Getting teeth is a nasty business.

That title is 100% true, and any mother/childcare-giver will tell you so!

When a little one is teething, they just aren't quite themselves.

Even the most angelic babies can become quite unruly.

Granted, there are always a few exceptions.

In most every case, here is what happens:

Once a baby's body recognizes that it needs to focus on teeth, 

the rest of their systems slack off a little bit.

They may exhibit certain symptoms while they're beginning to grow teeth, others when they are actually cutting teeth (when the teeth first physically poke through the gums), and while the teeth grow all the way in.

The first signs you will see are usually

•Diaper rash

•Runny nose

•General fussiness

-these will come with almost zero warning, and when they do, prepare yourself with the teething essentials, which I will outline later. 

As things progress, the next symptoms are

•Interrupted sleep and eating patterns

•Elevated body temperature/fever

•Increased/unusual fussiness

-these ones usually come with the cutting of teeth, which is by far the worst stage. Baby won't want to nap, play, eat, or do many of their normal things. They mostly want to cry and be held. Not every baby will experience an actual fever, but they almost always run a slight to moderately high temperature. In some cases, you will need to call a doctor if their temperature reaches or exceeds 100ºf, to get a recommendation of if/when/at what temperature to take your little one to urgent care. Again, this is only in some cases, so don't freak out at the first little increase in temp. 

After the cutting is over, things will return to normal. You may continue to see minor fussiness, receding diaper rash, etc. All will eventually be right with the world.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, there are teething essentials that you will want to have.

This list is gold, people. Tried and tested teething secret weapons.

Here it is:

•Baby Orajel

OR

•Teething Tablets

•Humidifier
-Something most people have already. Break it out if they get a runny nose.

•Teething Toys
-Go ahead and refrigerate and teething toys you have, so they'll soothe the gums

•Baby Tylenol
-For if they get a fever

•Pacifiers
-If they'll take them, you need to make sure you have one or more at all times during teething, so you don't go insane from all the fussing and crying


Most importantly, just keep a level head, and give your little all the love and cuddles they need.
Best of luck.

Thanks for reading!
Alex,
The Knowledgeable Nanny

Cold and Cough season.

I don't know about others, but I get a little nervous when the weather gets chilly.

I love the seasons as much as the next person, but when the cold winds start to blow, I know I'd better stock up on emergen-c, tea, tissues, and nasal spray.

This is the case for many people, and especially the little ones.

Kids with colds are usually sad, and so are those of us taking care of them, because there's only so much that you can do for another person who can't breathe out of their nose.

So, when you notice the sniffles and coughs that come with the weather, here's what you can do:

•Make sure that your kids are getting enough vitamin C, it ups their immunity

-If they aren't already taking a multivitamin, start giving them one, and make sure it's one with a substantial amount of their daily vitamin C

•Put a humidifier in their room, and keep it on when they sleep

-This will help keep their lungs and airways clear, so they can sleep better

-It can also prevent them from getting sick

•Stock up on the things mentioned above

-tissues

-nasal spray

-Vicks Vapo-rub

(they also make a baby vapo-rub)

•In case of a bad cough/congestion, here is the secret weapon:

-strip your child down to only their underwear

-put some vapo-rub on their chest

-take them into the bathroom, shut the door, 

turn the shower up as hot as it goes, and let them cough it out

-Just hold them in the steamy room until you feel like they're breathing easier

-make sure to put them in warm clothes afterward

-This seriously works wonders!

The younger your child is, the more careful you need to be.

If you are afraid to put your baby down to bed for fear that they'll stop breathing, take them to urgent care, it's much better than worrying and watching them all night

Another thing that is really important is to keep your sniffly little ones away from other people's kids.

I know that life goes on, and you sometimes have to take them places with you, but it's not good for them or anyone else to have them around others. Keep it to a minimum.

Also, make sure you tell a babysitter or nanny when your child is sick!

Just because a kid is sick doesn't mean your sitter will refuse to watch them, but they will want to take their own precautions. I can't count how many times I've caught a child's sickness, because I didn't know they were sick until I showed up. 

Cold season is tricky, but much easier if you're prepared.

Thanks for reading!

Alex,

The Knowledgeable Nanny