By Renee Martinez, Founder of Raising Boys World
The baby is teething. Fun times at my house. I don’t think I’ve slept more than 4 hours a night over the last week. The poor little guy…his normally happy-go-lucky personality is a little more edgy. I feel so bad for him (and for everyone else in our house, he has a really high-pitched cry!).
It’s normal for a child to start teething any time between 3 months and 12 months of age. Most children begin around 6 months. Son #4 is the youngest teether of our clan. The others were closer to, if not older than, 1 year. Did you know that a child should have all 20 primary teeth by the time he is 3 years old? Usually the lower front teeth come first, then the upper front come in about 1 to 2 months after the lower front teeth. Son #4’s upper incisor erupted first.
I would be a mess if I were teething, so it’s no wonder why babies are so crabby. The sore, swollen gums prior to the tooth erupting would make anyone miserable. Like adults, I would assume that some babies have a higher pain threshold and some lower. Regardless, most babies are fussier than usual when they are teething. Symptoms usually begin a few days before the tooth shows, and disappear soon after the tooth breaks the skin.
Oftentimes increased drool, which may or may not be followed by a rash on their chin and face, accompany teething. Your baby will want to bite on his fingers or toys to relieve the pressure in their gums. They may not want to eat or drink because their mouth hurts. Now your little guy will want to put everything in his mouth, so make sure your home is safe from any choking hazards. Regarding the symptoms, they will get better so there is nothing to worry about. You should call your doctor if your baby’s symptoms are severe, they have a fever over 1oo degrees, or they don’t improve after the tooth breaks through.
Do you have any helpful tips to make your little guy feel better? I’d love to learn what works for you.
What works for me is to give my son a mild pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) to relieve discomfort. I give him a cold teething ring or gently rub my clean finger on his gums to soothe him. He usually protests at first, but appreciates the effort quickly. Sometimes I also use a gel on his gums, but there’s some question from experts as to whether they work or not or if they’re even safe. Ask your doctor if you have questions.
Warning: Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20, because it has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious disease.
My response to teething is the same as how I feel about so many other frustrating issues that parents face at different times in a child’s life. While it may be difficult, it’s a short period in the grand scope of your child’s life. Be patient, time flies…it’ll be over soon and you’ll wish he was little again.
About the Author: Renee Martinez consults and speaks professionally on social media marketing, integrated marketing communications, public relations and branding. She is the president of Ruby Marketing Communications (www.rubymarcom.com), a boutique marketing communications company that specializes in providing branding, social media strategy and integration, and creative services. Her blog (www.lisac95.sg-host.com), provides resources on everything marketing and social media for her active audience.
Renee has contributed as a featured monthly columnist in the monthly jewelry industry publication, JCK, on matters related to internet marketing as well as in InStore Magazine as a featured blogger where she writes about developing effective marketing strategies for the jewelry industry using social media. She is the founder of: Social Media Biz Summit (www.socialmediabizsummit.com), the first large-scale SM conference to come to Buffalo, NY; #jewelrychat, a weekly twitter chat for the jewelry industry and www.RaisingBoysWorld.com. Renee teaches social marketing courses at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY for the business school as well as offers small group social media marketing training and educational seminars for businesses in Western New York and beyond.
Renee has dabbled in the internet marketing arena since the early 90′s and is not ashamed to call herself a “marketing geek”. From chatting in AOL, “sharing” music on Napster, and teaching HTML classes before it was considered “cool” to developing comprehensive social media strategies, effective public relations campaigns and managing online communities (most recently Chevy Girls Buffalo).
She enjoys being able to help people find their voice online and to create buzz about their product or service that will give them the results they desire.
Renee can be found on Twitter (@reneemmartinez) and Facebook (http:/www.facebook.com/RubyMarCom).
