6 Month Old with Teething/sleep Issues

Give her Tylenol or Motrin! Don't hesitate unless there are real reasons you shouldn't. It has saved me many times.
Good luck!
A.

Honestly the trick for me with my daughter to get her to sleep was to put her down while she was awake. I learned this with some people I nannied for. It basically gets them use to getting to sleep on their own. I know she does wake up at night sometimes still, but she knows how to get herself back to sleep. As for teething I don't know what to tell you. I know it wasn't fun for us. I just my second baby two months ago and am not looking forward to the teething part of it.

Hyland Homeopathics has a great product called TEETHING remedy. It is chamomile and is a little dissolvable tablet that is safe for babies. I have recommended it numerous times and it works great. It takes the edge off so the baby can calm down. You can find it at any health food store or Whole Foods. Best of luck.

if you still have milk in your breast and are still nursing, try to nurse your baby before putting her to sleep and as you are nursing give her a massage, specificly on her feet, which is a very relaxing tool. Since your baby is teething the best thing you can do as a mommy is to nurture her and let her now you are there by holding her and rubbing her and telling her everything is going to be alright. If you are not nursing giving her some warm milk and holding her near your breast is a special secure place for her, and dont forget to massage, try the ears and hands as well as feet. If you need some help look up infant massage and just try everything, being a mommy is trial and error, the best thing you can do is try, oh and be gental she is small...lol One last thing, her gums may be inflammed so you can try a popcycle which may also sooth her gums

Try Hyland Teething tablets, or give her a little Tylanol (sp?).

Hi R.,
I had a very similar experience with my daughter (now 8 months) at 6 months when her first two teeth came in. For two weeks she was up every two hours crying. It was miserable, like you are describing. I didn't know what else to do, so I just nursed her every time and after that second tooth popped through, it abruptly stopped.

Last week she cut her 3rd tooth, a top one, and there was no night waking or crying. I have no idea what was different, but it was, and I was happy! :)

Good luck,
D.

My daughter is almost one yo, and I really LOVE the Hyland's Teething Tablets (which I also used with my 5 yo nephew), available at Long's and probably your local grocery store. They are homeopathic and very inexpensive. The instructions say to let it dissolve under the tongue, but I actually rub it directly onto the gums where the tooth is coming through, until dissolved. It seems to work better this way.
If your daughter is having a particularly rough time with her teeth, do not feel bad about giving Infant Tylenol Drops before bedtime. This will ease the pain and any fever, as well as help her (and you!) sleep better :)
I wanted to add, that while Tylenol can affect the liver (with alot of use over time), Motrin has been associated with Reye's syndrome, so speak with your Ped before making your choice and as to the proper dosage. Or you can switch off between the 2, which is what I do :)
A.

I have used Hyland's teething tablets at the advice of a family member. So far, they seem to help! Good luck.

Hello young mommie, this is M. garcia, I had three children and they all went thru the same thing of teething really bad. But one more then the other 2, always cryed and got up many times, well I suggest to get teething tablets, and buy her teething rings and put them in the frig. so that the cold will sooth her gums. But don't give her teething tabs til it's bed time. I think you can give them up to 2 at a time, they melt in their mouth. Also try to keep her awak during the day as much as possible. Don't let her take too many naps. I Know this is important for them to nap as much as possible but when they are going thru their teething growth, it's best to try to keep them up more. Popsicles are really good.Now they make them suger free. So that will be very good too sooth their gums. Well, don't worry little momie, it will soon pass. Pray alot for them befoe bedtime and God will send sleeping angels by their side. take care, mrs. garcia

Hi R.,
I HIGHLY recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth for great ideas on sleep training. I have been in the dental field for 17+ yrs and am married to a dentist. The worst discomfort from teeth usually occurs with the first tooth and the first molars. I used Tylenol at bedtime with my daughter and tried the teething tablets too. What seems to happen is that the night waking becomes a habit that continues after the teething discomfort ends. You stated that your daughter has never been a good sleeper. Are you putting her to bed at least an hour earlier than your son? At 6 months old she should be napping at least twice daily (around 9am & 1pm) for at least an hour with an early bedtime. When I say early I mean around 6-7pm. It sounds like not only is your daughter teething, she is way over tired. You might want to try a very early bedtime to help her wake up more rested. I can't stress enough the importance of a healthy sleep schedule. Email me if you would like some advice.
L.

Hi R.,

I had similiar issues w/ my first daughter who is now 5. I used to put Baby Orajel on her teeth before I nursed her then would put her straight to her nap or her bedtime. Also using a lullaby for sleeptime helped.

Hope that helps

Hi R.,
Hylands teething tablets are great. I get mine at Target. Just go to the pharmacy and ask for them. Be sure to dissolve them under the tongue.(I didnt know that at first and couldn't figure out why they weren't working until my brother told me). We do also use Orogel and Tylenol off and on. Motrin does last longer, so sometimes if we feel we need it, we give it to her at night. The orogel is an immediate fix, the tablets only take a few minutes. There are many teething toys out there, none work for my daughter. My sister in law will take a wash cloth, wet the corner, stick it in the freezer and have her son chew on it. He liked that!
With sleeping habits, there are many different options, read up on them and see what best suits you.
Good luck!!

My daughter was the same way with teething, and we found Tylenol worked at first (so she could sleep in 4 hr stretches). Then a friend told me that Motrin lasts longer, so then she would sleep without pain in 6-8 hour stretches. Teething tablets did nothing for her. During the day we used those mesh food bags and filled them with frozen fruit, or just plain ice cubes (less messy). She would happily gnaw away on them. We also found teethers that vibrate (at Safeway) and she loved them!

Ditto most of the other advice, although we understand that Tylenol can build up in the liver, so we only use infant Motrin, and only at night. At night I usually give him the Nylands tablets before bed, and if he's already fussy I give him the Motrin (I like the dye-free variety). My friends with older kids assure me that the first teeth are the hardest, esp. the top two. They also said to give him those teething rings you put in the freezer are good because the cold numbs the gum and chewing on something sort of hard helps the tooth break through; but my kid hasn't liked those so far. He likes chewing on cloth, hard rubber teething toys and also on the silicone pacifiers that he no longer likes for sucking. Good luck!

When my son is teething i give him tylenol or ib. Those teething products i've noticed don't work. Ask your doctor for proper dosage, but i find that id works the best and he sleeps all night. Good luck!

Hylands teething tablets, dissolve under the tongue. Longs & Walgreens carry them.

I really feel for you, I have three kids and I know how it is. I beleive at 6 months you can start giving Motrin, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR to make sure it is okay. Anyways Motrin worked wonders for me with my kids, when mine were little (my youngest is 3) you could start Motrin at 6 months and it worked so much better that Tylenol or any other teething product, you just need a good pain killer that will let her get some sleep....and you too. Good luck and I can't stress enough to check with your doctor before giving any medications!!!

hi
have you tried giving her some infant tylenol before bed. teething is painful and this might help.
J.

Hi R.!

I used Hylonds Teething Tablets for my little one's until they were 3!!!!! The dosage they recommend is great for everyday use. But I'll be honest, when my boys had really "bad teething days" I used them every hour, but only for a 24 hour period. It REALLY helped them get more sleep. I also would let my boys chew on a wet baby washcloth. They loved that! I also put my apples in the fridge, and would peel & cut them up and put them in one of those food nets for them to snack on. That helped alot, too.
But, basically the Teething Tablets were their lifesaver. And it made me feel better, because I wasn't giving them as much Motrin all the time.

Anyway, about the sleeping thing. You are talking to a mom who allowed my boys to sleep with me every bad night they had, and whenever they felt they needed, too. I tried not to worry about doing things "right or wrong" as a mom. I tried to focus on what they needed in the moments that they need them. Don't get me wrong, I knew I would eventually have to "fight" to get them back to their own bed on a regular basis. But...one tooth/step at time :o) I'm happy to say, that both my boys went to their rooms before they started school. And, that was my goal.
Now, my sister has a large enough room to put the crib in her room. Her 7 month old son is teething, and began to wake more often starting about a month ago. But, he is beginning to sleep for longer periods of time. She also uses Teething Tablets. They are SOOOOO easy. You take 1 pill out, stick it in their mouth, and it disolves! Within 5-10 minutes, you will notice your little one more comfortable.

Hope this helps! Have a good day!

:o) N.

A combination of tylenol and oragel work for most cases of teething. Ask your Ped. I give my daughter 1/4 the dose recommended for a 2 year old. (they say .8 + .8 totalling 1.6. I give her .4 - but check with your Doctor first.)

If that just isn't seeming to work, see if your Doctor will give you topical Lidocaine (Lidocaine Viscous 2% Oral Solution 100 ML) You mix it with equal parts Maalox to make it not taste so bad (it really doesn't taste bad, though).

In reality, this was for a big scrape on the inside of my Daughter's mouth, but I found it works great for sore gums too.

Hi R.,

We are going through the same thing right now. My son is 6 1/2 months old and we think he must be getting a couple more teeth. We have many things that we use. If my son is going down for a nap and can't get comfortable, I try Orajel. During the day we use a lot of teething rings. We have some that are in the fridge and some that are at room temp. He loves to chew on things. I have also tried using his baby toothbrush. I put it on my finger and he chews on it for a good 20 minutes. He seems to be very happy with that. At night is when he seems the most irritated. We give him Tylenol after dinner (about and hour before bed). That seems to be helping the most. Right now that is what we are doing.

Before when he was getting his first 2 teeth, we were giving him Tylenol 2-3 times a day. He was just miserable. If he was having a hard time, I gave him some. I don't like to use medicine a lot, but I can't imagine what it feels like to get teeth!
One thing I would suggest is to talk to your pediatrician before you give your daughter Motrin. Ours told us not to give it to our son this early.

As for the sleeping, I am sure it is related to the pain. My son did the same thing for naps. I think the Tylenol will help that.

I hope this helps. Good luck and hopefully it will get better soon!

S. D.

I use tylenol or motrin. I would try both to see what she responds best to, but usually the motrin works the longest. One dose before bed should help. I would call your ped and ask what the correct dose for her weight is. There is also baby oral-gel but that is much more temporary. Finally, there is an all natural teething tablet on the market, and I'm forgetting the name, but we didn't find it helpful.

Don't be afraid to use Tylenol. I also wrapped an ice cube in a small baby washcloth and secured it with a rubber band. Both my girls happily chewed through many a wash cloth and their hands stayed warm and dry (unlike those teething rings that go in the freezer). I always felt so sorry for the poor kids and understood just how painful teething can be when I'd look at the washcloth and see blood. It's hard work growing up! Good luck.
M.

Hi R.,

A coworker turned me on to Hylands Homeopathic teething gel. I have a 6 mo old girl too and her first tooth popped up last week. So far, Hylands is helping.

For toys, there's this french giraffe that's made of rubber called "Sophie." My daughter likes it for chewing (and it's really safe). You can also put a washcloth in the fridge and give it to her once it's cold. I think it helps numb the pain.

Good luck.

Have u tried the type of baltic amber teething products they sell over at http://latvianamberstore.com it helps with the drool and to sooth. They have a monthly giveaway and its easy to enter and free. Baltic Amber is so pretty and cheap there's not really a reason for u to not try it for yourself.

Hi there,

I have a 6month old too. I found these teething pills at walmart or target... they work great.... just give her 3 pills every 4hrs and she will be better... if she has been crying alot she might fall asleep.... hope this helps

HI! I understand totally about the teething thing! I would buy Vanilla Extract from the store and put a little bit on the gums. I know! It sounds awful, but it helps! My daughter is 11 months old and it works! Also, check in Target, Wal-Mart, or any other place that sells baby stuff and look for teething rings. Put one in the fridge and let it get really cold. It helps and soothes the baby! Sometimes, you can put the teething ring in a plastic bag and give it to the baby after you put it in the fridge! They will love it!
Sleeping is really hard, but I tried this thanks to my brother-in-law, Chris! When your baby naps during the day, let her nap for about an hour to an hour and a half. By the time she goes to bed, she will want to go to bed and sleep! It may take a week or so to keep the routine, but it will be worth the effort! Also, sing or rock your baby to sleep. Sometimes, most baby falls asleep when you are feeding them at night! This might help!
I hope this helps!

Hi R.,

When my son was teething, I found homeopathic teething remedies worked great. You should be able to find them at Whole Foods. Just ask someone in the supplement section.

Good luck!

L.

Hyland's teething tablets...
good luck!

I have a 6 month old as well. Gripe water can help break up the gas that comes with all of the extra swallowing and crying. I found infant tylenol and carrying my son upright against my chest to be the best solution. I would sometimes rock him to sleep in that position. It is hard to carry them but it really helps! I do not use orajels as they can interfere with breastfeeding and I am told, only provide temporary relief. Tylenol also relieves the pain that travels to their ears and head.

i found with mine that teething tablets worked the best. she cut her first tooth at three months and would not sleep for the life of me. teething tablest are a hoeopathic remedy and were completely safe. they can be given once an hour for up to six hours for restlessness. it was a life saver for us. but go with what you think is best...you're the mom.

Teething tablets or Gentle Naturals has homeopathic teething drops. You can find the teething tablets at Raley's and the teething drops at Target. They worked wonders for me!

Hi,
we gave my daughter catnip and chamomile tea and that helped calm her down. If you are nursing, you drink it and just keep her in bed with you for now. You'll both sleep better.

My son went through the same thing. You sound just like me. It's nice to know I am not alone :) I make sure to give him Tylenol every 4 hours and that did seem to help him out. I would talk to her doctor about the exact dosage to give for her weight. Good Luck.

The natural teething tablets that Ana S was talking about is Hyland's teething tablets. They come in a white, pink, and blue box, and you can buy them at Rite Aid, Walmart - quite a few places carry them. I used these for my son, who is now three, who had the two top teeth and the two bottom teeth by six months. And now I am using them for my six-month old daughter. These tablets work wonders, and I swear by them. You can use them more often than you can use Tylenol or Motrin because of the natural ingredients, and they just dissolve in their mouth, under the tongue; so you see faster relief. When it was really, really bad, and my son was running a fever, too, Motrin worked the best for him. Well, good luck!! Keep us posted.

Hello R.,

Actually, it will probably happen for longer than 2 years if something doesn't change. No parent enjoys hearing the sound of their precious baby crying. It invokes feelings of guilt that we aren't doing something right or that something is wrong with the baby. The best advice I can give you is to help her develop good sleeping habits by letting her work it out on her own.

Each time you go in there in the middle of the night you are teaching her to keep doing it. Even when nothing is wrong and she is completely healthy she will scream and cry until you come in there. Especially if she knows she will eventually end up in your bed with you, she will keep it up. There will always be some reason you can think up which will convince you that you should go in there but try very very very hard not to (kids teeth on and off for years and then throw in the 10 colds they get each year which last 2 to 4 weeks each).

Sleeping through the night is a learned skill. It doesn't come naturally to most babies. The best way to help your baby develop healthy sleep habits is to put her to bed at the same time every night. Put her in her crib sleepy but not asleep. She may be very upset by this at first if you have been rocking her or nursing her to sleep but this will be temporary. Allow her to fuss and cry for as long as it takes. If you can keep yourself from going in there to rescue her she will show a drastic improvement within about three to four nights. If you go in there she will not get better. It will probably get worse because she will know that if she screams long enough you will come. So, for the benefit of your baby girl, try to get your husband and everyone else in the house who might try to rescue her to agree not to go in there for three or four nights.

My daughter was about the same age when I became so sleep deprived that I had to do something about it. At every naptime and at bedtime I put her in her crib and just let her cry it out. She was very persistent the first two days and screamed for almost 40 minutes (seemed like 40 hours) but then she fell asleep. I had to put her down half an hour before bedtime at first because by the time she'd fall asleep it would be almost time for her to eat again. It only lasted two days and on day three something miraculous happened. I placed her in her crib for her morning nap and she just closed her eyes and went to sleep. She never fussed to sleep again! When one night she actually did wake up screaming I knew something must be wrong because it was so out of character for her to behave that way.

The older they get the more difficult it is to break the bad habit so do it as soon as you can muster up enough strength. What helped me was reminding myself that I was actually being selfish by letting my emotions get in the way of doing what was right (letting her learn to sleep and self soothe). It sure doesn't feel right when you are sleep deprived and emotional but it is so unbelievably wonderful when baby learns to sleep. You are obviously a wonderful mommy to sacrifice so much for your baby BUT in order to be the best mommy possible you need to make sure you are at least getting the basics (food and sleep). Your baby will start going to sleep happy and waking up happy because she is so well rested.

I really hope you find this helpful. I know it probably would have been nicer if I could recommend some sort of over the counter miracle teething tablet but there just isn't one that will make your baby be a good sleeper. I have used this method on several different children and each one is an excellent sleeper.

Best Wishes,

E.

I feel for you! My son popped his first tooth at 6 months and by the time he was eight months he had 8 teeth!! He's only 9 months old now and is STILL teething. So I understand what you're going through. It seems some of the teeth coming through hurt more for him than others, so it will be really bad with him not sleeping, not napping, and wanting to be held all the time for like a four day stretch and then he'll pop the tooth and it will get better. The only thing that has helped temporarily for me is a switch between Tylenol and ibuprophen and having him drink out of a sippy cup (but that's because he hurts so bad he can't even suck out of the bottle). And just giving it time, I know it sucks, but I guess it's just some babies teeth much worse than others, hang in there! It's just a phase and WILL get better.

Baby Orajel helped our two sons. Don't worry, they don't do this for 2 years!!!

I have an 8 month old and was recently concerned about her sleeping habits. She usually gets me up 2-3 times a night to just turn her over. She rarely comes in my bed, but sometimes it is just necessary to get some sleep. I talked to my doctor and he said babies just go through stages, especially when teething, going thru a developmental phase like crawling, pulling themselves up, or walking.
Hang in there and try giving her Tylenol before bed. It should take 1/2 hour for her to start feeling better, so plan ahead of her bed time.

Dear R.,

I would suggest a tiny bit of baby oragel and tylenol or Motrin. I think the motrin is better as it last for 6-8 hours verses the tylenol which is only 4. It is very important that you all get rest and if she is fussing that much she is probably in a lot of pain so I would give her something to help ease it.

My son had a really bad time with teething at the six month mark too. We would wet washcloths and put them in the refridgerator for him to chew on during the day. We would also use frozen waffles which were safe for him to chew on.

Hang in there and I hope you all get some rest soon.

N.

Have you tried Tylenol or Motrin? (infants of course)sometimes that works better than the oragel and it lasts longer as well. It will take away the pain and probably help her sleep since she won't be feeling any pain. Make sure she has a bottle before bed as well, as this will keep her from waking up hungry. Good luck!

Hi, Funny, I posted a request on the topic yesterday. Everyone is recommending Hylands teething tablets, however they do not work for my 7 month old. She has sleepless nights when the tooth is breaking through, so we just let her sleep with us and I end up nursing her alot more. I did some internet searching and found some advice that I tried last night. Use one of those mesh feeders and put a piece of a frozen fruit in it, that seemed to help a little bit. Also, when my 5 year old was teething we used a teething oil we got at Whole Foods, it has ginger in so it soothed her gums right away, she just didn't like the smell.

Um, waking up 1-3 times a night sounds like a luxury to me!! My little 11 month old son was a great sleeper til I went back to work at around 5 months. Then he woke more and started hating his crib. Now he sleeps with us, which we are fine with and I like (most of the time), since I'm gone at work most of the day. I go back and forth between wanting to cry because I think the sleep stuff won't go away for years more, and being OK with it because this is what babies do and we signed up for it by wanting him in our lives. So, not much advice to give other than you are not alone. Have you read all the sleep books -- there are certainly enough of them out there! I find that reading them is a mixed blessing. At one end they are reassuring that all this is normal, on the other end, they make you feel like it's your fault (because you are not "training" them) if your baby doesn't sleep perfectly.

when it's really bad, piggy back pain medicine.. motrin then two hours later tylenol. i know it can't feel too good having something sharp coming through your gums. natural teething tablets worked great for my kids. did motrin tylenol combo when nights were really bad. not much else you can do. make sure there isn't some other issues too.. ear infection etc that could cause discomfort when laying down.

Try Hylands homeopathic teething tablets. They really help.

Hi R.... I truly sympathize with you on lack of sleep due to teething! My first baby was miserable for months, and had all her teeth in by 1 year old. Many sleepless nights! The product they didn't have then(30 years ago)that there is now, is Baby Orajel teething swabs. I was having a throbbing toothache and found this product at Long's Drugs. If they work on an adult, they're the sure ticket for babies. Hope this works for you, and you both get some sleep! Sincerely, CJ