teething trouble: 4 signs your baby is teething and what you can do to help!

Two steps forward, one step back! We mastered breastfeeding and now we have moved onto a new problem, early teething! It is frustrating to watch my baby be uncomfortable. At a mere 3 months old, is it possible my baby is having trouble with teething? What can a parent do to ease this burden for baby?

While it is possible and some parents report that teeth are even visible this early, the majority of the time it's teeth moving under the gums, getting ready for their debut! I am having a hard time with this phase. The signs were pretty clear though, which is helpful!

Even though these signs were pretty clear to see, I still have an issue...

It's hard to fully satisfy their need for chewing... I'm finding at 3 months baby can't hold much by themselves yet. That means you must hold it for them. I find that no matter what teething toy I give, it is tolerated only about 30 seconds and he's frustrated again.​​ 

What are 4 signs baby is starting to teethe?

1. Fingers in mouth
2. Drooling that seems to crop up at certain periods of time throughout the day
3. Trying to mouth and bite anything within reach
4. Crying/discomfort (especially at night)​

These are the most obvious signs, but there are some that are more subtle. Check out this post from Mama Natural to get more info + a handy chart on when to expect each tooth!! I'm a huge fan of hers and highly recommend her pregnancy book! I read it as my pregnancy progressed weekly. 

I purchased quite a few things for his teething journey in hopes to soothe him. I've been mostly disappointed to be honest.... But this is what worked for me!

1. Fingers in the mouth: For this, I will replace with a binky or teething toy, if I can. Like I said, he gets frustrated easily with the teething toys....and so far at 3 months, he can't be soothed independently using these. By that I mean that I am holding it for him. Something I am willing to do, but it becomes a wet drooly mess and it's all over both of us. I will have to keep trying them and hope that soon he will be a little bit more independent. I'm not saying unsupervised, but just if he can hold the object without it falling from his hand for 5 seconds. Even though we haven't been successful with these yet, I'm going to give them a chance and continue trying to use them. 
   1. Sophie the giraffe
   2. Ark Chew Guitar
   3. Silicone teething mitt
   4. Bibs with silicone chews
   5. Frozen silicone pop
   6. Bracelets
2. Drooling: Have a lot of clean bibs handy! On my diaper caddy, I attached several bibs for the day and put them around baby when I notice the drool fountain starting to take place. I keep some attached to the diaper bag, the diaper caddy, the bassinet, and the Dock-A-Dot. Gotta keep them within an arm's reach!
3. Trying to mouth and bite anything nearby: By this, I mean he does things like shove some of his bib into his mouth so there is SOMETHING in there. To help with this, I keep his pacifier on it's "leash" by which I mean tether clip for easy pacifier access. This works often and keeps him quiet for the most part... unless he is really in pain. Check out my post on Pacifier use to learn more about when it is appropriate to use. 
4. Crying/Discomfort: For this, I use natural remedies:
   1. Camilia: This works, but it takes like 10 minutes to kick in. I love it because it is homeopathic! Usually needs two doses when he is really upset. 
   2. Earthley Teething: Earthly is one of my favorite brands. I use their goodnight lotion literally every night since I was pregnant. The teething solution is literally life saving and works like a dream. I put a drop on baby's binky and he goes from hysterical to quiet in SECONDS! I kid you not! I am going to post a video it is so remarkable! It is a mild blend of herbs that are safe for baby.

What are your favorite teething toys or objects?!
​Please share your baby's teething experiences in the comments below!