Is My Baby Teething?

My daughter Harlow, is three and a half months now which means I am at the miraculous time when the so-called “fourth trimester” ends, and all things baby begin to fall into place.

Not only is Harlow starting to sleep through the night, she’s napping during the day more routinely.  Her acid reflux, which caused her to spit-up constantly, appears to be dissipating, since three months is when your baby’s digestive track is more fully developed.

I’ve also gotten to know Harlow pretty well at this point. When she’s upset, I know which cry means she’s hungry and which cry means her diaper needs changing. I know the cry that means she’s fighting sleep and the whimper that means she just wants to be held.

If I’m not careful, I might think I’ve got this “baby thing” DOWN.

But I’m not going to get ahead of myself, because if memory serves from my first child, Harlow is about to throw me for a loop.

Anywhere from three to seven months old, babies start teething, and while this means Harlow will one day eat solid food and smile with pearly whites, it also means that my routine, my confidence and my solid’s night sleep might all be in jeopardy.

My first daughter went through Frank Costanza levels of irritability when her first teeth started coming in, but I’ve heard varied accounts from friends, some of who’s kids experienced no symptoms at all.

So, how do you know if your baby is teething?

Take this simple Yes or No quiz to help you find out.

1. Does your baby have a slightly elevated temperature?

2. Is your baby currently sitting in a pool of his/her own saliva?

3. Is your baby showing little interest in eating?

4. Have you recently nicknamed your baby Cranky McCrankerstein?

5. Is your baby gnawing on anything and everything within arm’s reach?

6. Have you forgotten what your baby’s hands look like because they are constantly shoved into his/her own mouth?

8. Is your baby waking up way more often throughout the night than he/she does normally?

9. Is your baby crying for no particular reason?

10. Did your baby just take a bite out of your boob?

11. Is your baby doing none or all of the above?

If you answered yes to three or more of the questions above, chances are your baby is teething.

Buy some teethers and be prepared for some long nights.

If you answered yes to three or less questions, your baby still might be teething— you just might be one of those lucky parents who’s baby doesn’t experience as many symptoms or pain. Just do me a favor and keep your symptom-free baby to yourself, because those of us living on very little sleep with a baby that won’t stop crying, don’t really want to hear about it.