Teething Basics

A teething baby has a lot to teach a new parent. If you read our previous blog on teething, there was just too much information to include everything. Besides, teething can take place literally over 2-3 years, so how could you possibly cover everything in just one blog? Now, I don't know everything there is to know about teething yet, since Olivia is still cutting her teeth. What I have learned so far though, I can pass along to you.

There are several things to remember when you are dealing with a teething child. Patience is one of them. God knows, this has been difficult for me, since I have never been a patient person. I had to come to realize though, that infants are "growing" new parts they have no experience with. Most of their world is experienced through their mouth. Even before they are born, they play with their mouths bringing their hands to the mouth to practice sucking. After they are born, they continue that experience by putting their hands in their mouth, experiencing touch and sensations through their cheeks and tongue. Even toys can influence them in many ways through textures, sensation and temperature. No wonder a baby goes through such a traumatic experience when they are teething. Suddenly the one tool they use to experience life through is sent into a state of turmoil. Teething is painful! That's where patience comes in.

Even before baby teeth appear, it's important to keep an infant's mouth clean. Take a damp, clean wash cloth and gently rub the inside of the baby's gums to remove food debris. This sometimes alleviates teething pain, but also ensures the gums are clean. Once the teeth appear, it's even more important to ensure you are cleaning your baby's mouth regularly. It's recommended to do it after each feeding, but twice daily is also sufficient according to most experts. Teeth carry bacteria, even "baby" teeth. As soon as the teeth appear, they are susceptible to tooth decay and cavities. Hence the reason that dental hygiene is important, even for infants. Depending on how old your baby is when they start to cut teeth, you may determine that using a soft bristled brush is good for their teeth. Olivia was older when she finally starting getting teeth, so using a soft bristled brush was perfect for her. Plus it made it easy for us to introduce the concept of her brushing her own teeth.

When your baby is ready to start brushing their own teeth, you want to choose a brush that is easy for them to grasp. Each day give them 2-3 to choose from. This will enable you to determine which one works best for them. Toothpaste is not necessary during the younger ages, but as they get older baby tooth cleaner can be used. These are usually fluoride free and are safe to be swallowed. Of course, never use large amounts. Monitor the amount that is put on their toothbrush. Usually a pee size amount will do.

Some children won't allow their parents to brush their teeth right away. Do not let that deter you. It took several attempts before Olivia was comfortable with me "brushing" her teeth. The actual brushing of a baby's teeth only needs to last about 5 seconds to remove the debris and bacteria when teeth first appear. Reward your child when they allow you to brush their teeth. This will also set a positive tone for when they start brushing their own teeth.

After your child's first tooth appears, its time to start thinking about a pediatric dentist. You should visit the dentist at least 6 months after the appearance of the first tooth. Some experts suggest that even if your child does not have teeth by the age of 1, you should bring them to the dentist for a check up to ensure there are no problems.

Flossing needs to start when your child has gotten all their baby teeth-usually between 3-4 years old. There are plenty items out there to make flossing baby teeth easier on us parents. Your dentist can recommend them and even give you samples of flossers to try.

Remember that diet will play a vital role in how your baby's teeth develop. Calcium along with fruits and vegetables are important for strong teeth. Since your baby will be using a fluoride free teeth cleaner, it would be wise to look into fluoride supplements to ensure your baby gets the proper amount of fluoride, especially if they will not be drinking tap water. Speak to your pediatrician about supplements or bottled water that has been fortified with fluoride.

Teething is a milestone in every child's life. What you do now will set the tone for your child's dental hygiene for years to come. Check out these links for more information and some fun facts:

Mouth Play

Opening the Sensory Doorway

The History of Toothbrushes

Why God Made Moms

It's always nice to hear things "out of the mouths of babes". The following article is sure to make you smile. It made use smile. It's been circulating on the internet for some time now and has been emailed thousands of times. Take a look...

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between mom s & dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Teething Bites

There is something wonderful about teething. It's one of the first tangible signs that your baby is becoming independent. I was actually amazed to find out that teeth start developing while the baby is still in the womb. In fact, a baby is born with their full set of primary teeth, they are just buried below the gums. Who knew?

In most instances children start teething anywhere between 3 to 12 months and finish up at around 3 years of age. Olivia held out till she was almost 1 to cut her first tooth. While most babies cut their first tooth between 4-7 months, Olivia decided to take her time. One thing is for sure, teething was painful for her. Since the teeth are buried beneath the gums, it takes a lot for them to twist and work their way through. The older your child is when they begin teething, the more aware of the pain they are in my experience. Many experts disagree with the pain factor. Some believe there is no pain involved in teething. I disagree..then again, I am not an expert. Only a parent who has experienced a teething baby can say there is pain involved and I am one of those parents.

The first sign that your baby is "cutting" teeth is swollen gums. This can start weeks before they actually cut the tooth. Another symptom of teething is excessive drooling. I can honestly say Olivia didn't drool excessively while teething, which made me believe she would never get teeth! But we did notice gum swelling and sensitivity, irritability and ear rubbing. Here are some other symptoms of teething:

• Decreased appetite
• Diarrhea
• Biting or gum rubbing
• Sucking
• Waking up at night
• A rash on the face

Now experts do not always agree on some of the symptoms sited above, but every child is different. Olivia had a decreased appetite and the day before and during cutting a tooth, she always had diarrhea. Some experts believe the diarrhea can be caused by the excessive saliva in the mouth. Since Olivia didn't drool much, we assume she swallowed much of her excess saliva to cause her diarrhea. But since experts cannot agree, I guess we will never know.

Another symptom that experts don't agree on is whether teething causes fevers. Ask any mother whose child has experienced teething (and show me one who hasn't) and I am sure there will be differences in opinions on this subject as well. The thing to remember is, don't chalk all symptoms up to teething. If you are unsure, always speak to your pediatrician. While I was doing research, I found that experts seem to disagree a lot on the topic of teething. So asking your pediatrician's advice is the best course of wisdom.

The first teeth to appear are usually the central incisors on the bottom. They are the teeth in the middle of the bottom gum. Next, the four incisors on the upper gum appear. The next 2 lateral incisors on the lower gum appear along with the four molars shortly afterward. The cuspid teeth, better known as the canine teeth are the next to come through both on the lower and upper gums almost simultaneously. It's usually not until a child turns 2 1/2-3 that they cut the second set of their 4 remaining molars. These are the last teeth to appear in a toddler.

The easiest remedies to assist you with teething are the good old teething ring, preferably one that is hard and attractive to your little one. Teething rings you can freeze or stick in the refrigerator are great too. (A word of caution when using liquid filled teething rings, these most often should not be frozen since they can burst and leak, so be sure to read the instructions before freezing.) Teething rings happened to be a lifesaver on many occasions with Olivia. Since she was older when she first started cutting her teeth, ice pops helped greatly. It was funny to hear the pediatrician suggest them. They may be messy, but they did the trick. Another great idea, one that a co-worker suggested to my husband, is to fold a baby face cloth, wet it, place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze. He would pull it out of the bag and give it to Olivia for hours of soothing. Even when it was warmed up, Olivia loved the texture of the face cloth on her gums. It is the most inexpensive teether! The fact is, anything cold, hard or textured is going to soothe sore gums and usually numbs them enough for your baby to be somewhat comfortable.

Check back with us, Olivia isn't done teaching us the teething basics. But to keep you informed for now, take a look at the links below. You will find them very informative and interesting...we did!

http://www.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milestones-teething_6574.bc

http://my-teething-baby.com/teething-ring.php

The Common Ear Infection- Otitis Media!

What am I talking about? I am talking about Otitis Media-the common ear infection . Our experiences in child rearing have brought us to another milestone..the first ear infection. Olivia started out the week with a cold. Runny nose, irritability and a slight cough but no fever or any other tangible signs that Olivia had anything but the common cold. As the week went on and we were having more and more sleepless nights, we decided that something just did not seem right.

Now I had noticed some symptoms in Olivia that she did not start the week out with. She was tugging at her ears and her ear was a bit "crusty". Being the Mom of a toddler, I was used to her sticking stuff in her ears all the time: markers, pens, crayons, sticky, dirty fingers. So having to clean the substances out of her ears was all too common in our house. This in itself, did not give me the inclination she had an ear infection. I did not think much of the "crusty discharge" in her ear. There were other things that Olivia was doing that told us she was not herself, so off to the doctor we went.

The doctor took one look in her right ear and exclaimed that she did in fact have an ear infection. My first reaction was shock, since I was of the mind that a baby with an ear infection usually runs a fever. Olivia had not run a fever the whole week. The doctor explained to me that in actuality, only 50% of children run a fever. The fever is caused by the pus buildup in the ear and the body's effort to rid the infection. Thankfully, we had gotten to the doctor in time and Olivia's ears had not gotten to that phase yet.

Children under the age of 7 are more susceptible to ear infections since they are still in the development stages both physically and in their immunity. But how does an ear infection develop? A small tube connects your ear to your throat. A cold can cause this tube to swell. When the tube swells enough to become blocked, it can trap fluid inside your ear. This makes it a perfect place for germs to grow and cause an infection. Ear infections happen mostly to young children because their tubes are smaller and get blocked more easily. The Eustachian (pronounced "you-stay-shun") tube is shorter in children and at more of a horizontal angle than adults which enables bacteria and viruses to settle in the ear. Children have not had a chance to develop a resistance to the viruses and bacteria that cause ear infections.

Recognizing an ear infection can be daunting, especially if your child cannot tell you what is wrong. So keep an eye out for the following signs. Your baby may exhibit some of these symptoms. Believe it or not, though, in about a third of children with ear infections, symptoms are not apparent.

• Tugging or poking the ear


• Sleepless, restless, irritable nights


• More crying or fussy than usual


• Ear drainage


• Balance difficulties/Dizziness


• Hearing problems


• Fever


• Loss of Appetite


• Nausea


• Vomiting

An ear infection is usually brought on by several factors. In the case of Olivia, her's was most likely due to her cold and congestion. Here are some common causes of ear infections:

Age-According to the American Academy of Pediactrics, ear infections "occur in babies between the ages of 3 months and 3 years old. Also, the younger a child is at the time of the first ear infection, the greater the chance he will have repeated infections." In fact, age is such a factor when it comes to ear infections that more than 3 out of 4 children will experience an ear infections before they turn 3 years of age.

Colds/Flu and Allergies-Bacterial or viral infections, stuffy noses and congestion can all cause ear infections.

Tobacco Smoke-Being around smoke or the smell of tobacco can cause problems with a baby's immune system. Even just the smell of tobacco on a parent's clothes or hair can be hard for your little one to process. Need I say more?

Bottle-feeding-It's not necessary the bottle feeding, but the angle the baby is held when bottle-feeding. The baby's head should be held above the stomach level to avoid the Eustachian tubes from being blocked. Laying a baby down with a bottle could be risky if you are trying to avoid ear infections.

Once your child has experienced an ear infection, it is more likely they will have one again. There are ways to prevent them from becoming a chronic nuisance. First, stay away from people with colds. Hand-washing is the best way to fight germs that cause ear infections. Stay away from tobacco smoke. Make sure your child does not go to sleep while sucking on a bottle. Be sure to immunize your children at the appropriate ages. This will cut down on their low tolerance to certain viruses.

Once your doctor has determined your child has an ear infection, they may prescribe antibiotics or even decide to see if your child's immune system can fight the infection itself, depending on severity. Either way, ear infections will go away when treated properly. If there is severe build-up of fluid, it may take weeks for it to drain completely. Just keep your little one comfortable and their immune system will take care of the rest.

Here are some helpful links we found interesting:

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/ear-infections-topic-overview

http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&cat_id=114&article_set=22319&ps=304

Potty Training

When we took Olivia for her 19 month check up, I mentioned to the doctor that we felt Olivia was getting ready for potty training. She had started telling us at certain times that she had a wet or poopy diaper and had shown interest in the toilet. Well, the response I got from the pediatrician was not what I expected. He said "its too early". I was a bit upset at the reaction but Randy and I were determined to see it through. We went out immediately and purchased Livi a potty seat. But we were also in the middle of moving into our first home, so we quickly realized that potty training had to take a back seat for a few weeks. It turns out, it was a wise decision. Trying to potty train your child during stressful times, such as a move, is not wise. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, stress such as a move may make "learning this new skill more difficult". After all, potty training is a huge change from what your baby is used to so trying to start while you are in the middle of other major changes, could prove too stressful for your little one and you!

Well, here we are about 2 months later and Olivia is being potty trained. She settled quickly into our new home and became interested in using her new potty seat. We realized the potty seat was one of the best investments. We chose the Munchkin Deluxe Potty seat, which has features that we love. Olivia uses it with ease by placing it on top of the toilet seat. (Of course, you daddies have to remember to put the seat down for the potty seat to actually work.) She also makes use of the handles on the side, which make it easy for her to reposition herself, which she does alot. After all, it takes alot for this little high-nee to fit comfortably anywhere much less a potty.

Olivia tells us most times when her diaper is messy. Though a lot of times it is after the fact, we try to impress upon her that going potty is something that is a positive thing. So now she wants to sit on the potty all by herself. We use positive reinforcement by giving her books to read, letting her use her step stool to step up to the potty herself, and occasionally letting her rip up toilet paper (which she loves to do). I can't say that she has actually gone more than once or twice on the potty, but she understands it and that is half the battle. It is hard not to be discouraged after minutes of sitting on the potty and nothing happens. But the more time Livi sits on the potty, means more chances she will get the point. So I am quickly learning that I need to have patience.

So other than a baby telling you that he or she is ready to potty train, what other signs should you look for? Naturally, a baby's body starts to mature as they hit milestones in growth. I noticed Olivia was not peeing in her diaper as much after we started to potty train. At first this was very alarming. I was used to 5-6 wet diapers a day! Now I see her going hours without needing a diaper change. After doing some research, I found that this is her body's natural way of letting us know she is ready for the potty. She is now able to "hold" her pee, so to speak. Her bladder is able to hold larger volumes of urine and she is now aware of some of the sensations in urinating and bowel movements. So all those thoughts about dehydration or bladder infections were quickly dispelled by simple research and paying attention to what Livi was trying to tell us, without words.

A helpful tool to aid Olivia get ready for potty training was a change in diapers, literally. We went from regular diapers to Easy Ups, the next step up to training pants. They help her understand pulling her diaper up and down, the way you would underwear. Of course, it was funny when she started to pull them up and down when NOT having to go potty.

Another tool we found helpful was the free potty training guide I ordered on Pampers.com. It came with a lot of helpful hints to make potty training fun and easy for everyone. You have to register but its free and well worth it, since this sight also offers other great information.

Believe it or not, another helpful item to have "on hand" was kid friendly soap. We want clean hands at all times, so now is the time to reinforce that good habit and Olivia loves her new soap. It comes in a brightly colored bottle and its foamy. I like that its not your regular hand soap. I was concerned with the thickness of regular hand soap. After all, you try training a child to wash their hands and see how good they rinse!

Potty training is a work in progress. It can take up to 3 months to potty train a baby, so patience is in order..for everyone. Don't expect too much from your little one, progress will most likely be slow. Despite everything involved in potty training our children, this milestone is worth working through! Just think of the money you can save on diapers! But seriously, its a wonderful milestone and great learning experience. We wish you the best!

Check out the links below for more tips and helpful info:

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/parenting_tips/potty_training/index.html

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/toilet/179.html