Am I Losing It? Signs of Teething in Babies

"Oh, it’s just a tooth coming in," the barista at my local Starbucks told me yesterday, casually sliding my fourth Americano across the counter while my seven-month-old, Maya, gnawed violently on my collarbone. I was wearing a terribly stained pair of green sweatpants that hadn't seen the inside of a washing machine since Tuesday, and my hair was doing this weird sideways bird's nest thing, but sure, let's take medical advice from a teenager who spells my name with a 'C'.

But the thing is, everyone has an opinion on this. My mother-in-law, a woman who means well but once told me breastmilk cures pink eye, swore up and down that Leo’s 102-degree fever back when he was a baby was "just how our family teeths." Then, literally two days later, a woman at Target stopped her cart right in front of the diaper aisle to inform me that Leo’s explosive diarrhea—which was actively leaking onto my one clean pair of Lululemons—was definitely, absolutely because his upper incisors were dropping.

And then I dragged my exhausted, caffeinated self to my pediatrician, Dr. Miller. I sat there in the sticky vinyl waiting room chair, fully prepared for her to tell me how to handle these obvious teething things to watch for, and she just gently patted my knee and explained that both of those women were entirely full of crap.

I swear, figuring out the actual signs of teething in babies requires a PhD in cryptography, or at least a crystal ball, because there's so much wild misinformation out there. It’s exhausting. Like, beyond exhausting. Anyway, the point is, I've survived this with Leo (who's now four and has a mouth full of terrifyingly sharp teeth) and I'm currently in the trenches with Maya, so I'm just going to lay out what's actually happening, according to my doctor and my own fragmented sanity.

The drool is coming from inside the house

Look, I knew babies drooled. I read the books. But nobody prepared me for the sheer, unadulterated volume of fluid that can exit a tiny human's mouth. When Leo was around four months old, he turned into a miniature Saint Bernard. We went through, I'm not kidding, maybe twelve bibs a day. My husband, Dave, kept calling him our little babi shark—yes, babi without the 'y', because he thought it sounded cuter, whereas I just thought it sounded like a sleep-deprived hallucination.

The drool isn't just annoying because it ruins their cute outfits. It causes this awful, bright red rash around their mouth and chin and even down onto their chest if you aren't constantly wiping them down. Maya looked like she had chemical burns on her neck for three weeks. Dr. Miller told me the extra saliva is just the body's way of trying to soothe the swollen gums, which makes biological sense I guess, but it doesn't make the laundry situation any less of a nightmare.

They'll try to eat your entire house

Before the teeth actually erupt, the pressure building up under their gums makes them desperate for counter-pressure and chew on literally anything. And I mean anything. Here's an actual, non-exaggerated list of things I've pulled out of Maya's mouth this week:

The TV remote (specifically the Netflix button, which she nearly swallowed)
Dave’s dirty running shoe
The dog’s tail (the dog was surprisingly cool with it, but still, gross)
My nose
A random piece of junk mail from a roofing company

When you see them aggressively biting down on everything in sight, that's a real sign. This is when you've to start strategically placing actual, safe teethers around the house so you don't end up fishing a AAA battery out of their throat.

My absolute, holy-grail lifesaver for this phase is the Panda Teether Silicone Baby Bamboo Chew Toy. I was sitting at a cafe when Maya was completely losing her mind, screaming that high-pitched shriek that makes your spine vibrate, and I pulled this out of my diaper bag. She grabbed it immediately. The little bamboo-textured legs are exactly what she wants to grind her gums against. It's 100% silicone, so I don't have to worry about weird chemicals, and I can just toss it in the dishwasher when it inevitably falls on the floor of a public restroom. It's basically my third child at this point. I love it that much.

Dave, however, prefers a different vibe. He brought home the Bear Baby Teether Natural Wood Silicone Gum Soother. And like, it’s fine. It really is. It’s aesthetically very pleasing, and Leo did seem to like the contrast between the hard wood ring and the squishy silicone bear head. But honestly? The wood kind of freaks me out. Am I supposed to oil it? What if he leaves it in a puddle of drool and it gets moldy? I know it's untreated beechwood and totally safe, and Dave rolls his eyes at me, but my postpartum anxiety brain just prefers something I can aggressively boil in a pot of water at 2 AM without worrying about splintering.

Dr. Miller gently bursts my fever bubble

Okay, let's talk about the fever thing, because this is where parents (myself included) get so confused. When Leo had that 102-degree fever, I blamed his teeth. But Dr. Miller explained that around 4 to 6 months, babies lose the passive immunity they got from us during pregnancy. Or maybe it's from the placenta? I don't know, something about maternal antibodies just kind of falling off a cliff right around the time they start sticking everything in their mouths.

So they start catching every single random virus floating around the grocery store at the exact same time their teeth start moving under the gums. So the high fever is almost definitely a cold or a virus, not a tooth. At least, I think that's how it works. A tiny, barely-there temperature bump? Maybe teething. A legit fever? Nope. That's daycare germs, my friend.

The same goes for the diarrhea. The drool swallowing can make their poop a little loose, sure, but if it's a blowout situation, they're probably just sick. It's so unfair that these things overlap. Like, can we just spread out the developmental torture a little bit? Please?

The sleep regression hellscape

You finally get them sleeping through the night. You're feeling like a competent human. You might even put on mascara. And then BAM. The first tooth starts pushing up, and they're waking up every forty-five minutes thrashing around like tiny, angry salmon.

Because the gums share nerve pathways with the face, the pain radiates. You might see them tugging at their ears or rubbing their cheeks frantically. I actually took Leo to the doctor twice thinking he had an ear infection, and both times his ears were perfectly clear. It was just referred pain from his bottom incisors.

When Maya wakes up screaming at 3 AM, I literally saw a mom group post tagged #teethingbabie, and honestly, the typo just proves how tired we all are. We're all just out here barely functioning.

If you're looking for something to help soothe them so you can go back to sleep, check out the teething toys collection before you totally lose your mind. Having a stash of safe things for them to chew on is the only way through this.

Things that genuinely kinda worked for us

I feel like every blog post gives you these clinical lists of "interventions" that sound like they were written by someone who has never met an actual infant. I'm not going to tell you to cheerfully wipe their gums with a sterile gauze pad while singing Brahms' Lullaby. If you're dealing with a biting baby, you just have to survive.

Here's what seriously did something for us:

Cold therapy, but not frozen: We'd take a clean washcloth, get it damp, and put it in the fridge (not the freezer, frozen stuff can apparently bruise their gums, which sounds horrifying). Let them chew on the cold cloth. It's messy but it numbs the pain.
Distraction via cute shapes: When Maya is inconsolable, handing her a visually interesting teether sometimes resets her brain. We have the Malaysian Tapir Teether Toy. Dave bought this one because he went down a late-night Wikipedia rabbit hole about endangered species and decided our baby needed to learn about conservation at six months old. But whatever, it’s cute, the black and white contrast gets her attention, and the heart cutout makes it easy for her to grip when she's flailing around.
My actual fingers: Just wash your hands really well and let them chomp down on your knuckle. It hurts a little, but the firm counter-pressure seems to give them the most relief.
Infant meds: When it was really, really bad, and they were obviously in pain, we gave infant Tylenol. Obviously talk to your own pediatrician, but don't feel like a bad mom for using medication when your kid is suffering. We're not handing out medals for unmedicated teething.

Please don't put a necklace on your baby

I've to say this because I see them everywhere at the playground. Those amber teething necklaces. I know they look very bohemian and chic, and maybe your neighbor's cousin's sister swears the succinic acid magically absorbs into the skin, but they're a massive choking and strangulation hazard. My pediatrician was SO blunt about this. Just... don't. Stick to big silicone things they can hold in their hands.

When does it end?

Well, the first teeth pop up around 4 to 7 months. And then it just kind of keeps happening. Like, continuously, until they're almost three. The molars are a whole different circle of hell that we aren't even going to discuss today because I can't handle the trauma of remembering Leo's two-year molar phase right now. Anyway, the point is, it's a marathon. You will get through it. Your babies will eventually have teeth and they'll stop trying to eat your shoes.

If you want to seriously survive this phase with some tiny shred of your sanity intact, make sure you've the right gear on hand. Go explore our full collection of organic, sustainable baby products and stock up on teethers before the 3 AM screaming starts.

Messy, Honest FAQs About Teething

How do I know if my baby is teething or just sick?

If they've a fever over 100.4, extreme diarrhea, or a full-body rash, they're probably sick. Call your doctor! But if they're just drooling like a faucet, chewing on everything, rubbing their ears, and acting super cranky, it's probably teeth. But honestly, sometimes it's both because the universe is cruel.

Can I put the silicone teethers in the freezer?

You really shouldn't freeze them solid. Rock-hard items can genuinely damage and bruise their delicate, swollen gums. Just pop the silicone teether in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes. It gets nice and chilly without turning into a literal ice cube.

Why is my baby pulling their ears? I thought that meant an ear infection?

I thought the same thing! But the gums, cheeks, and ears all share nerve pathways. So when the gums are throbbing, the baby's brain gets confused and thinks their ears hurt. They pull on them to try and relieve the pressure. It's totally normal, but if they've a fever too, get their ears checked just in case.

Is it normal for them to stop eating when teething?

Oh god, yes. Sucking on a bottle or breastfeeding can really increase the blood flow and pressure in their mouth, making the pain worse. Leo would latch, realize it hurt, bite me (holy hell, the pain), and then cry. They might prefer cooler, softer foods or just want to chew on a teether instead of eating a full meal for a few days.

Are those numbing gels safe to use?

NO. Dr. Miller was incredibly clear about this. The over-the-counter numbing gels with benzocaine are seriously super dangerous for babies and can cause a rare but fatal blood condition. Stick to physical counter-pressure, cold items, or doctor-approved infant pain relievers.