When a photograph helps you relive a moment in time

Photos are one of the most evocative source of memory for me, I can look at a photo and not just be transported back to when it was taken, but to my whole life surrounding that moment.

Facebook memories popped up a little reminder for me yesterday.  This time four years ago we were preparing to emigrate and this photo reminded me of everything that was happening in our life at the time.

Nelsons Teetha

This is the Facebook memory, a photo of my eldest (who still sucks his fingers and twiddles his hair just like this) and one of our friends in London, at our leaving do by the oh-so-trendy Clapham Common as people came in and out to say goodbye as we prepared to leave for a life in the sun in Dubai.

This one photo brings everything that was happening back then rushing back.

It was the end point of a nomadic time for us, that saw us move from friends house to friends house living out our final days in London after giving up the lease on our flat.  Carting round all of our possessions that we were planning on flying out to Dubai with us, plus a few extras, in the back of our Peugeot 207.  Which wasn’t very big and was fairly quickly sold after we left.  Everything we needed to live, to work and to handle a small baby.

A small, 6 month old, teething, baby.

Yes, you read that right.  As we prepared to change up everything in our life, our eldest son decided now would be a good time to start teething in earnest.

All he wanted before we bid farewell to the UK was his two front teeth it seemed.  Just what we needed to contend with as I struggled with the decision to become an expat, and not just an expat but an expat wife.

teething Nelsons Teetha
His two front teeth

A recent survery conducted by Nelsons found that 39% of parents found teething one of the most distressing ailments for their baby.  I certainly found this to be the case, and not just because of the fact we were moving but because of the distress it caused him.

After a relatively easy first 6 months (I think, maybe I have rose tinted glasses on remembering) teething hit us like a ton of bricks.  Right as we were in the middle of moving.  Timing hey?

Those rosy red cheeks, dribble dripping down his chin, miserable snotty nosed face looking up at me from his pram.  All in all, one miserable baby.  We tried so many things to cheer him up, well, as many as our nomadic existence would allow for.

Teething rings in the freezer.  Flannels in the freezer.  While we still had access to a freezer.

Ella’s Kitchen pouches straight from the fridge to soothe those red inflamed gums.  While we still had access to a fridge.

Calpol when it all got too much and he was red in the face from screaming.  When it was really, really bad and I had the travel sachets ready for the flight….

Though it was all over before we knew it and those two teeth popped through at once.  Followed swiftly after by his four top teeth a month later.  Before I knew it my eldest son had all twenty teeth through before he was 2.

We didn’t discover Nelsons Teetha until much, much, much later with our second son.  And oh how I wish I’d found it sooner as my eldest seemed to teeth constantly with a new tooth popping up what felt like every week for a while.

Nelsons Teetha
My second son with his Teeth

Nelsons Teetha is a homeopathic remedy which helps relieve the symptoms of teething; sore and tender gums, flushed cheeks and dribbling.  Available from Boots, Holland and Barrett, selected grocers, Lloyd’s pharmacies and all good independent health food and pharmacy stores and suitable for your little ones once they reach 3 months old.

We found with our second son that they offered almost instant relief, the tears dried up and the smiles came back out to play, I only wished I had found out about Teetha sooner.  It seems like it is one of those well kept secrets…

Caring for those baby teeth

And of course when they pop through you need to make sure you care properly for those little peggies, after all the tooth fairy only wants sparkly teeth.

We’ve had battle after battle with our boys but here are Nelsons top tips

  • You can start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as they come through. Don’t worry if you don’t manage to brush much at first, the important thing is to get your baby used to brushing their teeth as part of their daily routine.
  • You can help by setting a good example and letting them see you brushing your own teeth. Not all children like having their teeth brushed, so you may have to keep trying. You could try and make it into a game. Perseverance is the key!
  • Use a tiny smear of toothpaste for babies and toddlers up to age three, and a pea-sized amount for children aged three to six years.
  • The easiest way to brush a baby’s teeth is to sit them on your knee with their head resting against your chest. With an older child, stand behind them and tilt their head upwards.
  • Brush the teeth in small circles covering all the surfaces and let your child spit the toothpaste out afterwards. Rinsing with water has been found to reduce the benefit of fluoride.
  • Gradually start brushing your child’s teeth more thoroughly, covering all the surfaces of the teeth. Do it at least twice a day: just before bed and at another time that fits in with your routine.
  • Supervise brushing to make sure your child gets the right amount of toothpaste and they are not eating or licking toothpaste from the tube.
  • Carry on helping your child brush their teeth until you’re sure they can do it well enough themselves. This will normally be from the age of seven

I also thoroughly recommend an electric toothbrush, preferably Spiderman, where they will be falling over themselves to have their teeth brushed…

 

Follow:
This is a collaborative post

2 Comments

  1. April 4, 2017 / 1:57 pm

    Oh my goodness what a difficult time that was for you. We found Teetha worked a treat as well. Do you think Nelsons might invent something to rub on that will halt four year old tantrums like this stops teething pain?? challenge set!
    Nat.x

  2. May 6, 2018 / 11:09 am

    I am one of those moms who find teething most distressing. Having had 3 babies, teething being a big milestone and all, is one of the things I don’t look forward too when having a baby. Can’t imagine how I will cope when faced with two distressing events.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.