Guest Author - Jacqueline Geller

Mom and Dad/Significant Other now have become accustomed to five to six hours per night of uninterrupted sleep. That doesn’t sound like much, but when Baby was getting up every two hours, five hours of sleep sounds like heaven!

The household is back to normal, right? Wrong! Baby now starts cutting teeth! This occurs somewhere between four months and whenever Baby feels ready. The teeth can come in one or four at a time, depending on genetics and Baby’s body make-up.

As soon as Baby gets to this point, or before if possible, it’s time to call the pediatrician for advice. There are many things that parents can use to ease Baby’s pain in this area. A favorite is a frozen teething ring, which numbs the gum area. Other options are frozen bananas and gels specifically for this purpose. It is always better to consult the pediatrician for this rather than to listen to grandmoms or old wives’ tales. While some of the methods of yore still work today, it is always better to seek the advice of a professional who knows the current best practices for children.

Fortunately, once the teeth break through the gum area, Baby is happy and will settle back to the old schedule of sleeping more. The only problem is that this same routine will happen for each tooth, most notably the eight front ones. This time may seem like forever, but it usually takes place within a couple of months.

In the meantime, Baby is doing other adorable things, such as rolling over, smiling a toothless grin and recognizing familiar people when they enter the room. Baby is much more interactive also. She will take interest in her surroundings, look at and try to touch the mobile over her crib and shake a rattle or other toys that makes noise.

She begins to respond to peek-a-boo and “How big is the baby?” games.

She discovers her fingers and toes and may start putting them in her mouth.

Tactile stimulation is crucial at this stage of development. Hugging, rubbing her back, tickling her toes are all things that parents can do to stimulate Baby’s senses.

Putting things just out of her sight so that she must turn to see them is also a good practice at this stage. It will increase Baby’s curiosity about the world she lives in and expand her mind.

It’s not too early to begin reading stories to Baby. In fact, it is never too early to expose Baby to music, words and the world outside her crib. The more she is exposed to different stimuli, the more interest she will take in her surroundings.