My 6.5 month old has been a mess for the last three days. She's super clingy, wants to nurse constantly, and up a lot at night. I can see her top two teeth about to come through (she already has the bottom ones) so I'm assuming it's teething pain/discomfort.
But then I read articles like this one and wonder if I'm wrong. (http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_kids/2015/05/teething_symptoms_in_babies_are_not_as_bad_as_parents_think.html)
Do you believe teething causes pain and other symptoms?
nectarine / 2115 posts
I think it depends on the child. I imagine it's pretty distracting to experience teething, even if it doesn't hurt! My DD seemed a little bothered by the first couple of teeth, but not since. Not even her molars seemed to bother her.
persimmon / 1436 posts
My first never seemed bothered by her teeth and got them two at a time starting about 14 weeks old. Too soon to tell with the new baby.
coconut / 8279 posts
The top teeth were always worse than the bottom ones from my DS and would give him a runny/stuffy nose. He must have sensitive sinuses like me.
When he was getting his first teeth he would point to his mouth and cry, so yeah, I feel like he was telling me it was painful.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
Well I imagine teething is similar to braces pain, so....yeah. Hard to imagine it isn't painful
grapefruit / 4355 posts
I'm sure it causes a little bit of discomfort but I don't think that it is nearly the ordeal that many people make it out to be.
DD just got her first teeth last weekend (two at once!) and we did not even know she was teething. The only potential sign was she was just a little "off" for 1-2 days. And heck - even adults have off days and we certainly aren't teething!
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I can't imagine how something erupting through your skin isn't painful.
That being said, DD1 teethed 4 at a time and it never really bothered her much. She was a super easy teether.
DD2 teeths 2-4 at a time. And, boy does she let us know. She is not a easy teether. She is in very obvious discomfort.
persimmon / 1431 posts
I don't know, but my LO always seemed more fussy and clingy when she was teething. Every time I saw her gums swollen, she would be super fussy, and it would take a few weeks before I saw the tooth pop out.
nectarine / 2085 posts
I suspect that there is some potential for discomfort and that the extent of it varies from child to child. There are totally normal body events/functions that cause pain. I knew guys who had growing pains in their legs as teenagers, and Mittelschmerz is sometimes pretty brutal, as two examples of "normal" (meaning, not disease/injury-related) pain.
persimmon / 1447 posts
I think it differs with each child. I didn't even know my oldest was teething until his teeth came in, but Fin was a nightmare anytime she got teeth.
clementine / 918 posts
I still have one of my wisdom teeth coming through the gum, when it starts advancing it does bother me. It's not super painful, but annoying. And if I didn't know what was happening and that it would go away etc it would probably make me cranky so I think teething can definitely hurt and cause babies to wake up more and be more cranky
But I also believe that there are other things that cause babies to be cranky. Since we have no idea what's going on with babies because they can't tell us blaming it all on teething is convenient short-hand for "by baby is crabby and up all night, but can't tell me why so I don't really know"
pomelo / 5220 posts
I have had toothaches, and my wisdom tooth (yeah, just 1) decided to pop out at 25 and it wasn't comfortable so I have to think it doesn't feel great! LO gets rashy and swollen cheeks so I think there is something to it!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
I believe that there is some pain associated with teething. But I think the article is spot on that parents are too quick to blame teething and that teething doesn't typically cause that much pain for a very extended period. I think by day 3 i start to question if its really teething or if by then a bad habit has been formed.
persimmon / 1322 posts
I don't think it should be a catch all explanation or excuse for all fussiness, but I do believe it can cause discomfort. I had my wisdom teeth start to come in, and they did hurt. I believe it varies largely from child to child, depending on temperament, how sensitive their gums are, pain tolerance, etc.
eggplant / 11861 posts
Yes, I can tell my DD will chew her fingers and whine?! I mean why else would she do that?!?
pomegranate / 3658 posts
Wait, doesn't everyone have memories of their adult teeth coming in, later in childhood? I certainly remember it, and yes it hurt!
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
@PawPrints: seriously, I was thinking the same thing. that raw, almost itchy feeling!
nectarine / 2132 posts
Absolutely. Several of my daughter's teeth caused bleeding while they were coming through. I don't know of many instances where blood is involved that isn't painful??
I also think, just like adults, babies have differing levels of pain tolerance. So where it may seem like one kid wasn't affected by teething, another kid is up for nights at a time.
pomegranate / 3658 posts
I mean, I do agree with the general premise of the article, being that we blame teething when we really have no idea what's going on. I know it has become a running joke in our house when LO is upset for no discernible reason and DH and I look at each other and say for the millionth time, maybe THIS is teething! But to answer OP's question, yeah I do think teething causes pain.
kiwi / 549 posts
I think the article or anyone who says teething doesn't hurt isn't really thinking things through-- just assuming that everyone must be as blissfully lucky as they are. Like my 8th grade health teacher who said "Period cramps aren't a real thing." Say what now? Just because you haven't experienced it (or your baby hasn't) doesn't mean it's not a problem for others.
My 12 year molars and wisdom teeth hurt when they came in-- and I was old enough to understand what was going on, and to know there are far more painful things to experience in life. For a baby, it could be the worst thing they've ever had to go through, besides shots.
Plus, DS got his teeth starting at 4 months, and they came fast and furious from there on out. He was really clingy and slept poorly for the 2 weeks leading up to every single darn tooth (or 2, when 2 came in at once), and then, miraculously, slept fine once the tooth was in and wasn't as clingy. I find it hard to believe that the cause was not entirely teething. Especially now that DS is older, and his behavior when he's in pain (from an ear infection or fever) is still pretty similar to when he was a baby and teething.
eggplant / 11716 posts
@red_seattle: I feel similarly about when our LOs have "just a cold". When they have "just a cold" and are obviously miserable, but too young for cold/cough medicines, I always want to give Tylenol or something for congestion pain/sore throat. And my husband always vehemently opposes. But as soon as he gets the same cold, he's downing decongestants and popping advils for sinus headaches and drainage sore throats. Just because you can't verify pain by seeing a fever or something obvious, doesn't mean they aren't having it--that's when a parent should go by how their kiddos are acting. If they are unusually fussy, not eating, etc.....something's up.
pomegranate / 3127 posts
I remember my wisdom teeth coming in too! It wasn't super painful, but my gums felt inflamed and they hurt if I chewed back three. I imagine it must hurt worse when it's in the front, especially for a baby who has no clue what's going on.
And I don't know about that article, but my kids have obvious discomfort for weeks before a tooth breaks through, though some teeth are worse than others.
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