For some reason nobody tells you about teething. That is, you are of course aware that at some point your toothless baby will somehow grow teeth. You may even recall that cutting teeth may be painful for the baby. However, I was shocked to discover just how painful this process is, and how much of an impact it has on your baby’s well-being and daily routine and worse, just how long it takes for all the teeth to come out.

Our little one started teething when she was 3 or 4 months old. The reason i cannot be more specific is that it became progressively more clear that she is teething and not just sucking or tasting anything around her. It becomes more clear that your baby is teething when she consistently drools and has a hard time sleeping without some pain relief (see Camilia Teething Relief for our suggestion). The drool also makes their tummy upset so there is a whole other side effect there. After the first teeth come out it becomes easier to recognize when she is in pain – although the signs are not always very clear.

For the next 6 months everything goes in the mouth. This is not just about teething. To her mother’s horror she is systematically tasting the world around her. The world, by the way, includes shoes, books, magazines, and anything she might find on the floor. She is not above licking the shower door or biting into the coffee table. As she starts to crawl and walk the race against this human vacuum machine becomes even more challenging. While most of this behavior can be attributed to natural curiosity and the occasional hunger, she is also in a constant search for relief for her gum pain. For the first few months Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether did the trick. However, like everything else she got bored with her little friend and was once again on the search for something to chew on. Plastic water bottles are her favorite but given the toxic chemicals used in their constructions we really try to avoid letting her sink her 4 teeth into them.

We bought the Baby Buddy as her first tooth brush. Prior to that we used a wet cloth (which she loves). By the way, please be cautious when sticking your finger inside the mouth of a teething baby with 4 teeth – they will really bite on you ….. . She loves her new tooth brush and readily allows her mother to scrub her little teeth with it. The toothbrush is arch shaped with groves on the top and the bottom to fit the shape of the baby’s gums. Inside the grooves are little bristles which act as a brush when you move the piece from side to side. It is like a soft mouth guard or a bleaching tray with bristles inside. It is made of soft plastic and has a small handle which is perfect for her little hands.

I started this post by stating the nobody tells you just how bad teething is. Let my try to correct this a bit. First, it can take a full year or more until all their teeth are out. Baby’s usually follow a pattern where the front 2 bottom teeth come out first, followed by the front 2 top teeth. Then other teeth come out generally from front to back. There is some general consensus that the molars are most painful so you are looking at gradually increasing pain over a year. Of course, not all babies experience the same level of pain and your baby is not always hurting but during these days when they do they have a tough time sleeping and may even cry for hours. Despite doctors claims that teething does not cause fever, almost every parent will swear to you that teething can be accompanied by low grade fever and sometimes even very high fever.  Add to that the drooling and its impact on your baby’s digestive system (constantly swallowing the drool can cause an upset stomach) and you start getting the picture that teething is a big deal in the first 2 years of your baby’s life.

That been said, yesterday she gave me a big, open-mouth, very wet,  kiss right on my mouth – without me asking for it. So i guess the whole thing is worth it .