The dreadful days of teething...for some. I say some because of my FOUR kids, only this last little REBEL, chooses to be a traditional teether. All of my other children by 4 months, just got teeth and went on about their business. At my daughter's 4 month visit, the doctor showed me her teeth, didn't even know!
So in honor of my lost night of sleep last night, here are some signs and symptoms to look for and remedies to try to get you through this lovely time!
- First, welcome back to sleepless nights. For this, I highly recommend, some tylenol if your child is less than 6 moths, or Motrin, if he or she is 6 months or older just before bedtime.
- Next, the drool! Your little one will have buckets of drool, to go along with this milestone. Therefore, get PLENTY of bibs, and keep change of clothes. Always keep baby neck area clean and dry, or the skin around the neck and chest area will become red and irritated. Just think, "would you want to walk around with a wet shirt all day?"
- Finger biting. Typically around teething time, comes the developmental milestone of putting, EVERYTHING in the mouth. Therefore a "teething" baby usually chomp down on those fingers and give you a side of drool. For this, I recommend, chew toys, COOL, NOT FROZEN teething rings/toys (put in the refrigerator), so baby can hold and enjoy it. Just make sure everything is kept clean to avoid germs and illness.
- Loss of appetite/loose stool. Some babies do not want to eat and may develop diarrhea. If you find yourself down this sticky road, try using a medicine syringe to encourage fluids and if baby is still refusing fluids and having diarrhea consult with your pediatrician to avoid dehydration.
With any developmental milestone, please remember all babies will erupt teeth when they are good and ready, anywhere from 4 months on out! If you ever are in doubt always call the pediatrician for medical advice.
