My DD is SO cranky - any help for teething? PLEASE HELP!!

My DD has been SO cranky for about 3-4 days.  I took her to the doctor on Friday due to a low grade fever and cold.  They said her ears looked perfect and she just had a cold.  She is no longer running fever and her congestion is much better.  She is just so cranky and not eating well.  She eats her solids fine, but acts like her bottle irritates her somehow.  She has a big knot on her bottom gum and is drooling and chewing like crazy.  I think she is teething, but don't know how I can help.  I have tried the teething tablets and they don't help.  I finally used orajel last night and it seemed to give her some relief.  I know they say not to use it, but I was desparate.  My DS never had so much misery with his teeth, so I am at a loss.  My DD is usually so easy going and happy, so it is hard to see her so cranky.  Does anyone have any remedies for teething misery?

[zaksmommy]

The teething tablets did not work for us either. He just spit them out and cried harder. I would give her frozen fruit or ice in a Fresh Food Feeder (it is a mess net that you can put food in it so they dont choke) from Target: www.munchkin.com/products/detail.html?section=prodCategories&pID=37
and giver her Tylenol.

Or wet a washcloth, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes until its just slighty frozen, but still soft, then give it to her to chew on or put ice in the washcloth and tie it (rubberband) and give it to her.  Hope it helps!

[kris123]

I have tried everything I could and the teething tabs worked the best for me but not that long.  Ryan is 8 months old and has been cranky like your baby for 2 months now.  he nows has six teeth that all came in about 4 weeks.   Before they broke through, he had those bumps you were talking about.  he doesn't eat solids and only will take his bottle.

[AndiJ78]

Watch the ice, most docs now say to use refridgerated, not frozen, wash cloths or teething rings.  

[lfb]

Thank you for all of your comments.  Why do some babies suffer so much more than others?  I am just so concerned that something else is wrong, but I took her to the doctor and they couldn't find anything wrong.  She is just so out of sorts.  I just wonder how long this will last?

[AndiJ78]

CJ has had a rougher time with his molars than the other boys, for him I actually did use orajel. The key with Orajel is to not use it near feeding time. I know, I know that is when you want to use it. but by numbing the entire mouth it makes it hard for the baby to coordinate their latch (breast or bottle) and can lead to a very difficult feed.

The teething tablets worked great for Tristan, but were hit and miss for CJ. I still recommend them as anything that could satisfy T was a miracle : )

[girliegrl1723]

i always used a combo of orajel and tylenol when edward's teeth were really bad. we also tried teething tablets, but they didnt seem to help him much. i heard the teething tablets help more when they are a bit older and getting molars and such. but, the combo of orajel and tylenol/motrin is what helped most for us. when it wasn't so bad, but i could tell he was uncomfertable, i would use just orajel. the swabs i find are easier to apply and i always dabbed his mouth with a dry cloth before so the saliva wouldn;t wash it away. i never gave it to him before a bottle, as Andi said, they cant drink right when they're mouth is numbed. i know its rough. edward had quite a few months in a row that were rough. he's 1 yr old now, with about 10 teeth and we've had a little bit of a break. i know it won't last too long though. he was never soothed by teething rings or cold washcloths either, so there was never much i could do. i've heard about the mesh things that someone else reccommended. i never tried them before, but have heard a lot of people who liked them. good luck!

[jd1419]

I always put the teething rings in the freezer for a few minutes that way they were really nice and cold to chew on.  To store them, I left them in the fridge...