tips, tricks and guides for parenthood
Teething is just another milestone for you and your baby – but sometimes not a very pleasant one. Although it’s great seeing your baby’s first teeth come through, it can be a very discomforting and stressful time for your little one.
Not only will it cause tears, it will also be a running factor in sleepless nights. Although this can feel like a very stressful time, there are things you can do to make it much easier. Parenthood comes with a variety of challenges and teething is just one of them. We will talk about everything you need to know about teething and how you can make it much more bearable for your little one.
Teething isn’t a great time for you or your baby but is a sign that your little one is starting to develop into their own little person! In some cases, babies don’t have symptoms of teething and all of a sudden, you’ll see a couple of teeth pop out. However, in the majority of cases most babies will experience at least one of the symptoms below…
If you notice your baby experiencing any of these things, it may be a sign that teething is soon to come. We will speak about how you can soothe your little one during this time throughout our blog.
The most common time for babies to get their first tooth is between 4-7 months old. However, it’s important to remember that this isn’t the same for all babies. You shouldn’t panic if you still don’t see any teeth coming through by the time your baby is 7 months old. It can take a bit more time for some children. If you have concerns about your baby’s teeth not coming through, the best thing to do is to go and see a paediatrician.
If you want a more specified time, it normally happens at around 6 months old. This is the most common time that you will see your baby’s first tooth come through. As soon as the first one has come through, the others will follow quite quickly. By around age 3, your child should have a full set of teeth or just a few that are still on their final stages of pushing through.
In rare cases, some babies have been born with one or two teeth. This shows that although there are common times for this to happen, it really can take place at any stage in your child’s development – early or late!
As we mentioned previously, all babies are different. If you can see that your baby is beginning to teeth at around 2-3 months, this is still completely normal. It just means they are a bit ahead of everyone else! The process will be no different and your baby will have the same teething experience as they would have done if they started at 6 or 7 months old.
If you’re not sure whether your baby has begun teething or not, there are usually a few signs to look out for. Teething is expected to make your baby a little irritable so don’t be shocked if you notice a change in their mood or character. Some other things you can look out for include:
It’s normal for the two bottom teeth to come through first. This is just because of the way the teeth grow. If you find that your baby’s teeth are coming through out of order, this isn’t something to be concerned about. However, please go and see a paediatrician if you feel bothered by it.
Once the first teeth come through the skin, you can start using a soft bristled toothbrush to gently brush around them. You should only start doing this once they push through the skin properly. By doing this before, it can cause irritation and discomfort to your baby’s gums. If you would prefer, you can also use a damp, soft cloth on your baby’s gums each day to ensure they are kept clean and hygienic.
Sometimes late teethers feel more concerning than early teethers, but they are both just the same. If your baby has got over that 7-month mark and you still can’t see any teeth, you shouldn’t worry at all. Try and avoid comparing your baby’s development to other children around you as this is likely to make you worry about it more. Instead, if your baby has siblings, you can always work from that.
If your first child was on the later end of the scale with teething, it’s likely that your other children will be too. Your baby’s teeth will come through eventually and you just need to wait it out. Genetics play a huge part in teething so you can always ask your parents when you started teething to get more of an idea as to when your baby will start.
Under different circumstances, your baby may begin teething later than other babies. One of these circumstances includes prematurity. If your baby was born earlier than it should have been, this can play a part on their development. It doesn’t mean your baby won’t develop properly; it just means things might take a little longer than usual.
You should only consider going to a paediatrician if your baby gets to 18 months old and there are still no signs or teething. Although this may be perfectly normal, a paediatrician will be able to identify if there are any underlying factors that may be contributing to your baby’s delay in teething. If there is cause, it is most likely to be malnutrition, vitamin deficiency or a hyperactive thyroid.
Your paediatrician will be able to give you the best advice on how to manage these problems and may suggest some changes you need to make to your baby’s day to day life.
All of your baby’s teeth won’t come through straight away. It takes from 6 months to 3 years old for a child to have a full set of teeth so you shouldn’t expect to see them all right away. Your baby’s teething will most likely start with the front bottom teeth and then move onto the front top teeth.
After this, the placements of teeth can be quite random and there’s no pattern as to what will come through next. You shouldn’t worry if you find that your baby hasn’t had a tooth come through in a while, it’s very normal for it to take a long time.
We always advise parents to go and see someone if they are worried about their child. Although gaps between teething is a normal occurrence, you should get some advice if you feel that it has been a bit too long.
Teething doesn’t just have an effect on your baby – it has a massive impact on you as a parent too. Whilst your baby isn’t acting how they normally do, it can really grind you down and make you feel a little bit helpless. However, there are some things you can do to help your baby get through the discomfort of teething. Not all of these will work for all babies, you might just find one that does the trick!
These are only a few things that are known to work. However, there may be something else you have tried that has made teething a lot more bearable. We hope our advice and tips have helped you learn more about teething. It may seem hard at first, but try hard to find something that distracts your baby or works for the discomfort – it will offer lots of help!