Teething: Look, Ma! I Have Teeth

Gone are the days when your little, newborn baby sleeps quiet and peacefully for most of the night. Now that your baby is about five months old, he is starting to be a difficult baby, crankier, and takes anything he can hold into his mouth. Your cute, little angel has now turned into a tiny monster. Why such a change?

Babies at this age, around five to six months old, are undergoing the stage they call as teething. This is when the very first tooth of a baby erupts from the gums. Just try to imagine the lower front tooth trying to get its way out through the soft gum tissue. It must indeed be painful for a little baby to feel.

When a baby is in the teething stage, he drools a lot that it seems like water is left continuously dripping from a faucet. The baby also gets all fussy and crankier than he usually is. He cannot have a long, peaceful sleep anymore. No amount of nursing, rocking, swaying and bouncing can probably stop him from crying. He is in pain, that's why.

A parent will know that his baby is teething when the baby's gums are swollen, especially on the part where the tooth will erupt. The very first tooth that comes out is the lower, middle, front tooth. The bulging of the tooth can be felt when the swollen gum is touched. A teething baby also has the habit of biting everything he gets his hand onto. This is his way to somehow alleviate the pain he is feeling.

Teething is a natural occurrence for babies and cannot be avoided. But there are things that can be done to ease the pain felt by the little angel. Placing anything that is cold over the swollen gums can numb the gums. Frozen teething rings, ice, cold spoon, frozen washcloth and frozen banana are some of the cold options to sooth them.

Some medications are also available such as Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen. However, do not self-medicate. Have the baby take these medicines only when prescribed by the doctor.

Pediatricians may also prescribe teething gels to apply on the sore gums. This, though, should be the last option as it can easily spread throughout the mouth and numb the baby's tongue and lips. The baby may also swallow too much of it.

Upon close observation, parents may also see a small cyst develop in the gums. But there is no need to worry as this watery sac will eventually be ruptured by the tooth as it pushes its way out through the gums.

Slight fever, diarrhea and rashes may also show when the baby is teething. Although this may seem to be normal to most teething babies, it is still best to visit the pediatrician for proper treatment.

Teething stage for babies is difficult. It is best to make sure that the babies feel comfortable all the time to lessen the pain of tooth eruption and have a good night's sleep again.

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