My 7 month old is teething really bad these past few days. He’s super cranky and I feel like I can only distract him for a little while. It’s to the point where he can’t eat. Whenever I nurse him he ducks for a second and then screams and repeats. I feel so bad for him. I have been giving him a dose of Tylenol every night before bed because it’s so bad. During the day I try not to give it. Instead I give frozen breastmilk and teethers.

But last night and today was really bad! I gave him a dose before his bath time and then he went to bed at 7:30pm. He woke up screaming at 12am, I fed him he went to sleep. He woke up at 5am screaming again and was rubbing his mouth and biting on his hand. I tried feeding him and he sucked, screamed, sucked, screamed...so I gave him another dose. We were up for about an hour. The Tylenol finally kicked in, I fed him, put him in his crib and he self soothes himself to sleep.

He slept in a bit and woke up at 9am. I nursed him and everything was fine. He ate his solids I nursed him again just before his nap. He woke up from his nap without screaming (it was a short 45 minute nap-he usually naps for a hour to an hour and a half). I tried feeding him like I normally do but he refused. So I brought him downstairs as everything was good! I kept trying to feed him but he wasn’t eating so I was really concerned.

When it was time for his next nap I tried feeding him and he did the whole screaming thing again so I gave him more Tylenol! I was finally able to nurse him and he’s sleeping now.

I feel super guilty for giving him so much Tylenol lately but I don’t know what else I can do for him. He’s screaming in pain. Everything I’ve tried doesn’t work. I feel like a terrible mom.

Am I giving too much? Any suggestions on what I can do?