Teething

One of my DD has been getting up 6 + times a night.....usually i will let her cry or attempt to let her cry it out...but i can now feel that she is cutting a bottom tooth(FINALLY)...So last night at 3am she was uncomfortable so i gave her a dose of oragel and some CVS brand motrin and put her in bed with me unitl she woke at 645...

My question is this...should i be more sympathetic knowing she is teething when she wakes frequently in the middle of the night? Or should i let her cry in her crib and "try" to ignore her and let her cry it out??

 

I would give her some Motrin before bed and see if that helps. If I know they were cutting teeth, I would go to them.

 

I am not a fan of CIO, especially when I suspect that they are crying because of teething pains. My girls are teething right now and have been waking up 6-8 times a night over the past few weeks (thankfully though the last 3 nights have been AWESOME with no night wakings). I have their crib in my room right next to the bed so when they do wake up I just need to reach over and give them a reassuring pat or replace a soother and they will go right back to bed. I don't consider that to be too much of an inconvenience. I am not working at the moment so if I am really overtired I usually try to grab a quick nap when they are napping during the day. I just remind myself that this is a stage and that things will get better soon. I have also occasionally given them some Tylenol before bed if they were acting particularly fussy or restless. But as I said, the last few nights have been much better (and it's been about a week since I last gave them Tylenol before bed) so I am just enjoying the uninterrupted sleep while I can get it. During the day you might want to try giving them something cold to suck on like a wet washcloth or frozen fruit (in something like this of course) or a teething ring so they can get some relief. Good luck and hope things improve soon!

 

I think I am a softy, too. I attend their bed whenever they cry, especially if I know there is something going on.
Teething must be very, very painful, especially the first ones.
Yes, I agree. This is just a short period of time and it shall pass.

 

We do CIO, but not for teething. I give Tylenol before bed and if the dose has worn off, (& they wake) go give another. Sometimes I pick them up/sing them a song until they calm down.

 

I always was a lot more understanding when they were getting teeth or sick. I just couldn't stand the thought of letting them cry if they were hurting or not feeling well, I felt like they needed me at those times. I would try giving the ibuprofen before bedtime & see if it helps her sleep longer.

 

IMO if she is teething she is in pain,so I would say by all means it's a good time to make sure she knows you are there. Taking her to bed with you seems like a perfect solution because you both get some sleep and she can feel you near her, which probably brings a great deal of comfort. That does not decrease the physical pain, but I am sure it helps with the emotional pain that naturally comes when the body is in distress.

I try and put myself in the babies' shoes. They have this pain, they have no idea why, and they have no way to get rid of it.
I know that even as an adult when I feel intense feel pain or physical discomfort I appreciate someone helping me out or just letting me know they care. As adults we typically know why we are hurting and have an idea of how we can alleviate the pain, and even then physical pain can still be emotionally stressful.So I would imagine for babies who can't do much to alleviate the pain or even understand where it's coming from any kind of pain is particularly stressful. I think being near them and attending to their cries at least helps the emotional aspect.

I don't think attending to their cries in the middle of the night makes a person a softy. It can be one of the hardest parts of motherhood and it's part of what makes parents tough, strong people. :ibiggrin: Just my opinion.

 

Me too. If I didn't realize they were sick or teething, and tried to do CIO, and then a couple nights later figured out they were sick or teething, I felt horrible about it! :lol: I do believe CIO has it's place but not in sickness or teething