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Oh Teething, Why Must You Be So Awful?
It seems like everywhere you turn, parents are quick to blame teething for their baby’s latest cranky spell. “Oh, it’s just teething,” they say, as if it’s a magical excuse. And don’t even get me started on the parents who pin every runny nose on those pesky teeth. Spoiler alert: 90% of the time, it’s a cold, and now half the playgroup is down for the count!
I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of this too—what first-time parent hasn’t? When my first baby, Charlie, hit the two-month mark, he started drooling and fussing like there was no tomorrow. Naturally, I panicked and stocked up on every homeopathic teething remedy and teether available. Turns out, it was just gas! The little guy didn’t sprout his first tooth until he was almost eight months old.
I also mistook a cold for teething once, dragging Charlie to a playdate where several other babies ended up sick because of my rookie mistake. I’m a new mom, so I forgive myself now, but that guilt lingers!
Sure, some parents overuse the teething excuse, but let’s face it: teething is genuinely a nightmare. For many of us, our most challenging memories from the baby years are tied to this very issue.
Picture this: you’re a blissfully unaware little bundle of joy, only responsible for sleeping, eating, and smiling. You get irritated when your parents leave the room or misinterpret your babbles. Pain? What’s that? Maybe you’ve felt a little discomfort from gas or the occasional hair wrapped too tightly around your toe, but your super-mom usually fixes that in no time.
Then, BAM! Something is happening in your mouth. Your once-perfect pink gums swell, and these hard, sharp little monsters start pushing their way through. The pressure is unbearable! Sometimes it even feels like an earache. And when they finally break through? Ouch!
You’re probably thinking, “Mom, what on earth is going on? I didn’t sign up for this!” Some lucky babies breeze through teething with just a little fussiness, but they’re the exception. Most babies feel teething like a freight train and have no problem letting everyone know.
When Charlie was cutting his top two teeth, we were on vacation—yeah, because vacations are totally relaxing with kids. He kept us up all night, complete with drool cascading like a waterfall and a low-grade fever to boot. And if I tried to nurse him? Let me tell you, it was like being bitten by a tiny shark. I nursed both my kids for a long time, and I can count the number of times it hurt—except when they were teething. No thank you!
Once those two teeth finally broke through, Charlie was back to his cheerful self. But, of course, teething hell returned every couple of months. He didn’t get all 20 of his baby teeth until he was two and a half, and those pesky teeth kept causing him grief right until the end. By then, he was an articulate toddler able to describe his agony in vivid detail. I remember him lamenting about his last set of molars, which came in one by one over six long months: “It feels like someone is sawing into my gums,” he cried.
Teething pain is no joke, and I often wished he could have told me what was bothering him. Instead, I found myself guessing until that telltale white peak of a tooth emerged a few days later. I really don’t know why nature designed it this way. Sure, babies can’t be born with a full set of teeth; their mouths need to grow, or they wouldn’t learn to suck properly. But it feels so cruel for both babies and their caregivers. Babies might forget the agony of teething, but we will remember it forever. And so will our sore nipples!
For more insights on parenting and home insemination, check out some helpful resources on pregnancy and what to expect during those challenging times.
Summary: Teething can be a nightmare for both babies and their parents, often mistaken for other ailments. While some infants may experience minimal discomfort, many endure significant pain, leading to sleepless nights and frantic parents. As our little ones grow and develop their teeth, the struggle is real, but thankfully, it’s also temporary.