Teething Tips For Parents

The experience of teething and the development of teeth can be a stressful time for both children and parents alike.

Each new tooth can take between 1-7 days to develop and cut through, with multiple teeth often appearing at the same time. Babies can start to cut teeth as early as three months old and as late as 12 months depending on how fast they develop individually.

Amazingly, by the time a child is three years old they should have up to twenty primary teeth!

Teething has several symptoms, so watch out for the following to ensure you know when your child first starts to teeth.

• Drooling: Excess saliva is produced during the teething process, causing children to dribble more often than usual.
• Swollen Gums: Discomfort from the teeth protruding through the gums can cause bulging and swelling along the gum line.
• Teething Rash: Due to excess saliva and moisture around the mouth, a red rash can appear in this area. This is perfectly normal during the teething process.
• Biting: Children will want to bite on and chew anything they can get their hands on to help to put pressure back on their sore gums.
• Crying: If your baby is crying without apparent reason, the pain and discomfort of the teething process may well be the cause of this.
• Sleep Disruption: Obviously, due to pain throughout the day and night, your children may find it harder to get to sleep or stay asleep.

These symptoms are perfectly normal and shouldn’t cause alarm. Although they can be distressing for both parents and children, the teething process is a natural part of every human life.

There are several things that parents can do to make teething a more pleasant and less stressful experience for their children.

• Teething Rings: A teething ring, or a cooling teething ring can be a godsend for many children and parents alike. These plastic rings are hard and help to ease pressure on the gums, the cooling rings can be refrigerated and help to ease the hot, burning sensation that can be very uncomfortable. 
• Silicone Necklaces: Fast becoming the latest trend for fashionable mums, Silicone Necklaces are safe to chew and can improve interaction between mother and baby. 
• Community/Parents: Chat to other mums and dads and ask your parents and grandparents what they used for you… Age old remedies and new-fangled technologies alike can be combined to make your children’s teething experience as painless as possible.
• Anti- Irritant Creams: Applying moisturisers and creams around the areas that are coming out in a rash can help sooth your child’s skin.
• Bibs: Buying a bib to catch all the excess drool can make the teething process tidier and cleaner for you and your baby. They can also lean to wipe around their mouths and this can help to keep the uncomfortable area dry.
• Herbal Remedies: Check online for herbal remedies that may ease pain and aid sleep for your child.
• Gentle Rubbing: Gently rubbing the gums can help to sooth the area, sometimes rubbing a cold and smooth compress gently across the gum line can ease and comfort your child.
• Freezing Expressed Breastmilk: Use the icecube tray in your freezer to freeze some of your breastmilk. You can then stick the ice cubes in a Pacifier Clip Feeder that Bub can safely chew on. The frozen milk helps to numb their gums and ease the pain.

Throughout the teething process, try and stay calm and keep a sense of humour and happiness to comfort your child and put them at ease. 

How are you tackling teething? Feel free to share your tips with the Bubs community! For the latest baby clothing in Australia and abroad, head over to Bubs Warehouse to get the latest deals.