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Teething snuck up on me way before I thought it would. Benson was about three months old when his first tooth popped through, and then disappeared again an hour later, but I was not prepared for it at all! Since then I've learned a lot about soothing a teething babe and even developed my own system depending on how much pain he is in. After 15 months of teething I think we're finally out of the woods and I want to share my tips with other moms who are starting the same journey!
**Please note that I am not a doctor, I don't know all the side effects of any of these suggestions. These are just tips that worked for me and my son.
We have a three part system that we do when Benson really starts to show signs of pain.
- We always start off with a teether toy. I mention a few of my favorites below, but I like to see if just chewing on something can help relieve the pain before I give him any medications.
- If toys just aren't cutting it, then I step it up to teething tablets. This is a great medium between ibuprofen and just a toy. I'll share my favorite teething tablets below too!
- Finally, if nothing else seems to cut it we give Benson Ibuprofen. When things were really bad we would rotate between ibuprofen and acetaminophen to help ease the pain.
You will find millions of teether options online, but these are my absolute favorites; both because they helped ease the pain for my little guy and because some of them were just plain cute!
Icy Chew Teethers
Like I said, Benson started teething before I had even thought of it and I was so lost at first as to what to give him. Luckily, I had gotten these Munchkin Fun Ice Chew Teethers as a baby shower gift and when I found it in my toy bin I was so relieved. I gave it to him right away and even unfrozen they helped so much. Now I constantly have that foot in the freezer, ready to bust out anytime Benson starts to get cranky or show signs of pain.
Appeteethers
I came across this adorable bacon teether when I was frantically searching Amazon for teethers that first day Benson started showing signs of pain. I knew Jason would be ok spending a little bit more on this cute bacon teether. It always gets compliments and questions, and they have a lot of other cute food options; I was very tempted by the broccoli teether. The bacon teether was a little hard for Benson to use at 4 months, but as he's gotten older he's loved it.
Mesh food holders and ice
Put an ice cube or some frozen breast milk in a Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder and let baby chew on that cold stuff! The cold helps sooth the inflamed gums plus this is probably the easiest way to sooth those teeth when you're in a pinch. I didn't discover it until Benson was older, but it would have been great when he was young as well. Now, when he's in a lot of pain I'll just hand him an ice cube and he loves that as well.
Teething Tablets
I have Hyland's teething tablets stocked in my diaper bag and in our house so we're never without them. I love that Benson can have a fair amount of tablets without me having to worry about side effects. Benson even knows that these will give him relief and now will grab them out of my hand and eat them himself.
Amber teething necklaces
Let me start this off by saying I'm not a "crunchy granola mom." I'm a huge believer in modern medicine, and like I said, I've given Benson drugs for teething, but I also think there are a lot of holistic approaches that are effective too.
That being said, I'm a huge believer in Amber teething necklaces. I am still amazed by how well this necklace works. Before the necklace Benson was constantly drooling, but now he doesn't drool at all. He can also tell he difference when it's gone. We usually take it off at night and the couple of times I've forgotten to put it back on in the morning he is fussier and grabs at his neck for the necklace. I think they are definitely worth a shot if your baby has a lot of pain while teething. However, make sure you do your research because there are a lot of scams with teething necklaces. Read reviews, make sure it's certified and spend a little more if you have to.
What are your favorite teething methods? What works for you and your family?
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