Great Ways to Soothe Your Teething Baby
Teething is a terrible but extremely necessary part of baby development. If you aren’t familiar with the term and what it actually means, teething is a process by which an infant's teeth appear by pushing through the gums. Typically, the teeth will appear in pairs. The first pair to appear are the lower central incisors, the two front teeth in the lower jaw. This usually happens when the infant is between six and ten months of age. Normally by the age of three, children should have a full set of teeth. There is a lot more you can learn about teething, especially if you are a new parent and need some guidance or advice in this department. Read on to learn more about teething, as well as some tips you can use to make it more bearable for your child.
First, let's start with the symptoms so you know why your child is doing or acting in a certain way. Normal symptoms include:
- Drooling
- Fussiness and irritability
- Chewing on objects
- Trouble sleeping
- Loss of appetite
Symptoms which you should be weary of and keep an extra eye on include (if any of the symptoms mentioned below become extreme, visit a doctor):
- Fever
- Rash
- Diarrhea
How Do I Soothe My Teething Baby
Rub the baby’s gums using your finger to relieve pressure (make sure you wash your hands before). Alternatively, you can use a cold teaspoon or a moist gauze pad to soothe the gum. You can also use teethers, preferably made of rubber. Don’t use teethers that are filled with liquid or could easily break - take note of the material the teether is made from.
Besides these traditional methods, here are some other options to soothe teething.
Use hard foods (if your baby is eating solid food) such as a chilled carrot, banana, mango or hard teething biscuits that the baby can chew on. Just be sure to keep an eye on your child, to make sure small pieces that fall off don’t become a choking hazard. Here are some surprising tricks you might not have thought of: a frozen waffle, frozen cheese stick, chilled pickle, frozen fruit juice and frozen breast milk. You can also chill familiar household items such as a washcloth and frozen pacifier. These suggestions might be the answer to the screams of your teething baby, but at the end of the day, you need to find what works best for your child.
Amber Teething Beads
You have probably seen or heard of amber teething beads. These are either available in the form of a necklace or bracelet. Wondering how this works? The amber beads release succinic acid, which is absorbed by the heat of the baby’s skin into their bloodstream. The succinic acid is said to relieve the infant’s pain and reduce swelling of the gums.
Medication and Natural Remedies
Teething tablets are something you can consider; however, use this at your own discretion. This is said to help some, but cause complications for others. So perhaps consider a natural alternative. Use natural teething gels, chamomile tea or certain teething oils. Once the infant’s first teeth appear, buy a small soft-bristled toothbrush to clean the child's teeth.
All you can do is soothe your baby until the teething has run its course. Hopefully these tips will be useful to you and help your child in their teething process.
