Surviving Canines and Pre-Molars

The past few days had been difficult. Matt was having on-and-off low grade fever without any other symptom. Even the lab results were all not conclusive, said the pedia. We -my mother and I- suspected that this must be caused by the pre-molars and canines breaking out to the surface of his gums, although the pedia didn't think so. Still active and impish, yet he was crankier and grumpier than usual. Needless to say, everyone in the house was affected by all these. My mother was more than her worrywart self, she was fussing and fretting the whole time. I turned out to be another version of my mother, maybe a degree worse. I was worried sick, anxious, frantic and all. So sooo frayed at the edges, in fact. I'm just too glad that that's like water under the bridge. Matt is okay now.

And during those stressful times, I found these few things helpful:

Stickbreads. Because teething babies usually have the urge to bite more, these small little sticks are perfect for Matt to gnaw on. It’s harder than the usual munchies but it serves the same purpose as that of a teething toy (which I’m not so comfortable). It's also recommended for mommies, to bite as hard and as much to channel some frustration and anxiety. Haha. Ah great things really come in small package, literally. And I’ve been lucky to find the perfect size in a Pan de Pugon outlet.

Gum massages. Matt loves this alot he can keep still for as long as you want him to (and as long as you rythmically thrust a pointer on his gums). I've seen dear son do this all by himself too. Word of caution: Just be careful not to give your kid the message that Mama's finger is a teether.

Touch therapy. Cuddles. Hugs. Licks. Kisses. Coupled with I-love-yous. And all the sweet soothing words you can imagine. Although I cannot explain this scientifically, I do believe there’s magic in touch and tender words. And the benefits go both ways, to the giver and the receiver. Magic, really.

Relative Freedom - For Matt. Not that I'm not giving him his freedom all the time because I really do. But in those difficult times, although closely supervised, I've given him the liberty to do what he wanted to do, without intervening. He's got all the free pass he could get on just about anything. That's tough to explain, alright. It's like I just wait for him to tell me what he wanted to do (or me reading the signs). I've held myself from suggesting or from influencing him on what to do or play. Like if he'd get a book, then maybe he wanted to read. So I take the cue and that's the only time I handed more books or read to him. I didn't even give him solid food unless he'd tell me so. I just let him play or run around.

Chinese Teething Powder. I bought this last year from a Chinese store which sells (authentic ?) Chinese products downtown. Recommended by the people who have tried it with their own kids, or nieces and nephews or grandkids and who go out to say it’s effective. Before trying it with Matt, I've tried it with myself first just so I'd know what it's like. I would dab a little of this on his gums to alleviate his unease, but only as last recourse. But if you’re not comfy with stuff like this, don’t.

Sleep. I find it good for me and my son to get well-rested and refreshed. And whenever I can, I sleep because it keeps me all ready with all the motherly duties waiting ahead of me. And its proven to help me get through any stressful day.