It happens to the best of us. One day your adorable little toddler is taking her first steps. The next day she is screaming non stop. The dreaded teething has begun. Recently my precocious little girl went through 2 difficult weeks while working on producing her molars. Did I say difficult? Difficult is actually an understatement, it was a nightmare. While getting her first 8 teeth she had a slight fever and some crankiness. The molars though was a real challenge. It took so long and was so hard that I even made a fool of myself by calling the dentist and asking him if there is a possibility of the tooth being stuck (Hey, my wisdom teeth were impacted.) He told me it was improbable, but the molars are definitely more tough than the first set of eight. The more the child eats or rubs on her gums the faster the teeth break through, and the front teeth are used a lot more often.

I am proud to say that the errant teeth, did finally break through. My sanity though is completely gone. While the play kitchen used to be her favorite toy and the security blanket was always able to quiet her tears, nothing seemed to keep her happy for more than five minutes. I survived the day by telling myself that it was not her fault, she was in pain. If your toddler is going through this, you have my deepest sympathy.

Some of the signs of teething are drooling, fussiness, biting, bulging gums and night-time waking. I brought my daughter to the pediatrician three times over her two-week teething period, sure that her unhappiness was due to a terrible ear infection. How cranky can a baby be from just teething? Very, it turns out.

So what can you do to soothe their distress? Soft, cold foods are great for soreness of the gums. Try a chilled yogurt or banana. You can also give them teething rings or a hard bagel, which worked great for me. Rubbing your finger on their gums helps, as does giving them a toothbrush to rub. My baby loved to use the toothbrush – not only did it feel great but it kept her busy. The experts recommend breastfeeding, cuddling or rocking them to try to distract them from the pain. I pulled out some new toddler toys to entertain her. They worked well, for about ten minutes. When all else fails my pediatrician recommended giving her some Tylenol or Motrin. I have to say that worked the best of all. I do try to refrain from giving my toddler endless doses of pain reliever, but at times she was really in pain and after she took it she was all cheerful again.

So hang in there, eventually it does break through. And in a few years when it falls out, remind your dear child what you went through to get it there.

Check out UltraQuirkyTot.com for a fabulous line of everything toddler!