I was at a play group last week, and there were a lot of moms with babies that were 4-5 months.  They were asking me about teething, and what that is like, so I thought I would share with the internet what I shared with them.

• Fever.  Especially if it is their first tooth, this is scary.  The little guy really got a bad fever with the first tooth, but nothing for the second, so I guess it depends on the tooth and the baby.
• Tired.  Super tired, super out of it, just wanting to sleep or stare at the wall.  The only time the little guy wanted to do anything else was when the suppository we gave him for the fever was making him feel better.
• Whiny.  This goes with the tiredness, and sometimes it is harder than usual to soothe.
• Really “Huggy”.  The little guy just wanted to be near both me and my wife, both awake and when it was time for sleep – for example he would fall asleep on our laps, on our chest, etc. – but if you moved him, he was not having it.
• Restless sleep.  Moving around a lot to get into the right position, generally seeming uncomfortable.
• Very focused on chewing.  Obsessed.  NEEDS to chew on your nose, chin, cheeks, the floor, the cup you are drinking from, the spoon you are feeding him with, and everything else.  More than usual.  NEEDS it like an addict and won’t let up until he gets the fix.
• Sudden crying when chewing on something.  I assume this comes from biting too hard or some “cutting” of the gums that happens when chewing (I have no idea).
• More drooling than usual.  Like the whole chin is covered with saliva.  All the time.
• Runny Nose.  Like a faucet.
• Not interested in food.  Or at least, not solid food, or very much food at a time.
• Pushing / rubbing head or face against crib or wall.  The little guy is doing this currently while he is teething, and it is freaking me out.  Apparently it is common when teething as an attempt by the baby to relieve the pain.
  • I should note that if it is continuing all the time in the form of “head banging”, it can either be from over/under-stimulation, or if extreme, it could be an early sign of Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.
• Pulling at the ears.  Super common, but I also think all babies pull at their ears a little once they realize they have them 😉
• Swollen gums.  Just take a look – do they look different than usual?

Of course there are more, if anyone has any to add, please leave a comment!