Teething and Chewing

This is another of those delightful signs of teething which are about as welcome as dribbling, coughing, a runny nose and restless sleep. The chewing usually occurs at the same time as the drooling and is done to ease the pain caused the newly emerging teeth. Your baby will find that chewing something acts as a form of relief from the pain and discomfort of teething. Something cool such as a chilled teething ring (which has been placed in the fridge beforehand) will help as will teething gel.

The urge to chew

What we do know is that babies love to chew!

A teething baby will chew whatever she can get her hands on and talking of hands, that includes your fingers as well. This may not bother you too much if you have cast iron fingers but as most of us don't then be prepared to have your digits bitten and chewed on occasion. Think of this as similar to having a young puppy which is going through the chewing stage. Puppies will chew whatever is near to them such as your most expensive shoes so be aware of this and give them special dog toys to chew on. The same applies to a teething baby. Your little one will not have the capacity to cause as much damage when chewing something as a puppy would but you still need to look at alternatives. The good news is that you are unlikely to return home in the evening to a chewed sofa, carpets and curtains.

Biting

Yes, teething babies do bite. Chewing is a common sign of teething but there are babies who indulge in a spot of biting as a means of easing the pain. They do this blissfully unaware that it is not so pleasant for the person on the receiving end. You need to stop him or her from doing this but do it without meaning to frighten him/her. Say 'no' or 'no biting'and place him/her to one side so that he/she learns that it is not acceptable to bite. As soon as your baby goes to bite hand him/her a teething ring or teething biscuit instead. The idea is for your baby to know what is acceptable in terms of chewing but not when it comes to biting.