Teething 101: What should your baby eat?

Teething is when a baby’s first teeth appear. This is a natural stage of development for the baby, which occurs anytime between 4 and 12 months. The most common age for teething is 6 months. Babies might grow extra fussy or grumpy during the teething stage, but it is nothing to worry about. 

Seeing their little one in distress or pain could worry parents. But throughout the teething process, it is essential to be patient with your baby and remember this phase will pass. Babies experience discomfort during this time, and it can inevitably cause pain. The best thing for parents to do is recognize the early stages of teething and learn how they can ease the pain. 

Common Symptoms Of Teething: 

• Drooling: Teething can stimulate an avalanche of drooling. Babies can start drooling more than usual between 12 weeks and 4 months. Drooling can continue till the baby’s teeth gradually erupt. This can be controlled by adjusting the baby’s pacifier. To make sure your baby remains comfortable throughout the process, keep a soft handkerchief handy to wipe off the drool.
  
  
• Swollen gums and rashes: Babies might develop a rash around their mouths and necks due to the constant drooling. Additionally, their gums might start turning noticeably pink or red and might even become puffy and swollen.
  
  
• Irritability: Babies tend to get cranky and irritable due to discomfort. They might throw more tantrums than usual. It is common for them to bite and chew anything they can lay their hands on. This is because they are getting accustomed to this new development. This demands more care, patience, and attention on the parents’ part. This might be a testing time for parents, but it will soon be worth it, and your baby will soon outgrow this phase.
  
  
• Loss of appetite: Due to rapid inflammation of gums, babies can experience ache in their gums and mouths. This soreness might result in fussy eating. They might reject solid food completely. In this case, it is best to soothe the baby using methods of distraction. An essential step is to figure out what to feed your teething baby! 

Nourishment For Teething Babies: 

1. Mashed food: For teething babies to consume a healthy diet, merely feeding them milk and water is not enough. During teething, babies can eat chilled, mashed food, such as bananas, to maintain good health while also experiencing less pain.
   
   
2. Soft food: Babies can eat soft food that does not strain their aching gums. This includes chilled yogurt, mashed fruits such as peaches, blueberries, raspberries, plums, etc. Babies will enjoy anything that doesn’t require them to suck or bite and is cold enough to numb the pain.
   
   
3. Frozen fruits and veggies: Frozen fruits or frozen pureed veggies such as broccoli and carrots make for healthy meals and are easily digestible. Additionally, they might numb the pain slightly and provide much-needed relief to your baby.
   
   
4. Breastmilk: Babies might avoid their usual milk bottles because sucking could cause further throbbing around their gums. Parents can freeze breast milk in ice trays and put frozen cubes in the mesh feeder.
   
   

It is perfectly normal for babies to cry more than usual during the process of teething. Parents can learn different techniques to soothe their baby’s pain by gently massaging the swollen gum or using chilled pacifiers. The cold can subdue their pain. Once the teeth start erupting, the baby will automatically become calmer and more relaxed. 

Most importantly, you will be rewarded for it all when your baby grows a perfect set of teeth and smiles at you, which is bound to happen very soon!