Teething is one of the most draining periods during your baby’s development. One fine day, when your baby’s body is ready, a tiny tooth will tear through the little ones gums causing both of you to fall over the edge. Will you be ready for it? Do you know enough about baby teething?
This article is dedicated to parents who have a little one who is to teeth and is already teething. We hope by the end of this piece you would have cleared most of the doubts and will be able to embrace this tiring milestone with grace.
To refine this article to help it cater to your frequent queries, the BabySpace writer spoke to several mothers to be and mothers who experienced teething to explain what they wanted to know the most during the period. The following are the questions we received.
When will my baby teeth?
Though this is an obvious question majority of our mothers wanted to know the month their baby would teeth. This could be because baby’s teething times tend to differ greatly from baby to baby. Yet, a large number of babies teeth between three to twelve months.
However there are baby’s with tiny teeth peeping through the little quivering month when they are born. This is nothing to be alarmed of but if the baby delays in teething we suggest you to consult your pediatrician. Sometimes it would turn out to be that your baby’s body is still not ready. But it helps to be in the safe side.
How do I know that my baby is teething?
Though most parents realize that the baby is teething when they see a tooth the process starts way before this. There are several signs that our mothers said they saw in their baby during this time.
Sleepless nights and tiring days
You baby will be hard to put to sleep. He or she will refuse to settle down. That favorite toy or the song he or she likes the most will not be helpful to calm your extra fussy baby. He or she will stay awake throughout day and night. This is normal, especially if it is your baby’s first tooth.
The little chewing monster
Teething is a time you have to be extra careful in. Anything that your baby sees or is able to touch will end in his or her mouth. His favourite ball or her cute doll will not be exempt. Keep constant eye on what is near the little one. Keep medicine bottles, cosmetics and other products out of reach. Always wear clean clothes because when you are carrying the little one he or she will tend to bite into your shoulder.
Those extra saliva
You would wonder where they are coming from. You will have a hard time cleaning the little ones mouth endlessly with a tissue. There’s no getting rid of it. Drooling is common when your baby starts to teeth. It’s best that you try your best to avoid saliva from being pooled in her mouth because it could cause coughing.
The maddening food strikes
During the teething period babies will refuse to eat. It will be extra hard to feed those nutritious fruits and veggies. The baby will even lose a little weight. This is again a normal thing. Your baby will eat less because the gums are sore and hurt. Eating or more precisely sucking will only make things worse. Give your baby extra watery stuff that will wash down without any pressure.
Miss and Mr. Fussy of the year
Ah! Now that is something that will really cause you to lose yourself. Your baby will eat into your shoulder, clot, bed covers, your hand and even your nipple when you are feeding. Though this can exhaust you, always remember that as much as it is hard for you it is also had on the little one. So go easy on him or her. The experience is new also nerve wracking.
Yet everything will burn down to this next question.
What will help to ease the pain?
It is important that you help your baby as much as you can during this time. For this you can start by massaging the little ones gums with your finger. Make lilt circles on the gum and your baby will be very thankful for this. You can also give cool food like cucumber pieces to chew into. This will help you baby to rub the sore gums in the soft and cool skin of the cucumber.
You can also use teething rings and gels that are freely available in the market. As chewing will help relieve the agonizing pain, giving the little one a cool and chewable object will come in handy.
You should avoid giving the little one small doses of painkillers to ease the pain. Most of the parents confessed that they gave panadol whenever the little one cried. This is not a healthy solution. If you do need pain killers ask your family pediatrician for help.
Is fever and diarrhea common when teething?
Most mothers believe they are but it is not necessarily the case. When your baby is teething he or she will show signs of a very mild fever. However if your baby show signs of an above average fever or a runny nose do not think that teething is to blame but get medical assistance because it could be something entirely different.
In the other side diarrhea can be caused by what your baby is chewing into during teething. Keep close lookout to what they are. Like fever diarrhea can be caused by other sicknesses like a flue so make sure you drop a visit to your pediatrician.
Will teeth come the right way?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. There are instances where baby teeth are not properly formed. This condition is known as ‘ectodermal dysplasia’. If your baby does not teeth in a years’ time get help from an expert in the area. Abnormal development of teeth can cause damages to the nervous system and development of your baby. Yet, sometimes, the delay could possibly be nothing. But as BabySpace always say better to be on the safe side.
If this article did not help you to understand about baby teething, please leave your questions below. We will consult our experts and answer them as soon as we can.
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