Does My Baby's Rosy Cheeks Mean He's Teething?

Sarah W: My son is 6 months old and I suspect starting to teethe. Are periodic bright red cheeks (with no fever) an indicator? Also, he does not put any toys in his mouth, just chews/gums on his hand. I offer him teething rings, rusks, even frozen waffles but he won't put them in his mouth. That surprised me, I thought all babies put anything you handed to them in their mouths! Will he start doing this eventually? Or do some babies just prefer hands/fingers/wrists and not ever chew on toys?

We have addressed teething in previous postings and some of the behaviors you describe most certainly describe this stage of development. In fact, we develop products here at Sassy Baby Toys for teething, but not all children act the same way in terms of comfort. You describe hand grawing—which may lead to rashes and discomfort. Consider behavioral modifications such as removing the hand from mouth and giving a teether that is cold with some texture.

Why Do Babies Put Objects In Their Mouth?

Brittney M: My daughter is 15 months and she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth and has been ever since she found her mouth! When she does I'll tell her "No, that's yucky" and she'll sometimes listen and not put whatever it is in her mouth. But I feel like I'm chasing her around all the time pulling things out of her mouth... I can wait for her to grow but I can't wait for her to grow out of this stage!! Any idea when that will be?

What a fantastic question! It allows us to explore several interesting topics, so a super Sassy thank you!

When Your Baby Becomes A Vampire! What To Do About Teething Nursing Babies

Well, mom, you’ve just touched upon one of the ouchiest parts of nursing! Some babies begin to bite the breast during nursing when teething. This can be extraordinarily uncomfortable for mom and potentially dissuade mom from continuing to nurse. Babies engage in this biting behavior because the pressure of biting (on a teething ring, on a finger, or—unfortunately—on a nipple!) reduces the inflammatory pain associated with tooth eruption. It’s a tricky situation—you want baby to nurse as usual, but the biting just doesn’t fly!

Breastfeeding & Teething

A reader asked Dr. Jen about how to handle breast biting during teething. We thought we’d share the answer Dr. Jen gave on her website!

Well, mom, you’ve just touched upon one of the ouchiest parts of nursing!

Some babies begin to bite the breast during nursing when teething. This can be extraordinarily uncomfortable for mom, and potentially dissuade mom from continuing to nurse. Babies engage in this biting behavior because the pressure of biting (on a teething ring, on a finger, or—unfortunately—on a nipple!) reduces the inflammatory pain associated with tooth eruption. It’s a tricky situation—you want baby to nurse as usual—but the biting just doesn’t fly!

I would suggest taking the following steps:

Dr. Jen’s Tips on Biting

Having experienced my own children being bitten—and also biting others—I consider myself a mommy/doctor biting control pro!

Why do kids bite, and how should adults respond?

Biting is a way for a child to express frustration, anger and loss of control. It is a normal part of social development, although not an acceptable part. There are certain behaviors that parents, teachers and caregivers should simply ignore and let children work out for themselves. Biting is not one of them.

Healthy Sassy Smiles! Information About Healthy Dental Development

Wow, is this One Sassy Doctor’s husband obsessed with our kids having good teeth. Perhaps that’s because his late father was a dentist. Or perhaps he knows how healthy teeth create healthy smiles and reflect a positive projection into the world. Well, I married him for his glowing smile, so I suppose he’s right (lucky guy…).

Anyhoo … with tooth decay being the primary dental problem among children ages 2 to 5, we’re fortunate that it can be completely prevented! If we encourage healthy dental habits starting from the baby years (sassy baby years, if I may…), this will help foster positive habits and the healthy glowing smiles we want to see when they are all grown up.

Here are some One Sassy Doctor informational tips on healthy dental development—starting from birth!

One Sassy Doctor’s Interview with Speech Pathologist, Ms. Anne Freilich, M.S., C.C.C. Licensed Speech Language Pathologist

Speech and language is the pathway I entered the world of developmental toys & feeding products—and how One Sassy Doctor was conceptualized. My little guy has speech delay, and during a session with his speech pathologist, I came up with the idea for the U-Play™ Mat. So, the connection between writing this blog and interviewing a speech pathologist feels very natural. As a pediatrician, I really did not understand speech delay and development until faced with this as a parent. Language and speech development have become a special interest for me since, and I’m super excited to bring you this interview today!

No Grief Baby Teeth!

A repost from www.playthisway.com!

Ahhhh. Baby is finally sleeping through the night and, just maybe, you are too? YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE TEETHING ZONE. We’ve all been there! And we’ve all gotten through it. But those periods when your little one is uncomfortable can be made better if you understand Dr. Jen’s TOOTHY advice: