Teething Toys, Tricks and Remedies

I know you can google and find a million + 1 things out there to help soothe teething babies. You can ask your parents and they can give you all of the old witch craft remedies as well. However, I have created a few list of my favorite items that seem to work well in different instances. Eventually you will come to learn that there is no one answer as there are times when some things seem to work and others do not.

Before I list everything, let me tell you that babies can begin teething as early as 1 month. My poor baby started at 1.5/2 ish. Others can start as late as 6 months. It is important that you pay attention to the following signs of teething (one or all may occur simultaneously):

  • Sucking or chewing of the hands, fingers, fists or any other items. If bottle fed, you may catch baby playing with the bottle by chewing on it rather than sucking on it.
  • Constant rubbing of the ears or cheeks. Their nerves which are triggered by teething run along their cheeks and jaw line. (Rubbing of the ears can also be a sign of an ear infection so it is important to be able to distinguish from the two.)
  • Very mild fevers or just running on a slightly higher temperature.
  • Very hot and/or sweaty heads.

Toys:

  • Your finger is the most handy!
  • Any rubber or silicone toys including pacifier clips and pacifiers. (I have read that any kind of wooden beads or wood is not good for many reasons.)
  • Nuby Gumeez Teether specially for when they first begin and do not have any teeth at all. These are perfect for early teething babies because not much fits in their mouth, but these are very thin and fit better than a pacifier.
  • Water or rubber teething rings. They sell variety packs marked with different stages such as front teeth, back teeth and all teeth.
  • Finger brush
  • Banana brush
  • Soft and textured books with teething corners
  • Teething glove

Tricks:

  • Frozen milk, water or fruit popsticles. Search for teether pops.
  • Wet and cold wash cloths to suck on

Remedies:

Note: I give baby a chance to soothe him/her self a bit with teething toys. Once I notice baby beginning to get frustrated or antsy I give him/her one of the following remedies.

  • Camilia is what I like to use during the day. It is a vial of MIRACLE drops. 100% homeopathic.
  • I give baby Hyland teething (night) tablets at night. This is also another homeopathic remedy.
  • There are various teething gels which I chose not to use because even though they maybe homeopathic…. One: size to administer is not premeasured so you really can not monitor how much you have given baby and there are times you have to administer several doses back to back with any of these remedies…. Two: They instruct you to apply directly to gums and unlike the 2 previous remedies, you find yourself questioning if you are actually applying to the affected area.
  • YUP!!! When baby starts crying like crazy and its time for bed (most teething episodes for him happen to occur before nap time or bed time) and I have not given him any other remedies prior….. I dab a few drops of Tequila, Whiskey or Cognac and rub it directly on his gums both top and bottom. DO NOT get your baby drunk, I MYSELF use this form of alcohol on him barely enough to numb his gums. This is something my family has been doing at least since my sisters and I were born. 

Good luck, teething SUCKS!!!

Let me know of anything else you find useful and do not forget to share this post with your friends.