How to Survive a Teething Baby

Jennifer Landis - 18 Jan 19

Those first few months after you bring a new baby home are both exhausting and magical. Sure, the new little bundle of joy needs to eat every couple of hours, so you feel like you’re never going to sleep again, but much of their time is spent sleeping too. It’s not until they start cutting teeth that the fun begins and you feel like your grandmother’s solution for a grumpy baby — soaking a pacifier in brandy — might be a viable option.

Before you unlock the liquor cabinet (for your baby at least), here are some tried and true tips to help you survive life with a teething baby.

1. Know the Signs

When the six-month milestone has come and gone, it’s time to start being on the lookout for the signs that your little one is about to start teething. These symptoms can vary from child to child — your second child, for example, might not present the same signs that your first one did — but in general, you can expect to see:

• A low-grade fever, under 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3C)
• Increased drooling
• Biting
• Irritability
• More crying than normal
• Gums that look enlarged or feel firmer

Thankfully, your little one won’t cut all of their teeth at once. Usually, the bottom front two teeth will come in, followed by the top two in the front. By the time they’ve cut their entire set of baby teeth — 20 total by 24 months — they’re used to the sensation of teeth erupting, and it won’t bother them as much.

2. Be Prepared

You know it’s coming. Once your baby hits six months, you should be on the lookout for those little teeth poking through. Before they reach their 1/2-year birthday, it’s a good idea to collect the things you’re going to need to keep your little one comfortable. And no, that doesn’t include restocking the liquor cabinet — unless it’s for you.

Stock up on things like teething toys — including ones you can put in the freezer to keep them cold — infant Motrin and Tylenol, teething biscuits and infant Oragel. Keep in mind that they’ll chew on everything they can get their little hands on, so having plenty of things that are safe for those tiny jaws can help keep them comfortable.

3. Avoid the Fads

There are plenty of fad products that claim to help teething infants and toddlers manage their pain. They vary from homeopathic teething tablets to teething necklaces made from amber beads.

It’s a good idea to avoid these fads wherever possible. The homeopathic teething tablets, among their active ingredients, contain belladonna. Yes, that belladonna — the deadly poison that’s part of the nightshade family. While it can be therapeutic at low doses, the problem with homeopathics is that they’re not regulated by the FDA like other over-the-counter medications, so there’s no oversight during their production. In 2016, these teething tablets were linked to 10 infant deaths in the United States.

Teething necklaces and bracelets are also a popular non-medicated alternative for dealing with teething pain, but they aren’t any different than an infant-safe teething toy. The small beads can create a choking hazard if the necklace breaks, and there’s a risk of strangulation if the child falls asleep while wearing the necklace. Such a case occurred in 2018.

4. Be Patient — This Too Shall Pass

There’s no beating around the bush for this one, so we’ll just come out and say it. Teething last for years. Thankfully, it doesn’t all happen at once, which makes it easier to tolerate. If you take nothing else away from this piece, hold on to this little piece of hope: This too shall pass.

Before you know it, your infant won’t be so little anymore, and you’ll be struggling to keep up with them as they explore this new and exciting world they’ve been introduced to. Be patient, help ease their pain where you can, and don’t lose your temper with them. This isn’t their fault, after all. They’re little and in pain and don’t understand why — and they’re too young for you to explain it to them.

The teething phase will be over before you know it, and you’ll be so preoccupied with the Terrible Two’s that you won’t even remember the sleepless nights or seemingly endless chewing. Enjoy your children while they’re little — they’ll never be that way again, and you’ll have to wait for your grandchildren to be born before you can enjoy the simple pleasures of rocking a fussy baby to sleep once again.

Jennifer Landis

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