Is Your Baby Teething?

Your baby is born with their twenty primary teeth already in place below their gum line just waiting to break through.  When their primary teeth begin to erupt, it is referred to as teething. Your baby may start teething as early as three months of age, and when they begin teething it is usually not hard to tell. Babies like to gnaw on their hands or any hard surface that they can fit into their mouth.  They may be irritable during the day, whiny, cry, and experience sleepless nights. This may cause you to be irritable and cranky, too! Here’s what to expect when your baby begins teething.

Symptoms

There are symptoms that are considered to be normal while a baby is teething, but there are some symptoms that you may think are normal but are not. Normal symptoms include:

• Excessive drooling
• Fussiness
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Trouble sleeping

However, if your baby exhibits any of the following symptoms, along with being cranky and appearing uncomfortable, it is probably not because they are teething. Therefore, you should call your physician:

• Rash
• Diarrhea
• Fever

How to Soothe Your Teething Baby

The reason your child is cranky when teething is because they likely have very sore and tender gums and, therefore, are looking for any sort of relief. Here are some natural suggestions to help relieve your child’s teething discomfort:

• Gently rub their gums with a clean, cool finger.
• Hold a small, chilled spoon against their sore gums.
• Place a moist, cold gauze pad against their gums.
• Give them a chilled pacifier or teething ring to chew on.