Teething is a part of your baby’s developmental milestone and a memory of your baby’s first big toothy grin will give you a sense of joy. Some babies passed through the process and are showing off their first teeth before you know it, but for others it can be a very uncomfortable condition, causing distress to both you and your baby. The reaction of the baby in the whole teething process varies until that first tooth begins to cut.
Baby teething usually begins around 6 months of age. But some babies start teething at any time between 3 months and 12 months of age.The lower front teeth usually come in first. Upper front teeth usually come in 1 to 2 months after the lower front teeth. By the time your child is about 3 years old, he or she will have all 20 primary teeth.
The early signs of teething usually begin a few months before the first tooth appears. These symptoms usually begin about 3 to 5 days before the tooth shows, and they disappear as soon as the tooth breaks the skin. So you will need to look for particular symptoms to ensure that this is actually the cause. Many babies don’t seem to be affected by teething.
Signs your baby maybe teething include:
Increased fussiness, night-time crying and clingy behavior
The pain can be unbearable to some babies. At this period of time, feeding can be a problem and patience are required, as babies may be fussy and refuse to eat.
Excessive drooling and coughs
This symptom is triggered by the teething process. Besides that, drooling can also cause a cough. Excessive stimulation of saliva may accumulate in the mouth, and occasionally baby may experience a cough or gag. This is generally not a big problem. Just watch out for aspiration.
Skin rash around the chin and mouth
Is also observed when the baby drools more often. Many babies drool during teething, which can cause a rash on the chin, face, or chest. Wiping the wet area gently can help to decrease the rashes.
Swollen, red, and inflamed gums
Babies tend to chew and bite any object they grab to relieve discomfort. Then, the swelling of the gums happen and may transfer the pain to the ears and cheeks. If the baby experienced it, he or she will be constantly pulling their ears or rubbing their cheek.
Chewing and sucking on fingers and toys
Another good indicator that your baby is teething is that they will want to chew on anything. It could be toys, fingers or food! This is a completely natural reaction to the changes that are going on within the gum and it is thought that chewing on something hard feels quite soothing.
Poor appetite
Rejects breast or bottle because suckling hurts gums.
Change in sleep patterns, sleeplessness
Babies might not even be sleeping or sleep much lesser than usual during night-time. Teething can be felt more strongly during night-time and babies wake up more often caused by the pain. This then makes the baby more fussy and irritable. To ease the baby’s mood, extra nap during the day is necessary.
Mild symptoms that get better usually are nothing to worry about. Call your doctor if your baby’s symptoms are severe or don’t get better.
Sometimes you can actually see the tooth cutting through the gum, or you may be able to feel it emerging if you run a clean finger along your baby’s gum line.
There are some things that you can try to help ease your baby’s teething discomfort. Some may work for and some won’t but most mums agree anything is worth a try. Keep trying different things until you find what provides the best relief for your baby.
Here are some tips to help your baby feel better while teething: