Baby born with a tooth or two? That’s a mark of the devil, apparently. And, while teething generally happens around 6-12 months, if it’s any sooner than that, you’re highly likely to get pregnant in the next year or so. Do we believe that one? Absolutely, not! Sorry, that’s not how babies are made, last time we checked. So, rather than wondering whether those grizzly cries and teething tantrums are a sign of Rosemary’s Baby take two or another bun in the oven, let’s take a look at how your kid can best cope with their milk teeth coming through.
Softly does it
“Soft finger foods for your baby to gum on can be helpful when teething,” says Alice, Piccolo’s child nutritionist. “They may not eat much but the action can be soothing and distracting!” Think mashed up veggies, yoghurts (baby-friendly sugar-free ones, obviously), and scrambled eggs. Avoid harder foods, like raw carrot, for the moment, as your kid will struggle to chomp down on it while their teeth are still coming through.
The cooler the better
“Offer cool and cold foods, and avoid hot food when your baby is teething,” advises Alice. She recommends chunks of cucumber as a lovely cooling piece of food to soothe sore gums. Spears of ripe pear and ripe mango are other good and healthy options. Any fruits that you can mash up and freeze (e.g bananas and peaches) will go down really well too; think of it as a healthy ice cream.
Grab some teething rings
You’ve got to think of teething as like having an itch to scratch. Baby isn’t in lots of pain — you’ll know this because they’re not upset, they’re just really, really grumbly. Teething rings are going to help your kid put pressure on the sore points and relieve any achy gums.
Distraction!
You know what it’s like. If you’ve got nothing to do beyond focus on an ache or pain, that’s going to make it worse. Keep your kid occupied with toys and books, so they forget about the aches and sore points in their mouth. A gum massage — yeah, we never realised that was a thing either — will go down a treat. All it requires is a clean finger and putting pressure on points in their mouth. Remember, lots of cuddles will also see them through.
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