Massaging your baby's gums is one way to make teething easier. In addition, this is how the mother teaches the baby to brush her teeth, and in the future the child will be more willing to participate in the compulsory hygienic procedures for caring for the oral cavity.
Instructions
Step 1
You can start massaging the gums even before the teeth appear. If you notice that the child is constantly pulling fists, toys and almost everything that came into his mouth into his mouth, then most likely he is experiencing itching and pain from teething. Also during this period, there is increased salivation; the temperature may rise, the stool may liquefy; sometimes there is a slight cough; the child's sleep becomes restless.
Step 2
The first massage should be done in the daytime when the child is calm. So you can track the baby's reaction to your manipulations and understand if you are doing everything right. It should be remembered that massage improves blood circulation in the gums and teething can speed up. If the child becomes restless after the procedure, the temperature rises or the stool is disturbed, it is worth postponing it for a while and trying to alleviate the child's suffering with the help of special water teethers or medicines: cooling gels, pain relievers, etc. Also, you cannot massage at the moment when the tooth directly breaks through the gum, especially if there is a little bleeding, because you can infect the wound.
Step 3
Hands should be washed with soap before massage. The procedure is carried out using a special silicone attachment that is worn over the finger, a clean ironed cloth or a sterile bandage. Moisten them with boiled water at room temperature. Massage the area above the gums or directly on the gums, without touching the inflamed areas, where the tooth is about to appear. The tissue in this area is thin, stretched, and the slightest pressure can cause injury. Start by lightly stroking the roots of your teeth. This place is the least painful for the baby. Then, in a circular motion, gently rub the gums themselves upward from the eruption to the base of the gums. Try to squeeze the gum slightly with your index and thumb. These movements stimulate blood circulation well. At the end of the procedure, do light strokes again.
Step 4
Monitor the condition and mood of the child. It is not your task to perform the entire complex of manipulations. A small light massage is enough to make the child feel better. Accompany the procedure with conversations, funny rhymes, nursery rhymes. Subsequently, when the first teeth appear, follow the same procedures to remove plaque from the teeth.
