Nothing can bring fear to the heart of any mother more than the word “teething”. Teething is one of the hardest challenges you can face as a parent. Generally, babies get their first tooth around 6 months. Some may begin earlier or later. In some (fairly uncommon) cases, babies can even be born with a tooth! New teeth usually appear every 4 months or so until a child has a complete set, normally around two and a half.
Before you even see that tiny white nub sticking out of the gums, you may notice that your baby is crabby and not sleeping as well as he or she normally does. Many babies pull on their ears to relieve the mouth pain. If you have ruled out an illness (consult your doctor of course!) you’ll want to figure out whether or not your baby is teething. How can you tell?
Many teething babies:
- Drool
- Are irritable
- Have swollen, tender gums
- Have restless, interrupted sleep (that means you will too…)
- Have a decreased appetite
- Chew/bite anything they can get their chubby little hands on
Dr. Sears suggests the following to relieve gum pain and satisfy your little biting monster:
- Frozen teething rings
- Ice – rub an ice cube along baby’s gums.
- Frozen juice slushy or popsicle
- Cold spoons
- Frozen bagel or banana
- Frozen washcloth
If you choose to give your baby a pain reliever, make sure you use an appropriate infant formula and carefully follow the packaging instructions or consult your doctor. For pain, Dr. Greene suggests: “A great way to comfort a teething baby is to rub the gums firmly and gently with a clean finger. The first few passes are sometimes a bit uncomfortable, but babies get more and more relaxed as the massage continues.”
Both Dr. Sears and Dr. Greene warn against the use of numbing mouth gels because they are easily swallowed and can be more uncomfortable to the baby than the teething pain. Some children are even allergic to teething gels. Hyland’s makes a homeopathic teething tablet that is very popular among parents and doesn’t cause any uncomfortable numbing sensations.
Hyland’s Homeopathic Teething Tablets: $7.99
All of that drooling can cause a rash on baby’s chin. Try and keep the area dry and apply a lanolin ointment, such as Lansinoh. A bib works very well for keeping baby’s clothes dry as well.
Lansinoh Lanolin Topical Treatment: $10.50
Teething is hard, but it’s the beginning of a whole new exciting chapter for your child. Soon, with those new chompers your baby will be eating real foods just like mom and dad. Before you know it, you’ll be stuffing quarters under your child’s pillow when these very teeth fall out in a few short years! Good luck, and happy teething!
Find at Smarter.com: Shop for more baby teething rings and teething tablets.
Image sources: brandpower.com, ehow.com
