How to tell if your baby is teething (and tips to make it through!). Teething doesn’t have to be rough for your baby or you!
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Our daughter has been THE WORST teether. She got her front two bottom teeth at the same time, and then pretty quickly after, we lifted up her top lip and we saw her front four top teeth all coming in at the same time! And last week, her seventh tooth came in. Guys, seven teeth before turning one is ROUGH. It’s rough for her because she’s obviously in pain, and it’s rough as a mom because you hate seeing your baby in pain!
Today I want to share some tips on how to tell if your baby is teething, plus some tips to make it through! Because when it happens, you’re going to want all the help you can get!
How to tell if your baby is teething.
If your baby exhibits lots of these signs together, she is probably teething!
Excess drooling. I mean soaking her onesie, rash on her chin, faucet turned all the way on drooling. If your baby starts drooling a ton, and she isn’t normally very drooly, then she might be teething!
Swollen gums. One of the best ways to tell if your baby is teething is to look at their gums. If you can see swollen bumps where the teeth should be coming in, then she is probably teething. You can run a clean finger across their gum, and if it’s not smooth, there may be a tooth on the way!
Chewing on everything. I know babies like to put everything in their mouths, but if they put EVERYTHING in their mouths and chew on whatever they can get their chubby little hands on, they might be teething. Chewing on things makes their little mouths feel better, so it’s a good indicator that your baby might be teething.
Not eating as much. If your mouth was in severe pain, you probably wouldn’t eat very much. The same is true for babies. If they aren’t eating as much as normal, or if they are refusing the bottle even when they are hungry, they might be teething.
Crying a lot. Again, having a painful mouth is going to make your baby cry. If she’s a lot more fussy and irritable than normal, it might be because she is getting some teeth!
Not sleeping as well. If your baby keeps waking up in the middle of the night when normally she sleeps all the way through, she might be teething. Our daughter normally sleeps 12 hours a night, but when she is teething, it’s pretty common for her to wake up a few times and need to be comforted back to sleep.
Some tips to help you (and your baby) survive teething:
Cold teething rings. The cold will help your baby’s gums feel better, and they make a great toy for chewing on. Make sure they aren’t completely frozen, though!
Teething toys. A few months ago we got to try out some awesome toys made specifically to help with teething pain. One of them had bristles and two of them vibrated when baby bit down. Little A enjoyed those and they made her a lot happier when she was getting her top four teeth!
Let her eat cold food. Popsicles, cold baby food, cold water, anything to help soothe your baby’s mouth is going to help. Little A loves her sippy of cold water when she is teething, and I love that it makes her feel better!
Pain medicine. Obviously, pain medicine is going to be a lifesaver when your baby is teething. I always have some on hand when Little A is teething, because it makes her so much happier! And that makes me happier! I usually give her some right before bedtime to help her little mouth feel better so she can get a good night’s sleep. And it definitely makes a difference!
Have her wear a bib. To prevent the dreaded drooling rash, and to prevent having to change clothes every few hours because they are so wet, have your baby wear a bib while she is teething. It might not be the most stylish fashion choice, but it definitely helps prevent wetness! For an easy bib tutorial, check out this post.
Give her lots of snuggles. Any excuse to cuddle and hold your baby is a good one, and when she is teething, you definitely want to take advantage of those extra snuggles she’ll give you! My kids are both so wiggly all the time, but when they are teething, they will let me hold them close. It’s the best, and it definitely makes both of us happier!
Hopefully those tips will help your baby (and you) make it through teething. It can be rough, but it doesn’t have to be! Teething toys, medicine, and lots of snuggles and she’ll be feeling better in no time.
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
Your poor daughter! I can’t imagine how painful it must have been to get so many teeth at one time. I’m so glad you were able to find some tricks to give her some relief! #client
Chelsea Johnson says
The Infants’ Advil was definitely the best way to relive her pain! And the toys, cold food, and snuggles have helped both of us, too!
Jennifer says
Poor Little A! I’m glad that you were able to make her feel better during all that teething. I guess the one positive thing about getting all those teeth in at once is that it’ll be over with sooner. Hang in there!
Chelsea Johnson says
It’s true! Little J is done teething now so I only have one to worry about right now!
Katelyn Fagan says
I know my kid is teething because they will get diahrrea for a few days along with a runny nose, and maybe a slight fever.
Chelsea Johnson says
I’ve never heard of getting diahrrea before! That’s awful!
Famma S says
Thank you for sharing this. My nephew has drool rashes on his mouth, neck, and chest. The rashes have started to blister, developed pus. He rubs off any ointment or lotion we apply. what shall we do?
Chelsea Johnson says
I would definitely recommend taking him in to see the pediatrician!