Many babies are uncomfortable when they are teething. Some run a low-grade fever and have bright red cheeks. Others times you can tell a baby is teething by his irritability, extra drooling, or if you’re nursing, you may note a very painful clamp on your nipple. There are actually a lot of tips to reduce teething pain in infants. Usually from these tips, you’ll find a method or two that your baby most prefers.
Some moms find that nursing a baby more often can help reduce the pain from teething. You can get easily get a baby to stop biting by bringing the baby in close to the breast when he clamps down, so he must open his mouth to breathe. Since babies derive not only sustenance but also comfort from nursing, a few extra feedings, or just a few moments of breastfeeding may significantly reduce teething pain in some babies.
Other babies need something to chew to reduce pain from teething. You can employ a number of store-bought teethers for this purpose. Some are liquid-filled and can be frozen. Cold things often help reduce pain since they help numb the gums. You do need to be especially careful when a baby already has some teeth. They can bite through the exterior covering of gel or liquid filled teethers, and also pacifiers. Be sure to discard anything the baby manages to bite through.
Another method that takes advantage of using cold is freezing damp washcloths for the baby to chew on to reduce teething pain. Store these in plastic bags so they are kept sanitary and don’t take on that “freezer” or freezer-burn taste. Regularly replace washcloths, every few days, with new ones, and only let a baby have one chew on a frozen one. Be sure to wash it again before refreezing it.
Some babies are helped by a little bit of gum massage to reduce teething pain. With clean hands, rub a finger along the top of the gums and exert a tiny amount of pressure on each emerging tooth or swollen gum. You can also rub a bit of ice, but be sure to keep hold of it, so baby doesn’t choke. A drink from a bottle of cold water may also help with teething pain, or from a sippy cup if a baby doesn’t take bottles. If your child is exclusively breast fed, you can offer refrigerated breast milk instead.
Some people prefer to use topical analgesics like Orajel®. These may work best right before a baby is ready to nap or go to sleep for a night. Drooling tends to render these ineffective within 10-30 minutes, but providing momentary relief may be just the thing needed to reduce teething pain long enough for a baby to go to sleep.
When a baby is really uncomfortable, there is no need to prolong discomfort if the above methods are not working. Using infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen can significantly reduce teething pain and promote a happier baby. This can also cut down on any small fever a baby might be running due to teething. As a baby grows more accustomed to teething, they usually begin to teethe with less discomfort. It is normally during the first and second year when teething pain is most likely to emerge. On the other hand, some children appear to get through the teething phase with minimal discomfort, and may merely need to be held, distracted or cuddled.
