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How do I feed a teething baby?

  • Weaning & baby recipes
  • Baby
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Sore gums can put your baby off food just as you’re settling into a weaning routine. We reveal the foods and products that can help, along with tips from mums of teething weaners

Which foods are best for my teething baby?

There is no right or wrong answer, try and see what your baby seems happiest with.

"You may find that your baby has a smaller appetite when he is teething," says GP Dr Philippa Kaye. "But try not to worry too much as they will still get the majority of their nutrients from their milk and within a few days of the tooth coming through, they will be back to normal and often may even have a hungry day or two."

You could try:

  • Soft purees - some babies prefer to eat soft purees when they are teething
  • Cool smooth food -  yoghurt from the fridge may help as the cold can relieve discomfort
  • Chewable food - Other babies prefer something hard to chew as the pressure of chewing something firm can also relieve the pain 

Whether you are using purees, mashed food, finger food or baby led weaning, your baby will let you know if they don’t want to eat it. Let them eat if they want to, and if not, be reassured that they will once the tooth is through and they feel better.  As always, if you are concerned see your doctor.

Why teething can affect weaning

"Not all babies will be affected by teething, for some lucky babies the first you know about teething is when the tooth appears and you can see it. For others, it’s a painful process," says Dr Kaye."Although the process of a tooth erupting from the gum does not affect the ability to eat itself, the pain and discomfort and feeling generally rotten that can go with teething can affect weaning. Put simply, if your mouth hurts you may not want to eat!"

5 ways to wean a teething baby

  1. Try giving your baby something hard to gnaw on like a teething ring. You can also try chilling the teething ring for extra relief.
  2. Try offering a dried crust of bread, or a baby rusk - but always monitor your baby to prevent choking.
  3. Rub your baby’s gums with a clean finger to ease the pain in his mouth.
  4. Use a soft clean cloth to dry your baby’s face if he dribbles a lot, so that his skin doesn’t become sore.
  5. Teething gels, granules and powders all soothe your baby’s mouth but make sure you check ingredients to avoid excess sugar and the risk of potential allergic reactions.

Symptoms of teething

  • Flushed cheeks
  • Cramming a fist into mouth
  • Dribbling
  • Biting 
  • Sore bottom (an enzyme released during teething, combined with swallowing excessive saliva, can cause runny poo)
  • Disturbed sleep

This is just a guide and not a definitive list and you should always check with a health visitor or your GP to ensure that your baby is teething.

When does teething start?

Teething often starts around the time of weaning, at approximately 6 months of age, though it can start both later or earlier than this. 

Products that can help your teething baby

The best solution comes for free – give your baby lots of cuddles and try not to be anxious around mealtimes. But there are also useful products which can help

  • Teething gels
  • Teething granules or powders
  • Teething rings
  • Infant paracetamol

Weird teething poo and other stories... what mums say

Whether it’s weird teething poo or which teething remedy is best, there are a lot of questions being answered and stories being shared in our forums.

"We started weaning George last week. He's just had some carrot, banana and some sweet potato (all separately) and his poos have gone weird! Anything from chicken korma (sorry!!) to dark green runny ones! I also think he's got a tooth about to pop through. I've read teething can affect poos? is that true?" Mrsgrones

"My son is only 5 months old and off breastfeeding due to teething but will happily suck purees from a spoon if I try to avoid his gums." ccbmommy

Join the conversation, share your experiences with other mums in our weaning forums.

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Vino Vethavanam By Vino Vethavanam
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