in cold water and then freeze them, that worked too. Teething is hard - Best of Luck!!!