It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to

Today is my 31st birthday and there's nothing like a teething baby to remind you that birthdays are just not what they used to be. At 1:00 this morning, I woke up to Brayden's mid-night crying. Since he's been pretty good at sleeping through the night lately, I decided to let him cry it out for a bit. This technique isn't as cruel as it may sound because our little one usually just lulls himself back to sleep within five minutes.  This (very early) morning, however; was a different story. His cry proceeded to get louder and stronger and more scream-like after a few minutes so I ran in to check on him.  I figured he might just need to be topped up so I nursed him expecting that he'd fall right back to sleep.  Wrong! I was up with him until 4:30 a.m. trying to figure out what the heck was paining him so much. I tried brining him into bed with us, taking him for a walk throughout the house, singing to him and playing (quietly) with his favourite toys but nothing seemed to help. By 2:00 a.m., I offered him a dose of Camilia to help ease the pain of potential teething. (Although we can't quite see anything yet, I think his top two teeth might be starting to make their way down through the gum.) Then, after two and a half hours of screaming (baby) and crying (baby and me), I finally caved and offered him a dose of baby Tylenol. He finally went back to sleep for a couple of hours at 4:30 a.m. Happy birthday mommy, love Brayden. :p)

Tooth eruptions!

At 29 weeks, Brayden's first tooth has officially broken through the gum! (Bottom right tooth.) It's just the tip that is visible but it's pretty sharp when I put my finger in there to feel around. My little munchkin has been taking it like a champ, without any real upheaval to his sleep, feeding schedule or his temperament. While his first tooth continues to work its way up, yesterday we noticed that his second tooth is also now starting to make its debut. (Bottom left tooth.) How exciting! Unfortunately, Brayden is really feeling the pain now. Today was the first taste of his irritability due to teething and let me tell you, it's no fun. In fact, it's down right heart breaking. My poor little guy has been in tears most of the day, putting anything he can into his mouth in an attempt to ease the pain. After hearing some of my mommy friends talk about homeopathic remedies as an alternative to traditional medicines, I decided to look into our options a bit further. Here's what I found:

Tylenol (acetaminophen)

• Non-medical ingredients (cherry drops): butylparaben, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, cellulose, citric acid, corn syrup, FD&C red no. 40, flavour, glycerin, propylene glycol, purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol, xanthan gum

Baby Orajel (benzocaine)

• Gluten, casein and sugar-free
• Doesn't contain egg or dairy products
• On April 19, 2011 Health Canada issued an advisory reminding Canadians about the health risks associated with the use of topical benzocaine products, including a rare but potentially serious blood condition called methemoglobinemia (MetHb). MetHb reduces the ability of red blood cells to deliver oxygen throughout the body. Other reported side effects include breathing or swallowing difficulties and a swollen tongue or mouth, among others
• Since this stuff essentially freezes/numbs the area where it is applied, it may be helpful to apply shortly following a feed in order to give it time to wear off before the next feed -- especially if you are breastfeeding!

Camilia

• Homeopathic remedy 
• Claims to relieve painful gums, restlessness and irritability related to teething
• Specifically formulated for infants 1 month and older
• Water-based formula in a pre-measured oral dose
• Non-numbing
• No alcohol, sugar, coloring, flavoring or preservatives
• We've decided to try treating Brayden with Camilia and so far it seems to work quickly. It's also really easy to administer, has a neutral taste and is mess-free!

Other things that might also help temporarily ease the pain:

* Be sure to read the packaging for cooling instructions.