Hello Parents!

Are you having trouble sleeping? Has your baby been grumpy for the past couple of days as they are teething? In this article, I will provide explanations and practical things you can do to help them get through this rough stage.

In this article:

• How to know when your baby is teething
• How to soothe a teething baby. What can you to during this stage?
• Products to avoid during teething

Even if some children go through this stage without much difficulty and symptoms, most will make it clear they don’t like the discomfort associated with teething.

In general, a baby’s first teeth, called milk teeth, pop out around 5-6 months. But sometimes I have even seen newborns arrive with a tooth in their mouth! Yes, you read right! While quite rare, it can happen. Often the doctor or dentist will confirm this after checking.

On the other hand, I have also seen 11 or 12 month-old-babies without a tooth in their mouth. And then BANG! They all pop out at the same time! 😊 Perhaps five or six at the same time over a short period. Since the baby is older, the symptoms will be less painful, even if several teeth come out at the same time.

How to Know When your Baby is Teething

A baby can present several symptoms when teething. Many parents think that their baby is sick and want to go see the doctor. But I want to reassure you, as your baby is going through an important development stage which is normal. No need to go to the doctor, unless they have other symptoms.

Here are a few symptoms that are often associated with teething. Of course, the baby won’t have them all at the same time:

• Increased saliva. Your baby drools more than normal;
• More irritable, grumpy, bad mood, and agitated due to the discomfort and high amounts of acidity in their mouth during teething;
• They may play more with their ears, as the baby’s throat is open towards the ears. The pain felt during teething can spread to the ears and sometimes worry parents. They think they have an earache;
• They may have a fever from time to time (38.5 degrees or more on a rectal measure);
• Their cheeks may be redder. The acidity and increased temperature can help partly explain this phenomenon;
• Their bottom may be red due to increased acidity in their digestive tract;
• Some babies will have diarrhea which can increase bottom redness;
• Their gums may be swollen and painful. When rubbing a clean finger across the gums, you may feel the teeth as they pierce the gums;
• They may have small bumps on their gums which look like small cysts. This usually means the tooth will pop out soon;
• The baby will try to bite anything they can get in their mouth as it is soothing;
• Sleep and diet behaviour will change, but this is temporary. They are uncomfortable, and it disturbed everyone’s daily routine;

When to Consult

If the clinical signs become worse and persist over several days without improvement despite trying to soothe them, you should see and specialist. You know your baby best, so trust your instincts.

Now, continue reading with How to Soothe a Teething Baby?