Between the age of approximately four to seven months, babies will begin to grow their teeth and they will continue to grow them until they are approximately three years of age. During this time your baby will experience slight discomfort especially when the first few teeth begin to break through the gums. There are several signs that a baby is teething and some babies will only experience a few of the symptoms of teething while others may experience all of the symptoms. Teething gels, teething rings and pain medications are a few of the ways to relieve their pain.
Signs to look for include a decrease in appetite, excessive drooling, fussiness, difficulties sleeping, swollen gums and chewing. A baby that is teething will put anything in their mouth including their hands. This is perfectly normal for a baby to chew on their hand while teething. The pressure they feel while chewing helps to eliminate the discomfort.
It is often helpful to have several teething toys available for your baby to chew on. There are several styles of teething rings available to help with alleviating the pain. Some of the rings are water filled and can be chilled in the refrigerator for extra comfort. The water filled rings should not be placed in the freezer as the baby may get freezer burn on their gums.
A bottle with cool water is also an excellent option for teething babies. The water will replace some of the fluids lost during excessive drooling and they like to chew on the nipple. The nipple should be inspected before use in feeding, however, because they often will chew a large hole in them.
Babies love to chew on fingers and hands while teething, theirs as well as their parent’s fingers. Chewing on hands puts enough pressure on the gums to relieve the pain and discomfort. It is important to keep their hands clean to avoid them putting unsanitary fingers in their mouth. They will put anything they can find in their mouth at this time so it is important to keep small and dangerous items out of reach.
Signs to look for include a decrease in appetite, excessive drooling, fussiness, difficulties sleeping, swollen gums and chewing. A baby that is teething will put anything in their mouth including their hands. This is perfectly normal for a baby to chew on their hand while teething. The pressure they feel while chewing helps to eliminate the discomfort.
It is often helpful to have several teething toys available for your baby to chew on. There are several styles of teething rings available to help with alleviating the pain. Some of the rings are water filled and can be chilled in the refrigerator for extra comfort. The water filled rings should not be placed in the freezer as the baby may get freezer burn on their gums.
A bottle with cool water is also an excellent option for teething babies. The water will replace some of the fluids lost during excessive drooling and they like to chew on the nipple. The nipple should be inspected before use in feeding, however, because they often will chew a large hole in them.
Babies love to chew on fingers and hands while teething, theirs as well as their parent’s fingers. Chewing on hands puts enough pressure on the gums to relieve the pain and discomfort. It is important to keep their hands clean to avoid them putting unsanitary fingers in their mouth. They will put anything they can find in their mouth at this time so it is important to keep small and dangerous items out of reach.
