Teething

As appears monthly in VIP.

You’ve just managed to get some kind of order into your life. You start to relax and think, ‘hey I’ve got this parenting thing sorted’ and all of a sudden big red rosy cheeks appear. Along with drooling, a very sad little face and a quivering bottom lip, this my friends was the start of teething.

Like a sergeant rounding up his troops and with the advice of other Mummies I assembled my army. Teetha, Sootha, Calpol, nurofen, dribble bibs and lots of kisses and cuddles.

His temperature shot through the roof and you could fry an egg on his cheeks. He looked up at me with the saddest eyes saying ‘please help me Mummy’. He soon recognised the white sachet that contained the Teetha granules which I found great. They’re homeopathic and help calm the baby which in turn calms you!

He wouldn’t sleep and cried and cried for hours on end. His usual routine went out the window. Nothing seemed to be working. Then one morning he woke and there was a little bottom front tooth. A huge wave of relief and guilt followed. I never thought I would be so happy to see a little tooth but I was also at the end of my tether and felt bad about getting impatient the night before.

I’ve learnt that being a parent can be quite emotional and very worrying. But I’ve also learnt to trust my instincts and realise that nobody’s perfect. We now have two bottom teeth and for the moment life has returned to normal.

Something of interest: I contacted Dr. Rose marie Daly, a consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at the Bon Secours Hospital in Tralee Co. Kerry. She has a special interest in childhood nutrition and has presented clinical cases and research both nationally and internationally.

When I asked her what dental problems do babies and toddlers commonly develop she said: “Over 1/3 of children under 5 in Ireland have decay. It is the most common disease of childhood. This can be prevented with the appropriate professional advice. The earlier the visit the better. Babies should see a dentist as soon as the first tooth appears in the mouth and no later than 12 months.

This ensures that parents are given the appropriate guidance on the use of fluoride, cleaning the new teeth and on safe feeding habits. Paediatric dentists have advanced knowledge and skills in behaviour management, preventive care and dental development in young children. They are ideally placed to give advice about your baby’s oral health.”

She also advised:
“You can help relieve your child’s teething problems by cleaning the gums with a wet gauze 2-3 times daily and giving them something cold to bite. A cold teething ring or a cold clean cloth is recommended. Rubbing the gums and applying gentle pressure will also help your baby feel more comfortable.”

And on that note I wish you good luck!!

Time to say thank you

I try to be organised… I try to write lists…. Next step is actually looking at the list and getting things done. But throw a baby into the equation and the list goes out the window. I was so over whelmed by the amount of gifts and well wishes I received from friends and family when James was born. Four months later and with pressies still arriving I really wanted to thank everyone; I had to find a Thank You card I liked though. I knew what I wanted. A simple card with a black and white photo of James. Amazingly it was quite difficult to find.
Then I stumbled across www.babycards.ie and one of their new designs was a simple black and white card. Perfect I thought. I uploaded my favourite photo of James and inside I put his weight, date and time of birth. It was quick, simple and easy to use. My cards arrived five days later. I was thrilled with them. It was exactly what I wanted.

The website also has a free gallery of products for parents to download and print themselves – here is the link www.babycards.ie/free Go online and see for yourself – you can download checklists, bedroom door signs, invitations, baby scan keepsake cards, kids personalised reward charts etc all for FREE

Prices range from €59 for 25 to €49 for 200 cards.

Mum’s Must Haves

Dribble ons are a lifesaver for non stop drooling and they look great too. Available from Mothercare at €6.99 and also online at www.bumblebeecreations.ie and www.littleones.ie

Its never too early to start. Your baby can now brush while teething with Bite and Brush from MAM €5.92, available from pharmacies nationwide.

Nuby teething blankie €6.99 Babies love the colourful teething range from Nuby. Available from pharmacies nationwide.

Nelsons teething granules available from The Nelsons Dispensary and pharmacies nationwide. €7.25 (Granules 24 sachets)

If you’re looking for a more holisitic approach check out www.babyteethingnecklace.co.uk from £13 €15.30
Amber teething necklaces are used in most European countries as a traditional remedy for the teething pain relief since ancient times.