Summary: Now that you are a new parent, there are so many things you are always looking out for. One in particular is when you baby first begins to teeth it can be difficult to know what is teething and what are other aches and pains. Here are a few ways to check for a teething baby.
As a new parent there can be so many ups and downs after having your little one. The long nights and being woken at all hours can be very difficult at times. Especially when those times are compounded by a teething baby. What can make this even harder is when you are not sure if your baby is teething or they are just having other growing pains or could even be just hungry.
There are some easy ways to tell if your baby is teething. Every child will be different and some might have multiple signs to let you know. However, usually they all have one or more of these to let you know that their teeth are finally coming in.
1. They have been chewing on everything. You may think they chew and suck a lot already, however when a baby is teething they will have toys, hands, blankets, and literally anything else they can get their hands on in their mouth. Once they get it there they will not just suck, but chew and gnaw on the item. They may cry as they are doing this or this could actually stop them from crying.
2. Even if they drooled before, they will now be drooling more then ever. This will also be a non-stop supply of drool and you will probably want to put a bib on them. There are actually bibs sold for this reason. Without a bib, they will have a soaking wet shirt and front. You will have to keep up on the drool control and keep them dry as best you can. If not, they can end up with a slight rash on their chin, neck, and chest.
3. They pull at their ears often. Of course this can be sign of an ear infection too. However, there are times that when they pull at their ears they are teething. Their mouth hurts and they are feeling it in all of their face, just like we might. Especially if they are getting back teeth that are coming in.
4. There may be some loss of appetite. Their mouth hurts so they may favor liquids more than foods. Also, anything they do eat will hurt if it is too warm, so very cool foods or cold juices are typically preferred.
5. Of course there will be the uncontrollable crying and the crying when something touches their mouth. Many times they will begin crying for no reason that you can see, since their mouth just began throbbing. When crying they will be hard to calm down and it might take a little while to make them feel better.
6. If you can get their mouth open long enough, you may be able to see that their gums are swollen and red. They may even look puffy and will be sore to the touch.
7. Lastly, once you have their mouth open look for white specs in the gum line. Or rub your finger along their gums and see if their are any bumps or rough spots. This is where teeth are coming in and again will be sore to the touch.
These are the easiest ways to check and see if your baby is teething. Getting their mouth open will not be easy, but it will give you the clearest idea of what is happening with their mouth. However, this will probably be the hardest way to check since their mouth will be very sensitive and they will not want anyone touching it. If they have multiple signs then it is probably safe to say that you have begun the teething phase. Hopefully it will not last too long and your baby will be able to get through it in as little pain as possible.
