The first months of becoming a new parent, or a parent again, are always tiresome.
The sleepless nights, the multiple feeds, the endless clothes washing. For such tiny little human beings, they create some amount of washing.
Just when you think you’ve settled into a nice routine, it all changes. You’re trying everything to calm them and nothing seems to work. Then it hits you - teething.
The HSE’s website states that babies' “teeth don’t usually appear until they are six months or older".
This can be true for a lot of babies, but I'm two kids down and both got their first teeth at four months old, and not just one appeared that day either. Two reared their little heads from the gums. I also know some babies who were born with teeth!
Although teeth may start appearing around the six-month mark, they'll continue on until the baby is about 2.5 years, so a toddler.
There is a long road ahead, but once you work out what helps ease the pain for your little one, it does make it easier. Once you can handle the four-month sleep regression, teething should be grand!
Signs and symptoms of teething
Red flushed cheeks, as well as a cheek rash, are nearly always a sign of a teething baby, according to the HSE. Also look for dribbling and the constant changing of bibs.
For a child who is teething, a good bib is essential as you don’t want under their chin getting sore. By good bib, I mean one that is very well padded and a bandana shape. Much like these from BabyBoo.ie. You will still need to change them often, as I’ve mentioned before, babies produce a lot of washing by producing a lot of bodily fluids.
Another tell-tale sign is nappy rash. Nappy rash can be very painful. My first child got horrendous nappy rash when teething, but child number two never got it. So it’s definitely not a one-fits-all for signs and symptoms. The best product for treating nappy rash that I found was Caldesene Powder. You can pick it up in most pharmacies and big retailers and it really is a product that even to this day, I’ve got lying around, just in case.
Chewing on hands/fists more often than usual, or grabbing for your fingers to chew on, is a good indication that something is going on in your baby's mouth. There are plenty of different products on the market to help ease the pain, but a very good product is the accessories4babies.com My Feeding Pal Feeder. The baby can grip the handle and you can use frozen breast milk to help ease the pain and cool the gums down.
Loss of appetite can also be a tell-tale sign that your child is teething and they may want more milk instead of solids as their gums are sore and swollen. Once your child is taking in plenty of fluids, their appetite will return and they’ll be back to enjoying all the new foods that they are getting to explore, and it’ll be even more fun with some extra teeth.
Tips and tricks to help ease their pain and yours
The above list is not exhaustive, each child is so different when it comes to teething, and kids like to keep us on our toes by throwing some completely random symptom at us, but it’s all a learning curve, and so is figuring out what works best for you, and your teething baby.
Plenty of baby chewing-friendly toys are essential. We always had a Sophie the Giraffe at hand for easy chewing as she is lovely and soft and you can pop her in the freezer too. Teething rings are a good investment, but mine never took to them, instead poor Sophie wished she’d stayed in her box.
Teething gels and granules – what works for your baby, might not work for others. The Nelson’s Teetha granules can be used from any age, so that in itself is a massive positive, as some gels can only be used from three months plus, like the Nelson’s Teetha Gel, but this was our go-to for two kids. We used the granules when younger, and moved on to the teething gel and it was a lifesaver.
There are plenty of gels on the market like bonjela but it may be a case of trial and error.
If you feel the need, you may opt to give them some pain relief in the form of Calpol or Nurofen, once they are over the age of three months for Nurofen and over two months for Calpol. This may help to ease some of the discomfort for your little one, and help you get some sleep!
Teething is hard on everyone, so make sure that you as the parent look after yourself as well, and if it means popping the baby in the pram and going for a long walk to clear your head and help baby get off to sleep, do it.
Another great option is to enjoy some extra snuggles on the couch with some TV on for mam or dad and extra bonding time.
For more advice, head to HSE.ie or boots.ie. They both offer excellent tips and tricks to help with teething.
