Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the gum swelling—when my nephew was teething, you could see this little bump right before the tooth showed up. Did you ever notice if your baby chewed more on one side? I always wondered if that meant the tooth was coming in there.
Yeah, I noticed my kid would definitely favor one side when chewing on toys or even my fingers. I always assumed it meant that side was more sensitive or maybe the tooth was about to break through there. But then again, sometimes it switched sides and I couldn’t really tell if it was just comfort or actual teething pain. Did your nephew get extra drooly when the bump showed up? For us, the drool was a big clue, along with crankiness at night... but honestly, sometimes it was just a bad day and not teething at all.
It’s funny you mention the drool—when I was a kid, my mom used to say I was basically a faucet when new teeth were coming in. Now, after years of orthodontic work, I’m hyper-aware of anything teeth-related. My little cousin went through a phase where he’d only chew on one side too, and everyone kept saying it meant a tooth was close. But honestly, sometimes he’d just switch sides depending on the toy or even his mood. I think the crankiness and drool combo is a pretty good clue, but it’s not foolproof. There were days he was extra fussy and we all swore it had to be teething... then nothing would pop up for weeks.
I remember my own jaw feeling weird when my wisdom teeth started coming in, and I definitely favored one side just because it felt less sore—not always because something was about to break through. Kids are probably the same, just without the words to explain it. The guessing game never really ends, does it?
The guessing game never really ends, does it?
That’s the truth. I used to overanalyze every little thing—one day it’s “must be teething,” the next it’s “maybe just a bad nap?” It’s wild how much drool can happen without a single tooth showing up. I guess sometimes a fussy baby is just... being a baby.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I don’t buy the whole “fussy baby is just being a baby” thing every time. I’ve seen patterns—like, my kid would get extra clingy, gnaw on everything, and have that weird rash on his chin right before a tooth popped through. Sure, drool and fussiness can mean a million things, but I think it’s worth tracking symptoms and timing. Sometimes it really is teething, not just random crankiness. Maybe I’m just stubborn, but I’d rather overanalyze than miss something important.
