It is commonly said that babies start teething around 6 months old.
But some babies can start teething at an earlier age and others later. Some will have very obvious signs and some none at all!
In today’s blog, we’d like to help you identify the signs indicating that your baby has started teething.
We will also suggest a few tricks we have used with our own babies to help them go through this phase!
Most common signs that your baby is teething
Knowing how to identify the signs that your baby has started teething will be the first step into being able to trust your amazing mommy instinct and know what to do.
Here is the list of the most common signs:
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Physical signs
- Drooling. If your baby's top is all wet around the neck, that's it!
- Red cheeks.
- Your baby may pull their ear and rub their face.
- Swollen or bumpy gums.
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Behavioral signs
- Chewing on absolutely anything.
- Fussines.
- Change in eating habits.
- Trouble sleeping.
- If you are breastfeeding, they may want to stay longer on your breast.
- If you are bottle feeding, they may chew on the bottle nipple.
- Diaper rash. Apply a safe organic balm to sooth the rash and prevent it from getting worse.
- Slight fever. Most of the time, the fever goes away after 24 hours but don’t hesitate to ask your pediatrician for recommendations.
- Change in behavior. You know your baby best and if they act differently, it may be due to teething discomfort. Always trust your mommy’s instinct.
Our favorite tricks to help your baby when they’re teething
As moms ourselves at La Petite Creme, we have tried a few things to help our babies during this time.
Every little-one is different and what has worked with our first child, didn’t always work with the second one.
We are happy to share a few of our tricks with you:
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Choosing your baby’s teether
Teething toys are everywhere on the market. So much that it can be difficult to choose. Most of them are great but let us provide you with some advice before you make your choice:
- Have your baby’s safety in mind and make sure that the material is BPA free and safe.
- Choose a soft material like silicone that will be gentle on your baby’s gums.
- Check that it doesn’t have any small piece that could risk getting loose and would become a choking hazard.
- Go for simplicity: it must be easy for your baby to hold and not too big so it can be chewed easily.
- Prepare your little-one to the idea of using a real toothbrush with a silicone toothbrush teether.
- Be mindful that all babies don’t like frozen teethers. The cold is supposed to help relieve the pain but they are not to every baby’s liking as it can be too cold and make the teether too hard.
At La Petite Creme, here were our babies’ favorites:
- Cecile’s little girl couldn’t go without her frozen teether, while her little brother didn’t need any!
- Fanny’s little girl felt so wonderful that she didn’t need any teether!
- Johanne’s babies all loved their silicone spoon! Easy to hold, they can be chewed on both sides! Makes the drooling really flood though!
Sometimes, there’s no need to look far to find the perfect one. And your baby will surely be the one to decide!
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Helping with the pain
Most of the time along the journey, your baby will be fine. But when a tooth is coming in, they may feel discomfort and need some help.
The #1 tool in this time will be you, your comfort, and love. Try holding your baby skin-to-skin as it is known to help them feel calm. But, depending on their own personality, they may prefer not to be touched too much.
Rest assured though: you are doing amazing! Your baby needs you and even if they show otherwise, they know you are here for them.
A mother’s love is magical but sometimes, it may not be enough. In that case, you can use:
- An organic teething ointment, balm or oil that you can apply on your baby’s gum to numb the pain. Massaging them will also help. Read the list of ingredients first and ask your pediatrician to be 100% sure that the product you chose is safe for your baby.
- Over the counter pain and fever medicine also helps, especially if your baby is having fever. Just keep in mind to always respect the appropriate dosage and intervals between doses.
The pain usually shows when a tooth is about to come out. And once it has made its appearance, your baby will be their usual self and will happily show off their brand-new tooth! Watch your fingers now!
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Getting rid of a teething diaper rash
When teething, some babies may develop a rash on their sensitive bottom.
At La Petite Creme, we have exactly what you need!
- Before the rash starts, make sure your baby’s skin is well protected. Use our diapering cleanser lotion at every diaper change. Simply apply one or two pumps on a cotton pad or washcloth to clean your baby’s little bum. Certified organic, EWG Verified and made with only 6 natural ingredients, La Petite Creme diapering lotion will not only clean your baby’s bottom but will also hydrate and leave a protective layer on the skin between diaper changes.
- If unfortunately you see some redness and rash on your baby’s bum, grab our organic diaper balm. Packed with Organic beeswax, La Petite Creme diapering balm will sooth your little one in record time. Made with only 5 simple and natural ingredients, certified Organic and EWG Verified, its gentle formulation is safe on babies of all ages and will do wonders to sooth your baby's rash.
- Ready to try? Get our baby starter bundle and you will have everything you need!