Teething

Teething is a hotly debated subject with many opinions around. Some medical groups deny that babies show any physiological reactions to the teething process.

Teething starts in a very broad range of ages for babies, anything from 8 weeks to over 12 months. Like us, hundreds of parents agree that many symptoms often accompany the teething process.

These temporary symptoms include and may not be limited to:

general irritability, night waking, excessive dribbling or drooling, a slight drool rash around the mouth, redness on the cheeks (sometimes dryness on the cheeks), softer than usual bowel movements (and sometimes redness around the anus). Sometimes a slight temperature above 99F (37.5 C) can indicate teething has started. Clear teething related signs are swollen gums and the tips of one or two teeth appearing usually within a day or two of the above symptoms. Some babies start chewing on just about anything that they can get their hands on.

PLEASE NOTE: Please get any occurrence of a temperature, rashes and or diarrhea checked by a medical professional as this can also indicate other illnesses. If ever you are not sure what’s happening, trust your instinct and get professional medical advice.

Anecdotal evidence exists that a babies immune system is slightly weakened during teething and baby may catch a cold or get the sniffles.

We can only imagine that the whole teething process is a bit uncomfortable with throbbing perhaps painful gums and other symptoms. Giving a baby a SAFE teething ring that has been cooled (NOT FROZEN) in a refrigerator can provide some relief, but some babies wont take such devices. That’s OK. Some babies like chewing on your clean finger especially during gum and teeth cleaning. Otherwise empathy and patience will see you through this time.

Maintain your sleep training procedures and normal sleep routine and do not let this be an excuse to let baby back into your bed or fall asleep in your arms unless that is what you normally do.

Teething and breastfeeding can become “interesting” for a short while. If Baby bites you, DON’T laugh and make a joke of it. A firm “NO” and take baby away from breast for a short while. If your baby bites again, another firm “NO” and remove baby again. Use your discretion, if biting continues, you may choose not to offer breast again until the next scheduled feed.

Hope this helps and Happy Parenting

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