TEETHING TANTRUMS

Safe to say we have had a VERY difficult couple of weeks. Maddison has not only been going through the 4th leap, which I have to say has been a bloody long and draining one! (Sorry to any mums reading that have it yet to come!) we've experienced a few weeks of sleep regression.. which thankfully seems to have passed now (fingers crossed)! BUT on top of that, she has been really struggling with her teething!!

I feel like this teething process has been going on, and on, forever now!! Maddison first starting showing signs of teething at 10 weeks... I know right?! I didn't quite believe it myself at first, till I told my GP and she confirmed my suspicions! The endless dribbling, the need to bite her fists and fingers and everything else for that matter! Rosy flushed cheeks coming and going. She had also started rubbing her face like mad, I thought she just had a really itchy face at first and maybe this was the start of eczema or something? But no, it was teething. The average baby starts teething around the 6 month mark, but it can start anywhere normally between 3 months - 12 months old! And DID YOU KNOW: 1 in 2000 babies are actually born with a tooth already! These are called Natal Teeth!

Anyway, fast forward to today.. still teething, but no sign of any teeth yet?! I feel like every morning, I'm always checking her gums to see if any pearly whites have decided to break through those little pink gums. Only to be disappointed once again! I do feel like we could be getting close to a break through now though. Maddison is becoming more grizzly and irritable everyday, despite the Wonder Weeks app telling me she should be a happy sunshine at the minute! I feel like we are on a teething rollercoaster going up and down constantly, one minute she seems happy and chirpy, then two seconds later she is screaming the house down! Somedays her cheeks are so flushed it looks like she's raided my makeup draw and taken inspiration from a pantomime dame haha! Plus her bite is becoming painfully strong! If she decided to grab your hand and bite your finger, you'd be in for a shock! A toothy must be appearing soon.. right?

I don't think I also quit realised just how long the teething process would take. Obviously I knew it takes a while for a tooth to come through, but living and going through it all with Maddison.. wow it does feel never ending! The discomfort of their little teeth moving around and slowly making their way up through the gums can go on for months  without having any teeth actually appear! It will be amazing when that first tooth does finally make an appearance!

I can completely sympathise with my little Maddie at the moment, because I have a Wisdom tooth breaking through and that is most uncomfortable! But at least I guess we are going through the pain together! Although I do wish I could just take all the pain away for her and suffer alone!

We have tried various methods and products to help with her teething. For example.. we tried gels like Bonjela, but that just was messy and didn't seem like it helped, either that or I missed her gums completely haha. We've tried the infant teething powder, which did seem to help her grisliness but that went EVERYWHERE and seemed to give her a little reflux, so abandoned that also. Personally I've found the good old classic teething rings (the ones you can put in the fridge to cool) the best, as Maddison loves to grab and bite everything so it works! Plus I'm lucky that she will actually take her formula cold from the fridge! Which obviously makes life easier for me not having to heat it up, but I think the cold milk also helps soothe her gums!

So for now I guess it's just a waiting game for these little toothies, and finding as many ways as possible to keep her happy and the dull the pain the best I can!!

When did your little one get their first tooth? Anything amazing you discovered to help baba while their going through the gummy aches and pains?! I'd love to know! Either comment below or feel free to message me! Thanks for reading!

Love Bethany x