Are your twins teething? 8 Signs & Remedies
The dreaded teething phase. Is there anything more heartbreaking than seeing your baby struggle in pain? For many parents—namely the new ones who haven’t yet experienced this—when teething starts, it’s often puzzling as to why your baby is fussy, waking more frequently, refusing to eat, and is experiencing stomach upset and low-grade fevers. I remember as a first time mother, any little change absolutely terrified me. I wanted to call the doctor, my mother, or rely on good ol’ Google to get an in-depth explanation on why my baby wasn’t his typical smiling-self so that I could fix it at once. To add to the mystery and frustration of teething, there is no absolute timeframe as to when your baby will begin showing the signs. The beginning of the teething process could happen as early as 2 months all the way up to a year.
The good news is, with the wealth of knowledge acquired before us, and the information you are gathering daily, you can look for “typical” teething symptoms to serve as guidance through this painful milestone and work to make your little ones more comfortable in the process. Here are eight queues and remedies to help your teething twins.
Drooling
Some teething babies might have moderate drool while others may have a steady, non-stop stream of saliva. While there aren’t any remedies to stop drooling, keeping your babies dry with a bib will help to avoid rashes.
Biting
Signs your twins are teething could include biting during breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, biting fingers or toes, or possibly biting each other! Giving your babies something safe to naw on can help the tooth cut through the gums quicker. Freezing a teething toy--like Teething Toes--will help to numb the gums to provide added relief.
Irritable temperament
You may notice that your once happy-natured babies are no longer all smiles; these periods can last for days or even weeks. Remember to not take it personally but provide them extra affection. This is a great time to utilize babywearing as a soothing technique.
Low-grade fevers
Teething could include a low- grade fever, which is a temperature reading of 99 to 100.9 degrees (37.3 to 38.3 Celsius). While your babies may show some signs of fussiness, low-grade fevers are generally not an area of great concern. An over the counter fever reducer can be used if needed. As always, call your pediatrician for guidance if you have any cause for concern.
Earaches
Some teething babies may tug at their ears, which is often mistaken for an ear infection. The nerves in the back teeth reach the middle ear, often making teething pain feel like it is coming from their ears. An over the counter anti-inflammatory like Children’s Motrin may help with swelling and pain.
Whiteness of gums
When teeth are making their way to the surface, your babies’ gums may start to turn white. This often causes a lot of uncomfortable pressure, which can be alleviated by counter-pressure applied by the biting down on something like a cold cloth or teething toy.
Refusal to eat
It isn’t uncommon for the pain of teething to interfere with your babies’ feeding schedule. While this is alarming at times, it should subside quickly. Continue to offer foods, and call the pediatrician if it lasts longer than a few days.
Interrupted sleep
Unfortunately, teething can be a 24-hour business and can bring chaos back into your nighttime routines. Some babies self-soothe back to sleep, but for others, a cuddle, rocking or lullaby may be in order.
You hear the phrase, “all babies are different” quite often, and it definitely applies to twins, too! Your twins may or may not start teething at the same time, and one may be affected differently than the other. The good news is, like all other phases, they will get through it, and so will you! In the midst of the challenges teething brings about, it is difficult to think about the days ahead. On the other hand, it is quite a rewarding moment when you witness the appearance of that very first pearly-white; in some cases, multiple teeth may come through simultaneously. Keep your list of teething hacks on hand, and you will soon be looking back on the teething phase as a thing of the past. Do you have any sure-fire tips or tricks you’d like to share? If so, please let us know!
About the Author Donna Beavers’ life changed with the birth of her son, whose endless drooling and toe-nibbling habits took her on a creative business adventure. She is the inventor and owner of Teething Toes—the first patented teething sock—that is now soothing babies around the world. Donna continues to empower parents through the Teething Toes Blog by providing parenting hacks that will sure to make your life with children easier!
