Truthfully, teething started way before that first tooth. I would say that she spent a good three months cutting that first tooth. And then another year-and-a-half cutting the next 19. At the first signs of misery we gave several doses of (now defunct) infant Tylenol before we realized that it wouldn't pop out, "any day now." I spent hours online looking for mystery cures and a clue as to how long it would take. What I learned was: teething sucks for some babies, but not others; there are things you can do to alleviate but not remove the pain; just about anything falls into the realm of normal- i.e. your baby can cut teeth at 1 month or one year and it can happen over night or drag on for months.
Just when we were on the other side of her teething experience with all 20 chompers securely in place, Grant decided to cut his teeth.
His first (bottom) teeth just popped onto the scene around Thanksgiving, at 4 1/2 months old. Perhaps his teething misery was hidden by a killer sinus/ear/conjunctivitis infection, but it did seem easier this time around.
Then, after Christmas, he started working on the top teeth, and there was no "popping out" about them. There was a lot more chewing, drooling and fussing this time around.
And true to form, I was late on the solution finding this time around too. Sure I had the requisite wooden teething rings and natural rubber Sophie Giraffe for moms who prefer that their children not chew on plastic, but for months I had been trying to make a decision about carrying amber teething necklaces in the store. When Grant started to show signs of misery, I placed my first order with Inspired by Finn.
I first became aware of amber teething necklaces when Zoe was an infant in our Augusta breastfeeding support group. At first I thought they were a fashion accessory for babies conceived at Phish shows, but moms were quick to inform me of their soothing powers. Even if I accepted that the necklaces helped with teething, they still seemed like a major strangling or choking hazard.
This time around I was prepared to accept that Inspired by Finn and other teething necklace companies would not be around if babies were choking and strangling on their merchandise. Heck, even the popular Bumbo may be pulled from the market because of idiot parents who put their 4 month old in it, place it on top of the refrigerator and go take a shower!
The necklaces arrived the day after a sleepless night, and we couldn't put it on Grant fast enough. I selected the lightest color "butter" because it has the most succinic acid, the active ingredient, and was pleasantly surprised to have a more restful night. I'm not talking about 8 hours of sleep or anything, but Grant definitely seemed more able to sleep.
