7 Tips To Help Reduce Teething Pain For Your Baby And Get More Sleep Yourself!
Teething can be a stressful time for both you and your baby, but it doesn’t have to be! There are several ways you can help reduce the pain your baby feels, allowing you both to get a better quality of sleep. Did you know that each tooth that appears in your baby’s mouth is as unique as their fingerprint?
When Do Babies Normally Experience Teething Pain?
Babies’ teeth first start erupting when they are between 6 and 10 months old. Usually, the first teeth to erupt are the bottom front two teeth. Followed by the top two teeth usually when your baby is between 8 and 13 months old. When your baby is between 10 and 16 months old they usually start developing. Usually, by the time your child is 3 years old, they will have developed all 20 of their baby teeth.
Symptoms Of Teething Pain
Teething pain is caused by your baby’s first teeth starting to emerge through the gum line, this can be a painful process and can leave your baby with the following symptoms:
- Fussiness and crying
- Swollen and tender gums
- A slightly raised body temperature (less than 38 degrees Celsius)
- Gnawing or a desire to chew on hard things
- Drool, which can lead to a rash on your baby’s face
- Coughing
- Rubbing their cheek or pulling on their ear
- Putting their hands up to their mouth frequently
- Changes to your baby’s eating or sleeping habits
How To Reduce Your Babies Teething Pain
Put Something Cold In Your Babies Mouth
Putting a cold pacifier, spoon or a clean wet washcloth in your baby’s mouth can cause their gums to become temporarily numb, which can reduce the pain they feel. It is important to make sure that your baby does not choke on anything that you put in their mouth and you should make sure that you clean anything that you put in your baby’s mouth afterwards. On top of the above suggestions, there is also a range of teething toys that you can buy to reduce the discomfort your baby feels whilst they are teething.
Soft Foods For Babies Older Than 6 Months
Babies that are older than 6 months generally start being able to eat soft foods such as fruit and vegetables. Whenever you give your baby food you should always be on hand to intervene if your baby starts choking, you should also avoid food and drinks that contain a lot of sugar as this can cause tooth decay in your baby’s teeth. Chewing on soft foods may help alleviate some of your baby’s pain.
Liquid Paracetamol
Before giving your baby any medication you should make sure that you have read and understood the guidance from the packet the medicine came in, you should also make sure you stick to the dosage guidelines to avoid any negative reactions. Liquid paracetamol can help reduce the amount of pain your baby feels and may leave them feeling sleepy, which may mean your baby can get back to sleep.
Register Your Baby With A Dentist
When your baby starts teething you should register them with your local dentist in Wakefield
who will be able to start performing dental checkups on your child’s teeth to ensure that their teeth and mouth are healthy. Whilst you take your child to the dentist you can also ask the dentist any questions you may have about how to reduce teething pain, they may have their own tips and tricks to help reduce your baby’s teething pain.
Speak To Other Parents Who Have Been Through Teething With Their Children
By speaking to parents with older children you can begin to understand what worked for them while their child was going through teething and experiment yourself with the methods that they used. Not everything will work with your child, but it is worth hearing people out about different ways they have dealt with teething pain for their child.
Cuddle Therapy
When your baby feels discomfort you will want to do as much as you can as a parent to help them feel better. An obvious way to do this is by cuddling your baby and distracting the baby by singing, playing or reading. This can lead to your baby focusing less on their pain and more on what you are doing.
Rubbing Their Gums
By rubbing your baby’s gums you may reduce the pain that they feel, additionally, your baby may feel better because of the direct interaction between you and your baby. You can also buy teething gel over the counter at pharmacies which can further reduce the pain your baby feels.
Conclusion
By doing your research and speaking to other parents and your dentists about teething remedies you can learn about effective remedies, that help reduce the amount of pain your baby feels whilst they are teething.
