Mommyish Poll: How Did You Deal With Teething?

Here at Mommyish, we’re interested in the realities of childrearing, not the theories we’re asked to trust. So once a week, we’re going to poll moms on what they’re actually doing. This week, we’re talking to moms about how they handled teething.

In my early days of babysitting, I was once watching a healthy seven-month-old with a very quiet temperament. When it came time for him to go down, he started squealing unlike anything I had ever heard. As his crying escalated, I began to realize that the baby wasn’t just cranky — he was in pain. I called the father right away and told him that I was concerned. Walking the apartment with the shrieking infant, I started to imagine all kinds of horrific scenarios like an intestinal blockage or internal bleeding. It was so unlike him to cry this much.

The dad raced back home and prepared to take the baby to the emergency room. I offered to go with him but it was nearly midnight and he suggested that I just go home. Running down the stairs, I asked him to please let me know the diagnosis for my favorite little baby and I watched them both hop in the car.

At around four a.m., I received a text on my phone that read one word: “Teething.”

[ITPGallery]