Teething Wars: Haul

It seems that I can't catch a break! Literally the weekend that followed Axl's last vaccination, I am hit with teething. FUN TIMES! Although he wears his Amber Teething Necklace, he is still going through some of the growing pains of teething. It has never been quite as bad as some people have made it out to be, but I admit, there are times that I want to join in with the crying.

Teething is terrible! One minute, I have a happy, smiling baby boy, flirting with those oh-so-green eyes and in a matter of seconds, he is a heart sore, screaming baby! 

So these are some of the signs that I have noticed from Axl, I am sure that if you Google this, you will find a similar list on millions of sites - but this is what I have experienced.

• Drool - there is so much drool that if it weren't for a bib, he would easily need to be changed every 30 minutes. 
• Runny Tummy - It's not often, but I have noticed that on the real tough days, the teething also affects his tummy.
• Snotty or Congested Nose - Also, it isn't always, but he does seem to have more congestion, followed by a runny nose, more often these days. 
• Fevers - These are the worst as it drains all the energy from him, I find myself stripping the poor kid down to a vest and nappy, more often than not.
• Crying fits - As mentioned, he can go from all-smiles and within a few seconds, he breaks down into inconsolable tears.
• Ear Ache - His ears are irritating him a lot, lately. I especially hate this symptom as I often believe ear-ache is worse than child birth, and I hate to see his ear worrying him.
• Interrupted Appetite - I breastfeed Axl and before I realized that he was teething, I kept worrying as he wasn't eating as often as he normally would.
• Chewing his tongue, fingers ... ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! - He will suck on his bib, chew his fingers, push his tongue to the tooth which is coming through, furiously suck and bite on my fingers. Basically, anything that comes into contact with his mouth, should be prepared to stay there for a while AND be ready for the drool! 

| 1. Purity Pedia Kids: Gum & Tooth Gel | 2 & 4. MAM Oral Care Teething Cloth & Brush | 

| 3. Tommee-Tippee Teething Pacifier a.k.a Chewther: Stage 1 | 5. Pansoral Teething Gel | 6. Teejel |

|7. Spiffies Teething Wipes: Baby Grape | 8. Clicks Mickey Mouse Frozen Teether |

| 9. Toys 'R' Us Frozen Teether | 10. MAM Teether & Clip |

Purity Pedia Kids: Gum & Tooth Gel

I probably jumped the gun, a bit, with this one. But part of the hamper that Purity & Elizabeth Anne's sent me, was this gum & tooth gel. Originally, I thought this to be a teething gel, to soothe aching gums, but in actual fact this is a tooth paste. It should be used mornings and night to help protect and clean baby teeth and gums. 

MAM Oral Care Teething Cloth & Brush

Easily one of THE BIGGEST lifesavers! The little bunny is great for baby to bite and suck onto, while the brush has different textures on each side, for baby to rub against those sore gums. More about MAM Teethers

Tommee-Tippee Teething Pacifier a.k.a Chewther

Axl hasn't taken to these, yet, as I had imagined him too. He loves his dummies, so thought that this would be awesome for teething. I don't know if his mouth is too small for it, but he gags each time I put it in. This is stage: 1 (3 months +).

Spiffies Teething Wipes: Baby Grape

I found these while searching Dis-Chem for the Nuby teething and soother wipes and decided to give them a try. Axl kept grabbing his usual wipes and tried sucking on them, but obviously it wasn't all that tasty. These come in Baby Grape and Apple flavours. They aren't as big as normal wipes, but are perfect to wrap around your finger to rub against gums, tongues and cheeks. I especially love that they are individually wrapped! Perfect for nappy bags.

Pansoral and Teejel

When I was little, we had Teejel. Someone also recommended Pansoral and said that they found it to work better than Teejel. So far, I find that Axl doesn't like the flavour of Teejel (liquorice) and usually gags from it. He doesn't seem to mind Pansoral and it keeps him quiet for a good while.

Toys

Often, I find the best way to deal with a crying tantrum, is to distract Axl. These goodies are great for that and he loooves sucking, biting and throwing these around. The green and red toy are both the freezing-type, but I am yet to actually freeze them. I think that it will upset him and give him a fright from the cold. The MAM starter teether and clip is exceptionally handy, as it it clips onto your baby's clothing like a dummy-clip.