I get what you mean about looking for any explanation when a kid’s cranky. When I was getting my braces adjusted, I’d be in a mood for days—at least I could say why. Babies just chew on everything and look miserable, and we’re left guessing. I’ve always thought the drool and constant chewing are pretty solid teething signs, but honestly, sometimes it’s just... them being babies.
I remember my nephew went through a phase where he was fussy for a week, and we were convinced it was teeth. Turned out he just didn’t like his new sippy cup. Go figure. Unless there’s a fever or something really off, I try to remind myself not to overthink it. Still, easier said than done when you’re running on three hours of sleep.
Man, I feel this. I swear, half the time I’m checking for new teeth and it’s just... nope, still gums. My kid drooled like a Saint Bernard for months before a single tooth showed up. You’re right, sometimes it’s just a random mood or—like you said—a sippy cup crisis. Hang in there. If there’s no fever or weird symptoms, I just try not to stress (or spend money on every teething toy in existence). Sleep deprivation makes everything feel like a mystery, honestly.
I remember when my grandkids were teething, it was always a guessing game. One day they’d be gnawing on everything in sight, the next it was just fussiness for no clear reason. Did you notice any swollen gums or that little white bump under the surface? Sometimes I’d think a tooth was coming any minute, but it’d be weeks. Do you find your little one wants to chew on cold things? That seemed to help ours, but honestly, sometimes it really was just a cranky day and nothing more. It’s tough not knowing for sure, isn’t it?
That’s exactly how it’s been for us—one day it’s all drooly smiles and gnawing on whatever’s within reach, and the next it’s just fussiness with no clear “sign.” I remember with my nephew, his gums would get kind of puffy, but I swear, sometimes I’d see that white bump and then… nothing for ages. The suspense! Cold washcloths were a hit, but honestly, sometimes he’d just toss them aside and want to cuddle instead.
I did always wonder if the crankiness was teething or just a rough patch—babies have moods like the rest of us, I guess. Did you ever notice if teething messed with their sleep? Ours would have a few nights where he’d wake up more, but again, it’s hard to say if it was teeth or just a growth spurt or something else entirely.
I totally get the confusion—sometimes it’s like, is this teething or just a “bad day”? But I have to admit, I’m not always convinced that every fussy patch is about teeth. With my daughter, I kept blaming teething for every little thing: drooling, weird naps, random crankiness. Then I started tracking her patterns and realized half the time, there was no tooth in sight for weeks after. The pediatrician even told me that teething gets blamed for a lot more than it actually causes.
When she was waking up more at night, I’d automatically reach for the teething gel or try frozen fruit in a mesh feeder, but sometimes nothing helped. Then two days later she’d be back to her usual self—no new teeth, no explanation. I think growth spurts or even just overstimulation can make babies cranky or mess with their sleep too. Plus, sometimes she’d have a low-grade fever and everyone around me would say “teething!” but the doctor said teething doesn’t really cause fevers above 100.4°F.
I do remember one time when she was about nine months old—she had what looked like a white bump on her gums and was gnawing on everything in sight. I got so worked up thinking we were finally getting a tooth...but nope, it disappeared and nothing happened for another month. It’s almost like their gums play tricks on us.
Honestly, sometimes I think we just want an answer for why our babies are fussy—makes us feel like we have some control over the chaos. But after stressing myself out trying to “diagnose” every mood swing as teething, I’m starting to just ride it out and focus on comfort instead of figuring out the exact cause every time. Not saying teething isn’t real (it definitely is!), but I don’t think it explains every rough patch.
Anyway, you’re right about the suspense—it’s wild how long you can wait for those teeth to actually show up.