Teething

holley79 wrote: This is going to be one of those "First time mommy" questions...

How do I know she is teething?? I mean she's slobbering all over the place but I think a lot of that is because she has learned to blow spit bubbles. She is nawing on everything. I haven't had my hand all weekend long. She hasn't ran a fever though so maybe she's just being slobbery.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I think a lot of infants get slobbery starting around 3 months. My ped said that their gums seem to flatten out on top when they are starting to teethe. Maybe you can feel a difference between the top and bottom gums? Most babies get bottom teeth first.

My3LilMonkeys replied: It could be her just getting slobbery, like Kelly said, or it could be the first stages of teething. My kids both teethed for at least 2 months before they actually got their first tooth.

EvesMom replied: Let me tell you, Evelynn has been teething for 3 months, and still no teeth. It's been gradually getting worse, so I keep saying any day now. Who knows.

Does she seem to get frustrated when nawing on things?

kayla's mama replied: It sounds like teething to me

CAMSMOM1 replied: Here's what I found for you on teething:

"On average, the first tooth arrives sometime during the seventh month, although it can rear it's ugly head as early as three months, as late as twelve months. Tooth eruption often follows hereditary patterns, so if you or your husband teethed early/late, your baby may do likewise.
Symptoms of teething often precede the tooth itself by as much as two or three months."

Symptoms of teething:

Drooling: For alot of babies, starting anywhere from 10 wks to 3 months of age, the faucet's on. Teething stimulates drooling, more in some babies than others.

Biting: A teething baby wil gum down on anything she can get her mouth on-from her tiny hand, to the breast that feeds her, to a perfect strangers thumb-the counterpressure from any of which will help relieve the pressure from the gums.

Coughing: The excess saliva can cause baby to gag or cough occassionally.

Pain: Discomfort is often worse with the first teeth and also with the molars.

Irritability: Like anyone with chronic pain, she may be cranky, out of sorts, not "herself". Some babies will suffer more than others, with irritabililty lasting weeks, instead of days or hours.

Refusal to Feed: A teething baby may appear fickle when it comes to nursing. While she craves the comfort of something in her mouth-and may seem to want to "nurse all the time"-once she begins to suck, and the suction created increases her discomfort, she may reject the breast or bottle she so passionatly desired moments before. She may become more frustrated and more out of sorts.

Diarrhea: Some doctors admit that there appears to be a connection between teething and diarrhea, perhaps because the excess saliva swallowed loosens the stools.

Low Grade Fever: A low grade fever (under 101 degrees) can occassionally accompany teething as a result of inflammation of the gums.

Wakefulness: The discomfort that has her fussing during the day can keep her awake at night. Even a baby who normally sleeps through the night, may become restless during teething. To avoid her lapsing back into old habits, don't rush to comfort or feed her. Night waking is most common with first teeth and molars.

Ear Pulling: Pain in the gums may travel into the ears and cheeks along nerve pathways they share. Some babies will begin to pull their ears or rub a cheek.

Chewing: The best things to give your child to chew on is icy cold objects/teethers, a frozen banana, a clean washcloth, chilled carrots, teething rings, ect.

Well I think my fingers are numb from all the typing But I hope this helps you.

Ann

msoulz replied: MIne has been drooling and chewing since 10 weeks, just like Camsmom's post says. But almost at 5 months and no teeth yet. So I wonder why she would need to drool for all this time before any teeth are even showing? Perhaps some kids are just drooly and it has nothing to do with teeth. Or maybe they are more sensitive to the teeth coming in way before we can see them. I know with my first I don't recall all of this drooling and we never knew he was teething as he didn't complain, run fevers, or any of that stuff. We would just look in his mouth and see new teeth!

holley79 replied: guess we will just sit back and see. LOL. Now I know why outfits come with matching bibs.

Thanks everyone I really do appreciate it.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: FWIW, Wil didn't get his first tooth until 14 months! So I have a hard time believing "the signs" since I experienced them all with him for such a long time, but I would just keep an eye out for a low-grade fever and lots of fussiness. Wil had a bit of diarrhea too when his tooth finally broke through.

CAMSMOM1 replied:

Symptoms of teething often precede the tooth itself by as much as two or three months. (on average)

It said that most babies will show symptoms of teething, such as drooling, long before a tooth actually pops up.

Cam started teething around 3.5 months, but he didn't get his first tooth until 10-11 months. His symptoms would come & go.

Usually you can tell a tooth is about to come out, when the gums start turning white in that area, and sometimes you can feel ridges.

And I wouldn't go off of just "drooling" as a sign of teething. A lot of babies tend to drool even when they aren't teething. Usually it will be a combination of things, like drooling with fussiness, or drooling with a low grade fever or biting on things.

kimberley replied: we have been battling the drool with Kaleigh for quite a while now too. i am positive she is teething but her only signs are drooling and gnawing and nibble nursing . it's been different with every kid. Jade teethed for 4mos without a toofer

holley79 replied:
I just can't believe how much drool these kids produce. It's never ending. You think she would get tired of soaking her tops and she is also sucking on her shirts. I have to becareful there isn't anything on her tops she can suck off.

msoulz replied:
Well, I'm glad to hear it's not just mine who has the faucet ON in the mouth at all times!

And as far as the bibs go, I find the ones with velcro in the back irritate her neck back there so I want to make some of the little towel ones. I do have a few bibs that close on the side, and those are OK but now she happily rips them off.

mommycat2244 replied: I am glad to see that I'm not the only one out there questioning whether or not my little one is teething yet. My mom can't believe all of the saliva that Corvin produces and she says she doesn't remember me doing that at such a young age. We even took to calling Corvin the "Drool Boy"!! And last week he's started to sucking his thumb. Everytime we see him doing it we try to get him to suck on a pacifier instead. But usually he tries to stick his entire fist in his mouth. I felt in his mouth last week and what was once a flat gummy surface has turned into a gummy surface with ridges. So, yeah, I don't know if my little one has started this whole teething thing yet or not. He occassionally gets fussy and I went out and bought him a couple of teethers that you put in the freezer and one that vibrates. And usually he only tolerates that for so long until he wants his fist back in his mouth. But, like I said, my first time mommy thing is still questioning on whether he really is or is he just being a normal baby.