Babies grow and change so quickly that it can be hard to keep up with them. One minute they are a snuggly sack in your arms and the next they’re chewing on the furniture. If your baby has started munching on anything they can get their mouths on they might be cutting teeth. If this is your first baby here are a few things that might help you out.
Toys
- With Liquid – Toys with liquid inside of them should be a no-go while
your baby is teething. Their teeth are sharper than you may think and they might bite through their toy and ingest dangerous chemicals. - Too Small – Steer your baby away from toys that are too small. If the entire toy fits in their mouth they may just try to swallow it. You don’t want them to choke ad you also don’t want the toy making its way through their digestive system.
- Too Big – A problem with many teething toys available at the store are they are too big for your baby to really get their mouth on them. Your child needs to be able to munch with all areas of their mouth so it’s important to find toys that allow them to do that.
- Teething Necklaces – According to WebMD, child health experts don’t recommend teething necklaces. They think they are too much of a hazard for strangulation or choking.
Foods
Some people may say that it’s alright to let your kid chew on frozen fruit to help with the pain of cutting teeth. While this seems like a good idea, in theory, it can be very dangerous if your kid starts teething at a very young age. They run the risk of breaking off a chunk of the food and choking. If you want to give your baby something cold to munch on let them chew on a clean, cold, and damp washcloth.
Sickness/Drooling
A slight increase in temperature is normal, but a high fever is not. Some drooling is also normal, but excessive drooling isn’t. Know that if your baby is acting sick and you aren’t sure why, it could be teething, but if you’re worried, there is no harm in calling up your pediatrician’s office. They are there to answer your question and are used to helping worried moms. They’ll help you to feel calm about the situation and know if your little guy needs to come by for a visit.
Sleep
There is a good chance your baby’s sleeping habits will change as they deal with teething. This could be caused by their swollen painful gums. If they seem to be having an especially hard and painful time dealing with cutting their teeth you might want to ask your doctor about appropriate pain relief for your youngster.
Dentist
Now that your baby has teeth the next question is, when do they start seeing the dentist? It is recommended that you bring your kid into a pediatric dentist by the time they are one year old. The dentist will be able to see if your baby has any oral issues that need to be addressed and help get your child off on the right foot for a healthy mouth.
As their parent, you ultimately know what’s best for your baby. You know if they are acting normal or not. If you are ever concerned, don’t hesitate to call up your doctor. Even if nothing ends up being wrong it is better to have peace of mind then to continue on as a stressed mess. Teething can be difficult, but you and your baby will both make it through it.
