Moms Talk: Teething

Welcome to Moms Talk, a feature here on Suisun City Patch dedicated to reaching moms and families. We invite you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support here in Suisun City. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions or offer answers on issues and hot topics that concern you. 

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a question from your Moms Council:

My baby is three months and already teething. What can I give him, besides Orajel, to help him with the discomfort?

My Answer: There is more than one thing you can do to help soothe your baby when he/she is teething. Here are some ideas from Mayoclinic.com.

• Rub your baby's gums. Use a clean finger, moistened gauze pad or damp washcloth to massage your baby's gums. The pressure can ease your baby's discomfort.

•  Offer a teething ring. Try one made of firm rubber. The liquid-filled variety may break under the pressure of your baby's chewing. If a bottle seems to do the trick, fill it with water. Prolonged contact with sugar from formula, milk or juice may cause tooth decay.

•   Keep it cool. A cold washcloth or chilled teething ring can be soothing. Don't give your baby a frozen teething ring, however. Contact with extreme cold may hurt, doing your baby more harm than good. If your baby's eating solid foods, offer cold items such as applesauce or yogurt.

•   Dry the drool. Excessive drooling is part of the teething process. To prevent skin irritation, keep a clean cloth handy to dry your baby's chin. You might also make sure your baby sleeps on an absorbent sheet.

•   Try an over-the-counter remedy. If your baby is especially cranky, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) may help. Don't give your baby products that contain aspirin, however, and be cautious about teething medications that can be rubbed directly on a baby's gums. The medication may be washed away by your baby's saliva before it has the chance to do any good — and too much of the medication may numb your baby's throat, which may interfere with his or her normal gag reflex.