Hating molars, loving Nurofen

With Alby’s teeth we had 24 hours of sickness followed one week later by new teeth.  Whilst the sickness was a bit distressing it was a formula I could live with. 

With molars it’s a whole over ball game: my child is a dribbling mess, he’s gone off his food and he spent the previous two nights waking every 30 minutes between bedtime and 11:30pm when I finally gave up and brought him into bed with me.  (This despite the fact I’ve been trying to make sure I get to bed early each night so I’m with it enough during night time wakings to settle Alby back in his cot). 

It has taken me a couple of days to realise that his slightly different manner, wet chin and disgust at my food is likely down to those two molars trying to push their way through.  I think I finally have to accept that me being slow on the uptake is no passing trend but rather a fundamental part of my character these days.

The epiphany finally came at midnight last night when we were cuddled up together and today I have taken action! 

The first steps in my battle against the teeth is to litter the house with clean cotton bibs which I’ve been changing over regularly to ensure that despite Alby’s mouth being a fountain of slobber his tops remain clean and dry.  Baby balm is also at hand to ensure no chin rashes develop, although Alby has a weird tendency to stick his fingers in the balm and then eat it!  (Yes, he has fallen on his head far too many times). 

People advise to give babies hard foods when teething, well not my little man.  He regresses to purees when his mouth is sore and so after nursery today we headed to the shops and stocked up on Ella’s kitchen.  Alby had finished the “apples, apples, apples” pouch before we made it to the end of the aisle and was half way through some disgusting mixture of vegetables and prunes by check out.  Thank god for self-service machines.

Finally, and debatably most importantly, I remembered to get the Nurofen out at bedtime.  He fell asleep three hours ago and has yet to wake – hoorah! 

I hate giving Alby medicine - I’m not somebody who generally takes drugs and Alby isn’t keen on the stuff at all.  He turns his head and thrashes and cries as you put the syringe in his mouth.  I get distressed as, for better or worse, my parenting style generally focuses on doing all I can to pacify tears not bring them on and forcing sticky stuff down his throat goes against all my instincts.  But, it helps my baby sleep  and there is little that is more important in raising a happy, healthy child than a good night sleep.

Whilst I may be slow on the uptake I’m not fool enough to listen to my own advice – good night, sleep tight.