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Teething in babies is commonly observed to begin at around 6 months of age. However, if your tiny tot has begun teething at as early as 3 months of age to as late as 12 months of age, it is all perfectly healthy. All the baby teeth will be grown and set by the time your child is three years old. Teething can be a painful experience for some babies as they experience sore and swollen gums and their pain can be very painful to watch. Normally this pain will only last 3-5 days when each tooth breaks skin and can be combated using a variety of natural methods.

How do I know my baby is teething?

While there aren’t any overt symptoms that characterize a teething baby, there can be noticeable changes in their behaviour in some cases which can help to identify if your baby has begun teething. The symptoms include:

• Excessive drooling or spittle formation which may cause rashes on their face, neck and chest which can be helped by getting a bib.
• Some babies may be fussy due to the sore, swollen gums that they are experiencing. This usually begins a few days before the tooth breaks skin and stops as soon as it does.
• Many babies, however aren’t very affected by teething.
• Your baby might be biting on his/her fingers or on other toys to try to relieve the pressure on their gums.
• They may also refuse to eat or drink any food because they feel discomfort in their mouths.

Rubbing their gums with a clean finger has found to soothe a lot of babies, even if they try to push away at first.

Keeping your baby comfortable

Your baby may or may not be feeling a lot of discomfort but he/she is looking for a way to relieve the pressure that is felt around their gums. These tips will help you to keep your baby comfortable using the right baby care products and help them overcome the discomfort that accompanies this exciting first step.

• Teething rings

Your baby is looking for things to bite down on and this is the safe alternative to their fingers. There are a wide variety of teething rings available in the market and these can be interesting new playmates that your child can sink their almost-there teeth into. Some teething rings can be cooled in the fridge for added comfort and this may be even more soothing for your baby’s gums.

• Other things to bite

If your child rejects their new teething toy with a passion and instead chooses to bite on their fingers, get them new interestingly shaped toys, a hand shaped toy has often found to distract a child insistent on biting their hands. A cold wet piece of flannel cloth can also be an interesting texture to chew on but make sure that the cloth stays clean and is changed as soon as your baby bores of it and attempts to sweep the floor with it.

• Teething gels

There are sugar free teething gel options available in the market along with the numerous baby care products this can help to soothe your baby’s gums and help them overcome the discomfort. Make sure that you do not use adult oral gels on your baby as they can be harsh to their developing skin. Make sure that you use sugar free formula as baby teeth decay faster than adult teeth.

• For chewing

If your baby is chewing their fingers or toys you might want to give them healthy things to chew on. Frozen cubes of fruit such as watermelon cut into sizes bigger than what they can choke on are often very interesting to a baby for a while. Pieces of apple and carrot can also be fun for them to chew on. Avoid foods that contain any sugar content. Ensure that your child chews on bite sized pieces of food only under your supervision.

• Painkilling medicine

If your baby starts to develop symptoms such as a high temperature, you might want to consider giving them a painkiller that is designed for children. Avoid giving them adult painkillers or any pain medicines at all unless it is absolutely necessary. Consult your paediatrician before you make any decisions regarding pain medicines for your baby.

• Cool fluids

Sugar free drinks that have been cooled can be very soothing to consume for your baby’s gums. Avoid sugared juices and stick to cool water. This can also help if they have been drooling a lot. When giving them cool water however, make sure it is not too cold as it may distress them even more.

• Distraction

If your baby is too irritated or restless because of their teething pains to play with you, then this might not work, but otherwise playing with them and comforting them can help to distract them from their teething pains. Get them a new baby toy or bring their favourite friend along to help them cope with the pain.