Every parent is excited to see their baby teething. But, teething causes many discomforts in child. This article takes you through the discomforts caused by the teething and the ways to soothe your baby.
Baby’s first year is the platform for the huge developmental changes. Teeth is the most noticeable change from the birth to till one year. Teething babies normally experience trouble to sleep during the night. There are many home remedies and soothing techniques to calm down your baby.
This article discusses the teething routine in babies. It presents the natural ways to help teething baby sleep.
Teething in babies:
The period between 4 to 7 months is the teething period for your baby. Baby’s first teeth usually appears around when your baby is 6 months old. Lower front teeth are always the first to come in.
How to Tell if Your Baby is Teething?
Here are a few signs to recognize the teething in your baby:
- Your baby constantly puts finger or objects in the mouth.
- Baby seems to have swollen gums
- Your baby may experience diarrhea
- You may notice excess saliva running out of your baby’s mouth
- Biting their toys or biting while breastfeeding
- You may notice your baby rubbing or pulling ears or cheeks.
- Your baby may exhibit refusal to eat. Sore gums make the baby uncomfortable and refusal to eat.
- Your baby may wake up many times in the middle of the night.
How to get a teething baby to sleep ?
Here are a few tips to help child during teething:
1. Massage your baby’s gums:
This is one of the best ways to help teething baby to sleep. Massage your baby’s gums with your finger in order to relieve your baby from pain. Use your clean finger to massage baby’s sore gums. Gently apply pressure while moving your finger in the circular motion. While you massage your baby’s gums you can sense the areas where the teeth are erupting. Focus much on the teeth erupting areas where the pain is severe.
Massage before your baby falls asleep. This helps your baby to have distortionless sleep. Moistened gauze will help to massage your baby’s teeth.
2. Put the pacifiers:
Pacifiers offer comfort for your baby while chewing or sucking during teething. You can keep the pacifier in the refrigerator to offer cool treat to the sore gums of your baby. You can also offer your baby sugar free rusks to suck on.
3. Teething Rings:
Teething rings and other specially designed chewing toys will help to comfort your baby during the times of teething. These things can also be refrigerated same as pacifiers.
4. Chamomile:
It is the most commonly used essential oil for teething because of its sedative effects. As it is non toxic it is safe for the babies of all the ages. Fill the chamomile oil in a vaporizer and massage along the jaw line.
5. Breastfeed:
Breastfeeding calms your baby. Your baby might bite your nipple while teething to avoid this massage your baby’s gums prior to feeding. Breastfeeding is the effective way to comfort your baby with sore gums and have distortionless sleep.
6. Chilled Foods:
This is one of the natural ways to help teething baby sleep. Cold offers comfort and it is the well known remedy to treat sore gums. If your baby is ready to consume solid foods after your baby applesauce, yogurt, Cold cucumbers etc.
Ensure to keep your baby safe from the choking hazards while introducing solid vegetables. To prevent the choking hazards keep the fruits and vegetables in a mesh feeder. Do not offer the food when it is too cool. Bring it to the moderate cooling before feeding your baby.
7. Feed soft foods to your baby:
Feed your baby with the soft and cooked foods which require less chewing so that it puts less or negligible burden on the jaw muscles.
8. Pain relief medication:
This is the last method to go with if you did not get any positive results with the home remedies.
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen will help to relieve the pain exerted by sore gums. Child versions of these medications are available in the market. It will take about 30 minutes for the medication to work effectively.
Offer the medication half an hour before the bed time. This medication can be offered for every six hours for better results.
Note: Check with your doctor before offering any medication to your baby. It is not recommended to use ibuprofen for the babies below 6 months. Avoid the medication that contain benzocaine in it. You can use the gels that contain natural ingredients like clove oil.
9. Stick to your sleep routine:
Set certain sleep patterns for your baby. Routine sleep habits make your baby easier to get into sleep. Do not skip the routine activities that you do before making your baby fall asleep.
10. Lavender:
Lavender is non toxic and offers soothing effects to your baby. Lavender is sedative and shows calming effects on the sore gums.
Dilute the lavender with a carrier oil and gently apply along the jaw line of your baby.
11. Ginger (For babies Over 6 months):
As the babies get older, they require more essential oils to be applied over their jawline and directly on their gums.
Ginger helps to relieve the pain offered by sore gums. Make sure to dilute ginger otherwise it may cause irritation.
12. Marjoram (For babies over 6 months)
Marjoram oil helps in promoting the better blood circulation. It is used to treat gall bladder complaints, stomach cramps , digestive disorders, depression, dizziness, migraines, nervous head aches etc.
Dilute marjoram oil and gently massage it along your baby’s jaw line.
13. Clove Bud (For babies over 2 years):
Teething continues until the 20 teeth grow in. Clove bud has powerful analgesic and antiseptic effects. Clove bud is safe for the babies as it is least toxic when compared to clove leaf and clove stem.
Dilute the clove bud with base oil and gently massage along your baby’s gums.
Note:
- Check with your pediatrician before applying therapeutic oils for your baby.
- Make sure that this oil is not ingested by your baby.
14. Offer comforting environment:
This is the effective way for getting the teething baby to sleep. Promote calm and peaceful sleeping environment for your baby. Keep your baby’s room free from the unwanted noise and distractions.
15. Use soothing techniques:
Some of the soothing techniques that offer comfort to your baby are singing, bed time routine etc.
Sing for your baby in a smooth and gentle voice. Take your baby arms and move around while gently rocking your baby. You can take your baby to a small ride before bed time.
How Long Does the teething pain last?
It is the period during which the tooth gets to the surface of gum. Gum opens up to give way for the growing teeth. Teething pain varies from baby to baby. Some babies may experience pain a few days before the teeth grow and some may experience for few days after the teeth grow in.
When to See the doctor for teething?
Usually symptoms of teething will appear and start irritating your baby three days before tooth emerges and usually disappears four days after afterward.
You should consult the pediatrician if your baby is feeling irritated few days after tooth emerges.
Cautionary Tips and dental care:
Here are a few tips to follow while comforting your baby during teething:
- Always keep an eye on your baby chewing or biting something to avoid choking hazards.
- If you hang the teething toy onto the necklace around your baby’s neck do not leave it when your baby is sleeping. This may get tangled around your baby’s neck.
- Babies pull their ears if the pain transfers to the ear canal. Consult the doctor immediately if your baby pulls ears frequently
- Avoid teething crackers or snacks as your child’s teeth are at the risk of being affected by excess sugar.
- Do not use any pain killers or any other medication without doctor consultation.
- Dental care should start even before your baby has teeth. Gently massage your baby’s gems with water few times a day. This habit helps to make your baby habituated to brushing once the teeth grow in.
- As soon as the teeth grow clean them twice a day, in the morning and in the night before bed time.
In conclusion, Teething is very uncomfortable experience for babies. Help your baby to cope with the discomforts offered by teething with natural home remedies and simple techniques.
