Your little one has begun the painful process of teething. You may notice that the experience that your baby is having is beginning to affect their precious sleep. This blog is all about the how’s and whys of helping your little one sleep better, while going through teething. Please share with us your experiences in the comments! Do you have something that works extraordinarily well? Let us know!
How to Recognize Teething
As your baby grows they will inevitably enter the teething phase, also known as odontiasis. While this typically occurs at four to seven months it is not uncommon, nor a cause for concern if it starts earlier or even much later. You can recognize your child has entered the teething phase by looking for some of these signs:
- Swollen, Tender Gums
- Slight or low grade fever
- Fussiness and crying
- Excessive drooling
- Coughing
- Redness on one cheek
- Rubbing on the cheek or ear
- Bringing the hands to the mouth
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
How to Help Dos and Don’ts
Changes in sleeping habits during teething can be the most challenging for both baby and parent. While it is not possible to completely erase the painful experience for the child when they are sleeping, some tactics have proven helpful. The primary approach that we encourage is to work on addressing the pain while the child is awake as much as possible. Staying on top of the pain during the day is the best approach for consistent long-term pain management. Our favored approaches are:
- Offering cool things for the baby to gum
- Meshed teether
- Breastmilk Chips
- Teether Sticks and Toys
- Carrot and Apple slices
- Homeopathics for minor pain during the day. Homeopathics are incredibly safe for babies and are a great alternative to OTC medications when the teething pain is not super acute. For the active, very acute pain, alternating in Motrin (6+ months) or Tylenol will take the edge off the most. Please use these OTC’s sparingly. They are harder on the liver and deplete glutathione levels when used all the time. Both of the OTC’s listed above are the most natural versions available.
Using these tools to help address pain during the waking hours provides strong support to getting the most out of the sleeping hours. We have a curated collection of teething products that have proven effective and can provide the caring relief baby needs. If your baby is experiencing a lot of pain, a dye-free Motrin or baby Tylenol before bed can provide added relief. Please reach out to your physical beforehand.
Some things you want to avoid doing are:
- Teething aids that are filled with liquid that can tear or spill
- Teethers that are breakable and can cause choking
- Things that are frozen solid
- Using any alcohol for numbing or pain
Solid frozen items can cause damage to a baby’s gums. Look into the materials of a teether, some are made out of plastics that could be injurious to your child long term. The Sophie Giraffe specifically can fill with MOLD from drool or if used in the bath. While it may be a popular old wives tale that liquor helps teething, the fact is this is an unproven method with many more potential negative outcomes than positive ones. In a pinch, your knuckle can serve as a great teething tool for baby to gum on.
Teething can be a very trying time for parents. Additional support for navigating this journey is something to embrace. Do not be shy about asking for help. We can provide excellent services to help you build resilience and ensure you feel supported and nurtured so that you have the strength to support and nurture. Many parents find our pamphlet on teething very beneficial. Please contact us if you would like this free resource.
If you have any advice or best practices please share them with our community of parents in the comments. If you have questions about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help. Please reach out to us here! We always look forward to hearing from you.
