Foot in Mouth: Happens to the Best of Us MONTH 4 WEEK 2

Approved by the What’s Up Moms Medical Advisory Board

You haven’t seen so much drooling since after that one party in college.

Baby is a flowing fountain of drool and it could be because she’s teething (she may be pulling on/ swatting at her ears, and her gums might be swollen, especially in the bottom front, which is the first location to “sprout”), but it could also just be increased saliva in preparation for starting solids. Your baby is also probably mauling all sorts of objects in her mouth, which she does both for comfort and because the mouth her most highly developed sensory area and her means for discovering objects. Pretty cool, right? (Maybe don’t try this at work.)

What do you do with all this… wetness? If you get to the point where baby’s soaking her shirt, get one of those bandana bibs – babe will stay dry and it will translate as a bold fashion choice in the form of an ascot! #sophisticatedbaby #functionandfashion

Speaking of bibs, some parents want to start solids around this time, hoping that filling baby’s belly with rice cereal will help them sleep through the night, but, sorry to say, that’s really not a thing. Better to wait until closer to six months when you’ll start seeing signs of baby’s readiness for solids: good neck control, sitting independently, and her following your eating with interest and reaching for a spoon.

In the meantime, just manage baby’s ludicrous amount of mouth moisture and do what you can keep her dry and comfortable. And, most of all: enjoy that ascot.