My second child teethed on and off for nearly a year before we saw any teeth arrive. It was fun! When I had my first child I honestly thought that kids babies teethed for a couple of weeks and then that was it. Yeah. I was totally wrong. Babies generally start teething at around six months, but for some it can be before four months and some kids are born with teeth. Knowing this much, second child around I decided to do whatever I could to help my baby and me get through the pain, so these are my top ways to calm teething, both for you and your baby.
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1) Sophie The Giraffe I refused to get my eldest a Sophie as I thought they were essentially an overpriced dog toy. However he was my first born and I was also under the impression then that teething only lasted a few weeks. Hmm! The baby was bought a Sophie at the first sign of the singular red cheek. In times of despair it amuses me to see her getting her head chewed.
2) Dribble Bibs. I wrote this tutorial on how to make your own a little while ago and it’s still one of the most popular pages on this site. They’re super easy to do and you also get to use a hammer, which personally I find very calming!
3) Teething gel. My toddler is obsessed with teething gel after being given it for a bad throat (advised by the chemist I hasten to add!) I’m no totally convinced on the difference it made to my daughter but it’s easy to carry round in case of an emergency and as it’s got proper medical sounding ingredients in it I kind of hope there’s been some sort of research into it.
4) Teething powders. You know how some people moan on about how they wish they’d invested in Microsoft/ the Post Office / whatever? Well that’s me and teething powders. I pretty much swore by Ashton and Parsons for my son but I’ve now been through most brands for my daughter. I *think* they work, all be it mainly in that they made me feel like I was doing something.
5) Dribble Vests. These brill looking inventions are new to me but I’ve recently seen a few reviews and it’s basically its a baby vest with an absorbent bib built into it. Cool huh?
6) Dribble Tshirts. If you have a slightly older child (sorry folks, teething lasts, like, forever.) Then the wipe clean tshirts sound ace for dribble as well as all the other lovely mucky stuff toddlers get up too!
7) Calpol. Frankly, the Bounty pack at hospital should include calpol, no one gets to six months in without desperatly needing some.
8) Teething necklaces. When I asked for advice on my blogs facebook page a while ago this was the one thing that everyone raved about. I haven’t tried them myself, but I’m a great believer in trusting the experiences of other parents.
9) Wine. For you, not the baby, obviously. On a particularly bad day you may wish to add a straw.
How have you coped with teething? Let me know any ideas you have that might help!
You may also like:
Life with small kids
- 40+ Things your baby can eat before they have teeth
- What is Baby Led Weaning and is it right for your family?
- How to make a tag blanket
- How to make a dribble bib
Barbara Ashton
Dentinox!! A little tube of heavenyl gel..a bit like Bonjela except that you can use it every 20 minutes! It eases the pain enough for them to fall asleep. One of my top recommends to new mums.
Kate Williams
Oh what a fab idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Eileen Teo
love number 9 tip! i think most of your reader would agreed. we need that!
Helen Neale
Wine – ha ha – love it! Good ideas here. Thanks for sharing in the parenting Pin it party too.
Leslie
Teething tablets!!!!! These things are amazing! They’ve helped my daughter so much. We’re in the midst of teething. She still hasn’t gotten that first tooth yet. (She’s almost 7 months old). We’ve been dealing with teething since about 3 months old. But, teething tablets are awesome! We also use a Baby’s First Toothbrush. She loves to chew on it and rub it on her gums.
Kate Williams
Oh I didn’t think of a toothbrush! Excellent idea, thank you 🙂
Linda
I swear by Hazelwood teething necklaces. When my daughter wore hers, she was fine and a few days I forgot to put it on her and was wondering why she was so fussy. I swear no word of a lie, within 30 minutes of putting it back on her, she was calm and happy. Barely any problems teething–even when she got her molars.
Linda
One more thing: Camilla for teething by a company called Boiron also works magic. It’s a homeopathic, instead of over-the-counter drug options.
Illia
Diluted clove oil, teething necklaces are amazing, frozen washcloths for baby to chew on and on bad days we do all of the above and piggy back Tylenol and ibuprofen
Cody
Totally agree with the Sophie!!! Someone bought us one and it has been a life saver! I love to see her head getting bit instead of my fingers lol. My son always hated pacis and didn’t really like other teethers but the the sophie is great. I use to make Chamomile tea ahead of time and put it in a container in the fridge. I would put dab on of his bibs or burb rags in it and let him knaw on it as well as the spoons he uses for his meals.