How do you know if your baby is actually teething? What signs should you watch for? If your baby is teething, what can you do for your little one? How can you, as their parent and guardian, help them with this painful process? Here are a few ideas on how to help your child through the teething process.
A baby may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms if they’re teething: swollen gums with a visible lump, profuse drooling, constant rubbing of face or eyes, refusing food, a fussy or cranky attitude, an inability to sleep or restlessness during usual sleeping times, and a need to chew on solid items.
If your little one is showing any of these, they could be teething—but what can you do? Fortunately, there are many remedies for soothing little one’s teething pains. Over the counter, pain relief medicine, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can be used to help.
There are also other remedies that do not include medicine. These come in the form of cool refrigerated teething rings. You can also use your finger (after thoroughly washing it) to relieve your baby’s pain temporarily by pressing down on their gums. Both choices can help break down the gum tissue and help the tooth erupt more quickly.