If someone had told me before my first child was born that teething could be one of the most emotionally difficult phases of the first year, I probably wouldn’t have believed them.
People rarely talk about baby teething in real terms. And when they do, it’s often technical and distant.
But real life looks different.
It looks like sitting in the dark with your baby in your arms.
Your baby is crying.
You don’t know why.
You check the clock and think: How much longer?
And quietly, you ask yourself: Is everything okay with my baby? And is everything okay with me?
I’m writing this as a mother of three. Not as a specialist, but as someone who has cried with her baby at night, wondering if she was doing enough.
The problem: why teething feels so hard
Teething is often described as a simple developmental phase. In reality, it’s anything but simple.
Teething usually begins somewhere between 4 and 7 months, but every baby is different. My children each started at completely different ages — and every time, I worried.
The first signs are rarely obvious. Before you notice anything on the gums, you notice the change in your baby. Restlessness without a clear reason. Crying you can’t explain. Waking every hour at night. Everything going into the mouth.
And with that comes something else: exhaustion, confusion, fear.
When a tooth pushes through the gums, the tissue is under pressure and inflammation develops. For a baby, this discomfort is confusing. For a mother, it’s emotionally heavy — because you see your child in pain and can’t make it disappear.
This is often the moment when a mother realizes: I can’t protect my child from everything — but I can be there.
The solution: what truly helps during baby teething
What helped me wasn’t perfection or knowing all the answers. It was learning to focus on comfort and closeness.
Teething toys helped, especially soft silicone ones, sometimes gently cooled in the fridge. Gum massage with a clean finger often brought surprising relief — sometimes enough to calm my baby completely.
But the most important thing was closeness. Holding. Skin-to-skin contact. A slow, calm voice. Sometimes nothing “fixes” the pain, but being present makes it bearable.
When the first tooth appeared, gentle dental care helped both my baby and me feel more confident — slow, careful, no pressure.
I also learned what not to do. I stopped using aggressive gels, avoided frozen objects, and stopped trying to “endure everything alone.” If a fever was high or my baby became unusually lethargic, seeing a pediatrician brought clarity and reassurance.
What every mother needs to hear
Teething does not last forever. The most intense phase usually passes within days, sometimes weeks. And then there is a pause — until the next tooth.
You do not have to be a perfect mother to get through teething. If you are tired, emotional, and still showing up, you are doing enough.
One day, often after a long night, you will notice a tiny white tooth. And you will realize: we made it through this together.
If you are reading this during a sleepless night — you are not alone. 🤍
Giulia Moretti
Mother of three, writing from lived experience
