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My Teething Tips

Sofia started teething at 7 months and by 8 months she had 4 full teeth (two top and two bottom that pretty much came out at the same time, ouch!). She is now 14 months and has 11 teeth, including two molars. She has teethed a total of 4 rounds.

What I noticed first was her behavior changing, when she starts teething she usually is super fussy, with no apparent reason (weeks before the teeth finally peeks through). Another first sign is her wanting boob constantly, and not being interested in solids as much. The final thing she does as the teeth start to come through is her having really bad nights. Either waking up hysterically crying a few times (which usually wakes chatty instead of crying when she wakes at night), it seems like she is having a bad dream, but when it happens 3-4 times a night and for a few consecutive nights, I now know it's teething.

PS: No, she did not drool much when pre-teething or teething. She drooled a lot in the 3-4 month baby stage, way far away from when she started teething at 7months. But every baby is different. I only noticed extra drooling this last time, with the molars.

After a few weeks of all of the above, I suddenly see a new tooth/set of teeth. Which makes me happy and relived because I know she has been super irritable for a good reason and not just because. She always proves me right. There's always a reason why they fuss. Which makes me trust her even more, and be extra patient!

I wanted to wait a bit to see my full experience (with a few rounds of teething) before I provided any tips. So finally, here are the things that sooth her the most:

1. Popsicles. They are cold and definitely help with gum inflammation. And since her appetite isn't the same during teething, and she rejects solids, it also helps me feed her some solid nutrients in frozen puree form. So I make sure to make a variation of popsicles with fruits, veggies, fats, carbs and plant protein. Click here for my popsicle trays.

2. Refrigerator friendly toys & teething toys. Especially when Sofia was younger (she won't "use" them now as much as when she started teething) biting on these was so soothing. I made sure she had a toy everywhere (car seat, stroller, play pen...). Here are Sofia's fav teething toys:

- A banana

- Comotomo teether

- Sophie

- A mitten

- Silicone cactus teethers

- Ice gel keys for the fridge

A cold metal spoon also works wonders if you don't have any of the above and need something asap.

3. Massage the gums. Especially when the teeth is about to come through. She loved me pressuring her gums with my fingers. Right before bed mostly. Just make sure fingers are clean!

4. Boob & cuddles. It may be super annoying but when she teeths badly, she's on my boob pretty much all day. It keeps her super calm and fuss free. It's just hard on us moms. But it's one day.

5. A calm environment. Soothing her calmly keeps her more calm too.

6. A distraction & activities. When we have been traveling and busy out doing activities, teething has definitely been less intense during the day. When we are home, teething has been WAY more noticeable. So keeping busy and doing activities outdoors also helps them.

7. No, I don't give Sofia Tylenol because of teething. It's just my personal choice. I feel like we do give Tylenol really quick and if she has no fever, she can be soothed in other ways, such as the ones mentioned above. Every time she's been fussy because of teething, I have used one of the ways mentioned in the previous points and she has been soothed just fine. So I don't want to give her Tylenol when teething. Drugs should be taken seriously. ESPECIALLY on babies.