1st Year Molars (and their evilness)

Right after baby girl's first birthday she started to get her second two bottom teeth. At the same time I noticed that her gums in back seemed swollen like her molars would be coming a long shortly as well. They have been a lot slower to come in, but have brought much more pain than any of the other teeth she has gotten. The bottom gums just seem to be getting more swollen and white, but the actual tooth is resisting to break through. The tops gums on the other hand look a lot different. They never really looked swollen or white and the little ridge of the gum that seems to recede with teething is still very apparent. And yet both teeth have started to pop through; the outside side (if that makes sense) is pretty much completely through and then there is a tiny spec on the other side of the ride where the other side is starting. I can sneak a peak sometimes when she is on my lap throwing her head back laughing. These molars have definitely given her pain since they started to come in. It's not constant pain, just erratic episodes that last for like a day or so. Poor baby girl will be fussy, chew on her hands and drool a lot. It also causes her to wake up a lot more during the night. Sometimes it makes her quite miserable at which point I break down and give her Tylenol. That makes me feel like a failure as a mom because I feel like I should be able to make her feel better and that using medicine is just a cop-out. Logically, I know that pain medication is fine when children are in pain and last night, actually, was a good reminder of how helpful Tylenol can be. Baby girl was so cranky; she wanted to nurse but then didn't, she wouldn't chew on a cold washcloth (she never will anymore), she didn't really want to do anything but cry, the poor baby. So we gave her some Tylenol and a popsicle to hold her over til it kicked in-- and what a world of difference it made! She was so happy after (and perhaps on a sugar rush), playing with her reflection in the mirror. I felt like we made the right decision. But then other times I just keep thinking of someone's post I read online once "I don't like to medicate my child so that I can get sleep at night". Why are moms so mean to each other! Anyway, it feels like she has gotten the most Tylenol ever these past two months and I think we still have another month at least before these suckers are all the way through.