Baby Teething Symptoms
Teething is a different experience for every child. But generally, the whole process of teething is a troublesome one. For some babies, the process can be effortless while for others, it can be excruciating. Overall, most babies will show some teething symptoms even with minor cases.
Teething timeline
The interesting yet frustrating thing about teething is that your baby can have teething symptoms 2 to 3 months before a tooth even surfaces. In case the baby has a lot of discomforts, it can be brutal for both you and them.
Your baby will begin to develop teeth at 6-12 months. The incisors will be the first teeth that he or she develops. By 25-33 months, your baby should be done with the teething process and will have developed the molars in the upper teeth. The lower teeth will usually grow faster than the upper teeth.
Teething symptoms
1. Biting more than usual
When your baby is in the teething process, they will turn into some sort of “vampire”, biting on everything he or she will see or hold. It could be plastic spoons, toys or even your breast. Good thing is that there are many teething toys which you can get for your baby.
2. Excessive drooling
Newborns will usually drool a lot because they are still learning how to swallow their saliva. When the teething time comes, your baby becomes a ‘newborn’ again because the drooling starts again and in some babies, it never stops. The excessive drooling is because your baby’s body is creating extra saliva to lubricate the tender and bulging gums.
3. Unusual fussiness especially at night
Teething makes babies who once slept through the night to wake up several times for comfort. It is in the quiet hours of the night that a baby often feels the teething pain more severely because there are no distractions.
4. Disturbance in sleeping patterns
Teething causes discomfort that can cause your baby to nap less or wake up earlier in the morning.
5. Fever, rashes, cough, and diarrhea
For some babies, teething is usually accompanied by a slight fever. In addition, excessive drooling can cause facial rashes, chafing or coughing. It is common to find babies who also develop diaper rash and diarrhea because of the teething process.
6. Decreased appetite
Generally, babies would not want to eat if they are in pain especially because it triggers their sore spots. However, you need to keep feeding your baby despite the resistance.
7. Pulling ears and rubbing chin and cheeks
During the teething process, your baby can become quite resourceful and administer self-massages. He or she will pull and rub around his or her jaw. This creates counter pressure that eases some of the pain and throbbing.
What should you do to ease your baby’s pain during the teething process?
- Lower inflammation
- Boost their immune system
- Apply cold and pressure to numb the area and soothe the inflamed gums
- Try teething toys – Such as this one>
- Try teething remedies
- Herbal remedies
You don’t need to be a victim of teething symptoms as long as you prepare yourself for the process. It might be an overwhelming one but it will soon pass.
Related:
WHAT AGE DO MOST BABIES START WALKING?
CAN YOU CO-SLEEP WITH A NEWBORN?
HOW TO DO TUMMY TIME WITH YOUR BABY?
