Teething

Hi.

First time mom & I *think* my 4 month old is teething. He drools excessively, wakes up every hour during the night and tries to suck on his fingers...Is this normal for a 4 month old? Can they start teething early?

Please share.

Scatteredbrain- Congrats on your new baby! You are right on thinking that he may be teething. Four months is on the early end of the spectrum, but just fine! You might start looking into teething aides to keep the little one comfy! Some babies do well sucking on frozen washclohtes. Then there are lots of teething rings you can buy. I will look forward to seeing what others suggest for teething! :) Jess

I have read that, yes, babies can start teething that early.  Your son could be like my daughter though--she has been drooling excessively and sucking her fingers for the last few months and she still hasn't gotten teeth yet.  We've seen 2 start to come out and then go back in, but nothing substantial yet.  As for the waking up in the night, did it just start or has it been going on for a while?  Right around your sons age some babies start to redo their sleeping habits, and it could be that your son is battling with that.  Or he may be going through a growth spurt which can also interfere with sleep.

Just to echo the other posters - it's not a super fun phase to go through but teething will eventually pass. Keep those bibs on - the drool can be tremendous! :-p