Teething is one of the most common problems for parents of infants and toddlers. The baby seems unmanageable during this phase. This problem disrupts many other things for example sleep training.
So, can you sleep train a teething baby with Ferber method? Well, you can.
In this article, I will give you some insight into following the Ferber method for a fussy teething baby. I will also suggest some helpful products to calm down the little one quickly.
Some teething signs and symptoms:
The most common signs and symptoms a baby shows when he is getting into the teething phase are:
- Drooling.
- Restless.
- Swollen and red gums.
- Constant fingers in the mouth.
- Chewing and biting toys.
- Ear pulling.
- Cheek or mouth rash.
- Disturb sleep.
- Loss of appetite.
- Mild fever.
- Ask for constant feeds.
- Loose and/or green stools
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Effects of teething on baby’s sleep:
Teething does have bad effects on the baby’s sleep. Due to the discomfort and pain, children tend to wake up multiple times at night and demand constant comfort from their parents. Children who breastfeed can cluster feed as it soothes them.
Due to excessive drooling and passing loose stools, rashes on the face and bumps can make them uncomfortable at night. Also, the change in appetite may make them hungry at night.
Crankiness in the mood all day long can make a child overtired hence it becomes difficult for him to sleep peacefully at night.
Can you do the Ferber method while teething?
The Ferber method is commonly applied to children who are 6 months old, and usually, most babies start to develop swollen gums at this age. Teething may start for some babies at 6 months of age while some of them start it a little late around 8-9 months. Very early signs of teething (like fussiness and drooling) may show up as early as 2-3 months old.
You can sleep train the baby using ferber method when they are above 6 months old. The age of sleep training and teething is the same. If you will wait for the teething phase to end, you will keep waiting for years. So, you have to manage the situation and start the ferber method when the baby is not showing signs of teething at that time.
Do you start ferber method when the baby is teething?
Don’t start the Ferber method if you find any of the symptoms and signs of teething in your child.
Wait for the child to settle down for a while and then select the best time for sleep training.
Starting sleep training while knowing the child is teething will just make it worse.
Do you continue ferber method if the baby is teething?
But if you have already started the Ferber method and then you see symptoms of teething, then I would suggest carrying on the training, you cannot continue waiting as teething will continue to happen until 2 years of age.
However, you can make a few tweaks in the ferber method according to your requirements.
Please note that if you have started the sleep training and see symptoms after that then gear up yourself for some crazy nights ahead.
How to follow the Ferber method while teething:
Mention that the most important thing is to soothe the baby and help him with the pain. If the baby is not calmed, he will not settle down.
1- Calm down the baby as much as possible:
Since you have started the sleep training before the teething symptoms came over, so now the most important thing is to keep the baby calm.
Some amazing old granny remedies do wonders and keep the baby calm throughout the day.
You can give your child cold teething rings, fruit puree popsicles, frozen veggies that have hard textures, you can rub honey and vanilla extracts on the gums and lastly the most effective are the teething biscuits as they provide nutrients and comfort at the same time.
But what about the nights? For that, you need to follow some bedtime rituals so that it has a lasting effect on the baby while he sleeps. What will you do when the baby becomes uncomfortable while sleeping? Here are the solutions:
I- Use Chamomile (TOP TIP)
For me, the Chamomile herb is the number 1 choice. I have been using this for my daughter and I swear by it. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go. You’ll love it.
In case you don’t know about it, chamomile is a herb that is known for its soothing and calming benefits.
Chamomile is completely safe for babies as well and it can be given in the form of chamomile tea or chamomile homeopathy tablets.
Following are some good ways to use chamomile to soothe your teething baby.
a- Chamomile massage oil:
Massaging the baby with chamomile oil will make them sooo calm. I cannot explain it in words. Not only it will soothe them but their sleep quality will also be improved.
I suggest Zarbee’s baby massage oil. It has the two best ingredients that definitely help babies get a soothing sleep and keep them calm. Lavender and chamomile have the most relaxing scents that help the baby to sleep peacefully.
b- Chamomile tea:
Chamomile tea has the natural ability to reduce inflammation and has soothing properties that can help teething babies subsidize some pain. You can use this chamomile tea by U.S Wellness as per directions, cool down the tea and then dip the finger into it, and rub it on the gums of the baby. Giving 1 or 2 spoons of this tea will also not harm the baby instead you will see your baby getting relaxed.
c- Chamomilla drops or pallets:
Chamomile is a well-known homeopathic remedy to soothe a teething baby. It’s available as drops, tablets, or pallets.
You can get chamomile pallets on Amazon here.
II- Infant Tylenol:
Tylenol Infants Liquid Pain Relief & Fever Medicine should be in your medicine box once your child starts teething. This medicine is good for aches, fever, sore throat, and headaches. It has good coverage and provides relief to the babies.
III- White noise machine:
To make the environment more relaxing, you can install a white noise machine in your baby’s room. This machine helps to cancel out any noise that happens outside the room or the house. A white noise machine is the best choice for kids who are light sleepers and are going through the sleep training process.
IV-Foot Reflexology:
The tips of the baby’s toes are related to the baby’s head and teeth. Gently massaging or applying pressure on the toes will calm the teething baby.
2- Modify the Ferber method:
With all the remedial things, you need to modify the Ferber method according to your baby’s temperament and mood during the teething phase. You can go with the Gentle Ferber method approach where the process can be extended to 20 days and beyond if the parents see the slightest improvement. The gentle Ferber method approach sounds good with a teething child too.
3- Maintain consistency:
I understand things would get tough for you when sleep training clashes with teething but hang in there. A little extra struggle would be worth it in the end when your child will be sleep-trained and independent enough to self-soothe himself. Be consistent and positive throughout – you deserve that big pat on your back at the end!
4- Stop the training if the baby is extremely uncomfortable:
Even after using all the above remedies and applying the gentle Ferber method, if the baby seems very fussy and in pain, stop the sleep training and contact the pediatrician to see if there is something he can suggest.
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Summary:
If your baby is teething, you should wait a few days before starting the sleep training however, if you already started and the baby shows teething symptoms, then continue the training. You are allowed to make a few tweaks in the method for the ease of your baby.
When you are sleep training a teething baby, your first goal should be to calm down the baby and reduce their pain.
