Is that stage approached when your child is getting all cranky and fussy and is keeping you awake late at night? You check to see what is wrong and you see their gums all swollen. Voila! The baby has started teething. The funny part is that nobody knows the exact answer to the question of when do babies start teething?
According to the best child specialist, the happiest of babies start getting cranky when they start teething. It can be a very stressful experience for both parents and the baby. Although there is no specific age for this to occur, the most commonly seen is around the age of 6 months. The first ones to be seen appearing are the two teeth at the bottom. These are also called low incisors and the upper front starts appearing called upper central incisors.
Most Common Teething Symptoms
The teething symptoms in your baby can vary from others. Some children are seen getting extremely cranky while others get high fever along with diarrhea. However, there are babies that don’t have any symptoms at all. But the common symptoms seen in almost all the babies include,
- Excessive Drooling
- Decreased or no appetite
- Swollen and red gums
- Irritation throughout the day
- Chewing on random stuff
The best way to treat the teething pain and to manage the difficulty of the kids is by using safe methods to soothe the pain in the gums of babies. Make sure that you treat the baby at home. Some of the remedies that can be used are,
Frozen Items
Foods in frozen form can be great for the baby to chew on. Carrots, apples, and bananas can be very safe to chew on. Ut all of this should be done under the supervision of the parents or an adult. It is important to keep the food in mashed form or you can also put it in a silicone teether if you are concerned about the large pieces of food bothering your child.
Another best practice that can be used for the treatment can be a wet and frozen washcloth. You can do this by making the cloth wet with water or with chamomile tea and can put it in the freezer to get it frozen. Take it out after several minutes from the freezer and give it to the baby to chew on it. This provides help in the reduction of swelling, decreases inflammation, and soothes gums.
Breast Milk
Breast milk can be very helpful in the treatment of swollen gums. It gives the best results while it’s frozen. To freeze it, make sure that you put it in ice cubes and freeze it properly. Once the ice cubes are ready, break them into small pieces so that they are easy to chew. Otherwise, add them in a teething mesh or a baby feeder.
Nursing itself can show great results in soothing gums. The sucking soothes the gums and helps in relieving the pressure that is felt on the gums. Another tip for the mothers is to drink chamomile tea. This is really good for the baby as well. But do avoid giving it directly to the baby, it’s better if it passes to the baby from the mother.
A Clean Finger
The oldest teething remedy is using a clean finger to soothe the gums of the baby. It can be done easily; you just have to rub your finger on the baby’s gums gently. They will start to chew on your finger and this will help relieve all the pressure and tension in their gums. Make sure that the finger you are using is clean. Otherwise, our hands contain a lot of viruses and bacteria that can lead to serious diseases in children.
Massage
As the teeth start to show on the gums, the pain that is created can travel up to the ears from the mouth. This can be treated by giving the baby a massage that is gentle on the ears and the neck area. Start massaging with the tips of the fingers on the chin and then move to the lips.
Keep moving your fingers in a circular motion. You then can move the pads of your thumb while slowly moving upwards and rub the cheeks and the eyebrows of the baby. This will help greatly in soothing the tension in the ears, around the mouth, and the throat. The massage not only calms the baby but also sometimes can result in soothness that causes the baby to have a sound sleep.
Conclusion
Teething can be a very challenging phase for both the parents and the baby. The pain and the irritation that comes with it can be treated by using the above-mentioned methods. In case of any emergency or the pain getting worse, make sure that you visit a child specialist that can check the real issue and provide the needed treatment. It’s also highly suggested to consult a dentist to prevent possible complications. You can check out this dentist in decatur so they can provide more insights on your baby’s teething journey.
