We discussed teething today and there is a lot of products out there to help sooth and comfort your baby. The price can also vary which can leave parents very confused and in a panic to purchase lots of different products. Breastfeeding, provides a natural pain relief for your baby, and it is very empowering when you can sooth your baby by breastfeeding. There is no one product that stands out, in my experience as a mum and Public Health Nurse/Midwife our role is to self sooth and comfort the baby. This can be distressing for parents when the products are not as effective as we would like. Some babies today in our virtual networks were at the chewing stage. One Mum found the nubby glove very effective for this stage. In My own experience I found a soft small pliable animal (horse or cow) great as it gave my baby independence to grip and pull on when self soothing
As the teething progresses your baby may dribble more, increasing the risk of a sore neck in between the neck creases. Applying a barrier cream and dabbing the skin with olive oil and water wearing a good bib will help protect the skin. As the teeth break through newborns may also develop red flushed checks and their bottoms may break out causing a nappy rash. Remember this is not your fault some babies are more sensitive to this problem. I have one blue-eyed and three brown eyed children you need not guess which one developed the sore bum! Keep the bum clean, expose to fresh air, use a good barrier cream, if your baby develops a very high temperature, a rash, vomiting or Diarrhoea these are not significantly associated with teething and most likely will be other reasons speak to your General Practitioner or Public Health Nurse. In my own experience I have found the later the teeth emerged, the more distressing it is ! There is no evidence on this, however, it is accepted that the symptoms and pain can vary between individuals. New Mums understand this in the virtual groups as the babies are going through the stages of development together.
The general pattern for teeth is they break out the two lower case incisors first at 6 months followed by the upper central incisors at 8 months. Nelsons granules are soothing and calming you should never give orally if the baby is crying. Babies love their gums massaged use a soft face cloth or apply a sugar-free teething gel which may numb any pain. Cold water or sucking and gnawing on a cool spoon can also help. Some mums find their babies get fussy on the breast or bottle when teething and placing the teat of the bottle in the fridge may help. If you use teething rings avoid putting them into freezer as they can cause a friction burn Always check with your pharmacist or GP regarding Calpol and Ibuprofen or if your baby has a temperature above 38 degrees vomiting, diarrhoea or rash. Never place any objects around your babies neck for fear of choking there is no evidence that amber bracelets offer pain relief I would imagine they are quite uncomfortable to lie on. Be mindful of what you purchase it may be marketed as teething relief but doesn’t always mean it is safe!https://adc.bmj.com/content/83/3/210
“Teething may start at 13 weeks, the teeth may not erupt until six months or later. Your babies gums may start to change becoming flat and less curved in appearance. Your child should have most of their 20 baby teeth by the time they are two and half years.”