Teething or tired; a mother knows
People have been telling me my baby is teething since he was about two months old, he obviously wasn’t teething then, and the repeated nature of the comment has made me skeptical, to the point I seem to doubt that it actually happens…ever.
Clearly it does, we all end up with teeth, but the comment of your baby is teething seems to be applied to ALL situations. I usually respond with no, he is just tired (because usually he is), this is met with doubts, because surely a first time mother has no idea what is actually wrong with her baby.
To begin with when people would say this, I would say, is he? Does it happen this soon? I even checked his mouth when people said this, because maybe they were right. I would look at the teething gel packet, and paracetamol, only to put them both away. Then I would try him with teether toys, eventually coming to the conclusion that he isn’t teething.
The last few days he has started teething, and no one told me this time, I still can’t feel anything, but this time I know. How do I know? The simple answer; because I am his mother. The difference in behaviour, the sound of his cries, and the nature of what settles him, combine to provide a flashing neon sign for me that he is teething. There is a clear difference between this and tired signs, and a difference again between this and a growth spurt. So next time someone says that he is teething I will know with confidence if he is or isn’t.
The Natural Parent is written by Kristy Bassett
Great description of some vital lessons! Everything that people say is just sort of babbling compared to your own gut instinct and awareness of your own child.
People might mention teething to you because “S/he is teething!” is the universal excuse that parents use to say, “It’s none of your lousy business so back off!”
I think when other people offer it about my own child, that means I can nod and smile and get onto another topic. A way of giving the baby a pass on their fussiness.
Thanks for the feedback. It all makes you wonder why we need to explain a babies fussiness at all doesn’t it.