Teething Favorites

Chew, chew, chew

I know I don't have to tell you all that teething sucks. It is draining, it is exhausting, it is awful. Though of course, I do have those few friends who swear they never knew when their babe was getting teeth because it didn't bother them. You're joking right? Is pain free teething a real thing? Send me all of your teethers now pretty please!

Dax had 4 teeth by the time he was 9 months old, with each one popping through on its own time. One little baby tooth at a time. I could always tell when he was teething because he would chew on everything, and we would have maybe a week or two of crappy sleep, followed by 2 nights of no sleep--but in the morning there would be a tooth. He never had fevers due to teething.

Cade is completely opposite. At almost 9 months, he is still rocking that huge gummy smile that melts the hearts of all who he scrunches his nose at (no really, it is seriously the most adorable thing, ever). Starting around the time of our vacation at the beginning of October, his 8-9 hour stretches at night turned to waking up 8-9 times per night. At first I thought maybe it was because he was in a new place and not in his own bed, then after arriving home and it continued I just assumed it was teeth. During this time, he was always running an above normal temperature somewhere around the 99.5 range, which is why I wasn't too concerned.

Fast forward to this weekend--- he started running low grade fevers, yanking on his ear, and waking up crying like he was in pain. I still suspected teeth, but I was also worried that it could be an ear infection starting up so we took a trip to the pediatrician. Luckily his ears looked great, and my suspicion was confirmed as the pediatrician showed me Caden's  gums. He is getting about 6 teeth at one time. HOLY CRAP. No wonder this poor baby hasn't slept in over a month, his mouth feels like it is being ripped apart!

Because he is teething so terribly, I thought this post would be appropriate. Let's go over some of Caden's teething favorites.

1. Infantino Squeeze & Teethe Cow - Cade LOVES this Sophie alternative. I keep this one in the car for him to enjoy while driving and he almost never lets go of it. It does squeak, which thank goodness he hasn't learned how to do yet, but it is easy to hold and has plenty of good areas for chewing!

2. Orajel (Munchkin)- This particular teether is great for getting molars, but he still enjoys chewing on it. I stick it in the freezer to get it cold, though it does not freeze. Each little area has a different texture. I foresee a ton of use for this one in the future.

3. Munchkin Foot/Hand Teether- I like to put these 2 teethers in the fridge rather than the freezer. I find that they get a little too hard when frozen and are too cold for Cade to handle. When I do put them in the freezer though, it is for a short time just to get them cold enough to feel good on the gums. They are easy to hold as well.

4. Munchkin Heart Teether- This one is probably Cade's second favorite to the cow. I think maybe because it is so easy for his little hands to hold. Just like the hand and foot, it can be frozen or put in the fridge depending on your child.

5. Boon Silicone Feeder- Although mostly used for feeding, I love putting frozen fruit or even just crushed ice in the silicone feeder to help with teething. It can be messy, but so worth it to see some relief in my babe.

6. Sassy Teething Butterfly- We like this teether because it has different textures. The top wings can be frozen or cold, while the bottom orange wings are bumpy and massage the gums. It is also very easy for little hands to handle!

When we go out, I wear a silicone teething necklace and he chews on it the entire time I am wearing him. It gets gross and drool covered, but it helps him feel better so I'll take it!

Chewing on a teething necklace (not around my neck for picture purposes 😜)

Cade is sleeping terrible at night, but seems to be ok during the day. He does chew on something almost constantly and I have even given him a cold washcloth to chew on. At times I will also use Orajel Naturals, the kind without any numbing ingredients or a dose of Motrin if his pain seems to be that unbearable, though I think his pain is a little too much for either one to make much of a difference right now. 6 teeth is a lot to get at one time, and for the sake of all of our sanity around here--I hope they come in quick!!