Teething Symptoms
Spotting the signs of teething is a little bit of an art form. Many first time mothers attribute certain signs as being symptoms of teething when, in fact, they having nothing at all to do with it. Likewise, it is possible to miss the onset of teething and to attribute your child's crying and crankiness to something else.
Signs that your baby is teething
- Swollen or inflamed gums - regularly inspect your child's gums. You should be able to see the actual outline of the teeth before they erupt through the gums. Pay special attention to the lower, middle gums as this is where the first teeth are likely to appear.
- Crankiness - if your child's mood suddenly takes a turn for the worse, inspect his mouth. Of course this change of behavior could be due to something else but there's no harm in checking.
Drooling - excessive drooling is a classic sign that your baby is teething. This excessive drooling may also produce, what is known as, drooling rash. Don't panic, this is temporary and will disappear once your baby stops drooling. Also, drooling can cause your baby to cough. Again, don't worry; this will stop when the drooling stops. There is now some doubt that excessive drooling is caused by teething. Many experts now believe that drooling may just be a natural part of oral development; the fact that it usually occurs around the time of teething is a coincidence - or maybe not. Teething isn't an exact science!
- Excessive chewing - some babies will chew on anything that is to hand when they begin to teeth. Mothers who are breastfeeding are bound to notice this symptom - our hearts go out to them.
- Waking up at night - if your baby has been sleeping well through the night but is now waking up once or twice and is displaying signs of irritability upon waking, this may also be symptomatic of teething.
- A small rise in temperature - a barely noticeable rise in temperature can occur in some babies. It will not cause a fever. If you suspect your baby does have a fever go and see your doctor immediately.
- Diarrhea - teething and diarrhea can occur in some babies. This should pass quickly. If it doesn't then go and see your doctor for advice on how to stop the diarrhea.
Recognizing the signs of teething isn't a straight forward matter. Each child is different; the pain level or discomfort that a baby can tolerate varies from baby to baby. It probably won't be one of the above signs but a combination of teething signs that a mother will notice and lead her to suspect that her child is teething.