Do’s and Don’ts for Your Teething Baby
Is your baby beginning to teeth? It is so exciting to see those first few teeth come in because your baby is growing so fast! I can remember when my kids started to get their first teeth, I was so excited. I was also really nervous because I knew that they were uncomfortable and I wanted to do everything I could to make them feel better. There is tons of information out there on what to do and what not to do when your baby is teething. We want to make it easier for you and give it to you in one easy place. Here are the do’s and don’ts for your teething baby:
DO: Safe teething rings
Giving your infant safe teething rings are definitely a do. They are going to be really uncomfortable and biting down on something hard, and even cold, will make them feel better. Use a safe-for-mouth material like silicone.
DON’T: Freeze teething rings
Although it feels better for the teething rings to be cool, they should not be frozen unless the product is specifically designed for that purpose. Many materials expand when frozen, so the teething toy could burst, leaking potentially dangerous-when-swallowed materials.
DO: Rub their gums
It is okay for you to rub your baby’s gums. It will feel really good for them, and as long as your fingers are clean, it is safe. Rubbing your fingers on their gums overstimulates the nerves in that area so their brain doesn’t perceive the pain as badly. It’s the most effective way to relieve pain and gets your baby accustomed to your fingers in his/her mouth when it comes to brush.
DON’T: Let them chew on anything small
Babies could easily choke on anything that is smaller than the hole in a paper towel roll. Make sure anything they play with is larger than that size, especially something designed to be chewed on.
DO: Give them a cold washcloth
A cold wash cloth is a simple and effective tool. It’s made from safe materials and too large to swallow. They’re also cheap to replace when your baby inevitably tears a few holes. Throw a couple in the refrigerator to cool down and offer to your baby.
DON’T: Use medications
If your baby is under four months old, do not use any medications for relief. They are too young for any medicines. Their pain will have to be treated naturally. If your baby is over six months old, talk to their doctor to see if it is okay for them to take infant ibuprofen.
DO: Keep a bib or cloth near by
Chances are that if your baby is teething there is going to be a lot of drooling involved. Keep a cloth nearby so that you can wipe any excess salvia from their chin when needed.
DON’T: Use teething tablets
Teething tablets are a big no. Why? In 2010 the FDA issued a warning about the potential for serious side effects with the use of these tablets.
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Written by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventor of the Zipadee-Zip
The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.
When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.
Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!
To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!
For more information, visit sleepingbaby.com.
Interested in writing a guest blog for Sleeping Baby? Send your topic idea to pr@sleepingbaby.com.
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