fancy a bite? (Teething in General)

Member Name: kjl12

Product:	Teething in General
Date:	08/07/05 (378 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: teeth are quite useful really....

Disadvantages: ...but why do they have to come like this???

Apparently, a few babies are actually born with one or more teeth (anyone ever met one? I haven't!) but for most mums one of the less pleasant milestones in your baby's early years is the dreaded teething. Now my son's 2 1/2, the memories are already beginning to fade a little (although I'm not convinced all of those back ones are really through yet), but here's a quick guide - from my own experience and from stuff I've read - of everything you should know about teething.

**When do we start?**

I found it's like everything - read the timeline in the baby book and then just ignore it! There is no real set time for most things. My son cut his first tooth at around 6 months, which I gather is about average. I've never heard of an adult who hasn't grown teeth, so don't panic!

**How do you know baby is teething?**

Well, the appearance of a tooth is actually quite late on in the process and you can go through hours or days of agony before you get to that stage, so it's important to recognise some of the early signs. Equally, try to not 'cry wolf' - some mothers tend to blame every cry or tantrum on teething, and then you get little sympathy when it really does start! Anyway, some key signs include :

- being grumpy and irritable (the baby - not you!)
- disturbed sleep (again, I mean the little one..)
- sore and red gums
- lack of interest in food
- red cheeks, like they're sunburned
- being a bit hot - not a full blown fever, just a bit warm
- vast quantities of dribble over everything
- constant chewing and biting - my little one went straight for his fingers
- soreness at the other end - we really suffered with this - it makes the poo acidic, apparently. Also bear in mind if you're breast feeding, their saliva is acidic - ouch!

**So what can we do?**

Now then, the million dollar question. I've split this bit into two.

A. Things I tried and worked for us:

1. Teething gel. This is a bit fiddly, and does involve a finger into the mouth which can be a little hazardous, but my son seemed to get instant relief and the effects seemed to last for a decent amount of time. There are several brands on the market, but we used Bonjela which is a quite famous one. It's a little tube of clear gel which is applied regularly direct onto to the gum and actually numbs it for the child. I liked it because it was colour and sugar free (don't want to rot them as they arrive...) and was handy when you're out and about.
£2.79 at Boots

2. Teething powders. These are a natural remedy that I spotted in the chemist one day. They consist of little blue packets of powder (Boots Alternative Teething Relief). They rate even higher on the fiddly stakes because you have to empty the packet into the child's mouth - mind you, by this stage you'll do anything! Again, my son seemed to find a decent amount of relief, liked the taste and they were easy to pop into the changing bag. They're a bit more expensive, but Boots often do 3 for 2 offers in this range.
£3.99 at Boots

3. Teething rings. We got a John Lennon one that you could put in the fridge, and my son quite liked that - pick carefully though. Go for one that is textured and has a handle of some sort for them to grip onto otherwise they get even more annoyed than they already are!
From £2

4. Dried apple slices. Our local health food shop sells bags of dried apple slices with a convenient hole in the middle, and my son chewed on them quite happily. Adds to the dribble, but stops chewing of fingers etc.

B. Things I tried that didn't work for us:

1. Bickiepegs. They're little, old fashioned, very, very hard biscuits that they can chew on to help teething. But they are so hard that once his first tooth was through, I was too scared to give him any more in case he chipped a tooth! I'm sure other, less paranoid mothers have used them for years...

2. Teething keys. They are large, bright plastic keys on a sort of key ring. And they were just about the only thing that he refused to put into his mouth during teething!



So, there you go - hope that's all of some help when you're choosing how to deal with this yourself. And remember, as soon as that first tooth is through, you need to start teeth cleaning - and that's another story all in itself....

Summary: Teething is awful - but hopefully these tips will help you through the worst!