Category Archives: gums

40 Weeks of Pregnancy – Week 10

Happy Monday Everyone! This week I am exploring Week 10 of pregnancy. If you want to see any of the other weeks leading up to this one, scroll to the bottom. If you are pregnant, no one can blame you for your short term memory loss. If are not pregnant, I am sure you are very busy and just forgot. So, for this week’s edition…
Week 10
Congratulations, you have made it a quarter of the way through!
Even though I have done this before I don’t necessarily remember when exactly different things started happening. But this particular week I remember quite vividly. Especially when I was carrying Munchie. Due to all the hormones, at this point, your gums wills start swelling. Mine were a disaster, but I also have terrible tooth problems. You probably will not have anything close to as bad, but nevertheless you may experience some soreness, especially on your top gums. When you brush, they may bleed. They are swollen, look bad, and bleed a lot, but they generally don’t hurt.
Which brings us to nose bleeds. Because pregnancy causes higher blood pressure, and because you actually start producing more blood, you may also end up having regular nose bleeds, or at the least blood in your inner nose so it will be there when you blow your nose. This, much like the swollen gums, does not hurt. It is weird, it may freak you out, but it is pretty innocuous. If there is excessive blood, talk to your doctor. Since I don’t know how to quantify “excessive” in this case, and everyone is different, just talk to your doctor.
A few other things you may want to discuss with your doctor are your bowel movements. Or lack thereof. Not fun. I am sure he will recommend extra fiber before anything else. Eat more fiber rich fruit and veggies. Even if I am medically wrong at least this piece of advice can only do you good. So for once I am going to tell you to just take my advice without discussing it with any kind of professional beforehand. Relish it because it doesn’t happen too often.
More fun to come next week! Until then, feel free to peruse earlier weekly posts.
If you want to catch up:
 

4 Best Teething Toys On The Market

Ducky is teething. The poor little guy is in a lot of pain. He quacks and squawks all that he can to let us know how much he is not a fan of this new thing called teeth. I explain to him that they are awesome because once he gets them in we can expand his diet. But I am not sure he cares.
Munchie was not a huge fan of teeth either, but she was not quite as verbal about it. She was the silent brooding type. We have been experimenting with different teething rings and toys in an attempt to sooth him. After some extensive research, I have found the best teething toys on the market (even though Ducky could care less about the market and is only concerned with his sore gums).
Munchkin Fun Ice Soothing Ring Teether

I (and Ducky) love the teething toys you can stick in the freezer. The water inside turns to ice, and the cold is very soothing to tiny irritated gums. Munchkin makes a lot of fun looking products, and their teethers are no exception. The bright colors will make it more attractive to baby, enticing them to stick it in their mouths.
Razbaby Raz-Berry  Teethers
A baby at day care had one of these, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I talked to the kids’ mom, and she swore by it. It combines a pacifier with a teether, for fast and easy on the go soothing action.
Fisher Price Brillian Basics Little Glamour Gift Set
I wish I had gotten this for Munchie, but unfortunately that boat already sailed. It is great if you want your baby girl to look girly, but also practical for mommy. It contains all the basics of teething toys; it rattles, has groovy textures, bright colors, and it is solid enough to sooth those gums.
Disney Baby Pooh Teething Ring
It is a teether and a plushie. Plus, Pooh is featured, and you really can’t go wrong with that. What I liked best about this ring is the holders on the sides. These types of toys are great to improve dexterity and fine motor skills.
What are some of your favorite teething toys? Do you have any soothing techniques you would like to share?