Dear Grandpa Robert - Teething

Dear Grandpa Robert,
I feel so bad about my baby boy. He's in so much pain teething. I've tried different methods but nothing seems to work. I feel like a bad mother. How can I get him to stop crying?

Teething is caused by new teeth coming through the gums. It is painful and is scares the baby. They are experiencing pain. Children will experience teething as early as 3 months old and will continue as they age.

There are no ways to completely stop the pain, but there are ways to ease the pain. Remember this is a temporary situation and only lasts until the teeth come through the gum. Your child will be irritable, will drool a lot, and you will have them crying, not sleeping right and they may not want to eat because it hurts. You might also see a small rise in their temperature. If your child has a high temperature or other symptoms visit your doctor because they may have an infection or something else. Teething should cause serious symptoms.

Since your baby will drool a lot, be sure to keep a rag handy to keep their face dry. If you don’t they may develop a rash which causes them more pain. When teething your child wants something in their mouth to ease the pain. There are a lot of items on sale, just make sure it is big enough that it can’t be swallowed, can’t break, can’t leak, and doesn’t have a ribbon or something that goes around the neck. This can cause chocking.

Take one of your clean wash rags, get it wet, and put it in the freezer until it is cold. It should not be frozen. Give this to your child to chew on. Be sure to have multiple wash rags so you can always use a clean rag. The cool rag will feel good on their gums. You can also use a teething ring. Do the same with it by getting it cold but not frozen. II don’t like the rings with liquid inside because I’m afraid they will leak. I also clean my hands and rub my fingers along the gums. Babies like this. It is soothing and calming for them.

If none of this works, then it is time for a visit to your pediatrician. There is medicine on the market that can help just make sure your follow the instructions to the letter.