Baby Teething - Symptoms and Natural Remedies to soothe your baby

Tooth eruption is a tough milestone for your baby. Your baby becomes more irritable. It may seem like there is nothing you can do to soothe them. They are cranky, tired and just plain upset. Most babies begin teething around 6 months of age, though it can happen earlier or later for some.

 

The above chart shows the order of teething in babies with the lighter shade tooth erupting first and followed by the darker shades. 

Teething symptoms and signs:

Fever:

When your baby is teething, there may be a slight rise in the baby's body temperature. But if the temperature is more than 100°C and lasts more than 24 hours, you should consult your pediatrician. 

Excessive drooling: 

You may observe excessive drooling in your baby during your baby’s teething period. This excessive drooling that comes with teething does serve a purpose. Drool protects baby’s gums from the many things around the house that your baby will try to teeth on and put in their mouth. There are antibodies that are found in drool that helps protect your little one from all the germs that may be on all those things they put in their mouth.

Baby becoming fussier and crankier: 

Unfortunately, this does come with the territory of teething. Your once happy baby is now pretty upset at almost everything.

Trouble Sleeping:

When teething, many parents will notice that their baby is more fussy and cranky at night which can cause trouble sleeping. The tooth eruption can be very irritating to your little one. At night there really isn’t much distraction for them, just the pain in their gums is unfortunately the only thing they can focus on. This is one of the hardest symptoms of teething, but know that it will not last forever.

Teething cough:

Teething cough is caused when your baby swallows the excess saliva that is produced from teething. Even though it may seem that your baby has an endless fountain of saliva that drools down the front of their mouth, there does have a some saliva that drips back down. The cough is your baby trying to clear it out.

Chewing on objects:

At this stage, your baby would want to put almost anything in his mouth, not only as a way of exploring but also as a way to relieve the pressure on his gums. When the baby is chewing on items this will help his gums feel better and help the tooth break free.

Natural Teething Remedies for Teething Babies:

Silicon teething toys:

When babies are teething they tend to put whatever they can in their mouth. Teethers are designed to make it easier for your little one to grasp and give them something safe to put in their mouths. There are many teethers out on the market today to choose from. Silicone teething toys help stimulate sore gums and you want to make sure your teething toy is BPA free and is made from medical grade silicone.

Breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding helps in soothing a teething baby. It is calming and the feeling of warm milk running over their gums can be very relaxing. Plus a well fed baby is a happy baby. Just make sure you are paying attention to your baby when they are feeding so that your baby doesn't bite you. 

Using cold objects:

Using cold objects to help your baby during teething is a great natural teething remedy. The coldness can temporarily numb their achy gums. There are many ways to achieve this. You can use something as simple as putting a spoon in the fridge and then giving it to your baby to chew on. There are also great mesh bag feeders that you can put frozen fruit such as bananas or strawberries in and your little one can teeth on that. A frozen washcloth works great too.

Essential oils: 

You can use essential oils to soothe your teething baby. Diluted lavender oil and chamomile oil can help to soothe your baby’s gums. Take a drop of essential oil in one tablespoon of carrier oil. Apply this mixture on your baby’s gums. Be careful while using essential oils as you should never use undiluted oils on children. 

Late teething in Babies:

Usually babies start teething around 6 months. But each baby is different. Some may start early and in some babies it may be late. If your baby has reached 15 months and still didn't get his first teeth erupted then it is called late teething. The reasons for late teething can be hereditary, poor nutrition or some other underlying conditions. 

When to consult a doctor? 

Ask your elders in the family if late teething has occurred before in any of your family members. If the answer is no, and your baby has reached 15 months of age and still there is no teeth eruption, then it may be a concern. At this point you need to consult your pediatrician. 

However you decided to help sooth your baby remember that each child is different and it is going to take a few trial and errors before you find something that works for them. Though it can be a bit frustrating when you are trying to sooth your fussy baby, remember that this is only temporarily. In no time your baby will be smiling at you with his/her full set of tooth.