Is your baby sleeping badly because of teething?

There's no fixed age when teeth come. Every child is unique, Kyra stresses, and you can't predict it in advance. The order in which they break through is roughly the same for most children, though, and a handful of signs often show you one is on its way.

When the first tooth comes

On average, the first tooth comes around six months. Some babies are ready at four months, and for other children it waits until around twelve months, so around the first birthday.

Kyra's oldest daughter Sienna got her teeth at four months, Celeste only at seven. You really can't predict it.

Heredity does play a part: if you got teeth early yourself, chances are your little one will too. Once the first tooth is there, on average one tooth a month follows.

The order they come in

They usually come in roughly this order:

• 4 to 7 months: the two central incisors at the bottom.
• 8 to 12 months: the two central teeth at the top, often at the same time.
• 9 to 16 months: the four teeth next to them, top and bottom.
• 13 to 19 months: the first molars, left and right in both jaws.
• 16 to 22 months: the four canines, between those molars and the incisors.
• 20 to 33 months: the back molars, often last.

Around three years, the baby teeth are complete: 20 teeth and molars. It stays a guideline and not a law, because the timing can be earlier or later for your child. With Celeste, for example, the molars came before the four teeth next to her incisors.

Teething signs

Watch for these signs:

• Drooling: more saliva than usual.
• Red, swollen gums, which can look irritated.
• Fussiness: your baby may be quicker to cry or get irritable.
• Eating less, because the gums are sensitive.
• Diaper rash: sensitive skin from the extra saliva. You often see more dirty diapers too.
• A slightly raised temperature: sometimes there's a little elevation.

Acidic poop belongs on this list too. Kyra adds a caveat herself: it's not proven, although she does hear and see that it plays a part.

Teething or something else?

If you're not sure where the restlessness comes from, don't assume right away that it's teeth.

Kyra uses the SOAR check for this: first figure out what's going on, and only then act. Stop, observe, and see what it could be. Is it really a tooth? Or is it simply time to sleep? Is your baby overstimulated or overtired? Hungry, maybe? From there, you choose the right response.

When to call the doctor

Teething signs are usually temporary and pass on their own. If you're unsure, or the complaints continue, call your doctor. With fever, ongoing pain or worry, that applies anyway. Sleep during illness has its own article: sleep when your baby is sick.

What eases the pain

A teething ring is the best-known option. Your baby can bite on it, and that pressure feels good on sensitive gums. Gently massaging with a cold finger helps too.

If your baby is in a lot of pain, pain relief is an option, such as paracetamol (acetaminophen); ask your doctor or pharmacist what fits your baby's age. There are also sugar-free drops and a gel that cools the gums.

Better to skip warm food for a while. Heat hits sensitive gums hard, so give something chilled instead.

Comforting and distracting help too: cuddling, a book together, a game. Anything that gets your baby laughing again.

Cooling and feeding in one

Put frozen breast milk or formula in a silicone feeder or a mesh feeder, the little net kind. Your baby can suck and bite on it, it cools the sensitive gums, and it delivers nutrients at the same time. Keep feeding, even when drinking is a bit of a struggle.

To sleep well through the night, a full tummy matters too. That way you can prevent your baby waking at night from hunger as well as pain.

Teething at night

With every round of teeth, your baby asks a bit more of you: more attention, more comfort. Give it freely, at night too. That's perfectly fine, Kyra says, and it isn't harmful.

Hold on to the bedtime routine and the sleep habits you've built, and support your baby in them as well as you can.

You'll get through this together

More rounds will follow in the coming years. The goal stays the same every time: stay calm, comfort lovingly and protect the sleep environment.

Kyra describes it in three steps. First the pain, which is part of it: hang in there. Then the calm, once the tooth is really through. And after that your baby is themselves again, because the fun often comes back quickly.