Adriano is getting all his teeth at once. The top four came up within days of each other, and now it looks like he’s getting two more! This sweet boy is most always happy and laughing at his own “jokes,” but these past few weeks he’s been understandably fussy and not like himself.
We can’t give him Tylenol every four hours for weeks at a time, so I’ve been trying to remember remedies that worked for his older brother and looking for some new solutions, too. For this post I’m focusing on things that are cold or baby can chew on for quick relief.
Here’s a round up of some favorite home remedies, along with my both my sons’ favorite teething toy picks:
Home remedies for teething
Frozen pacifier
The frozen pacifier is Adriano’s favorite. A colleague of my husband told him about this gem of an idea, and now I keep two in the freezer to alternate using this pacifier.
How to create a frozen pacifier:
- Squeeze all the air out of the nipple.
- Submerse it in water and release nipple to fill it with water.
- Freeze it and give it to baby.
You can also try freezing water in a bottle upside down so the frozen water is in the nipple. (Just be careful not to let it drip all over your freezer — not that I did or anything.)
Chamomile tea on washcloth
Wet the corner of a washcloth in cooled chamomile tea and let baby chew and suck the water out. The chamomile is calming and has has anti-inflammatory properties. It has also been shown to reduce crying in colicky babies. Both my boys like this, and it’s one you don’t have to freeze ahead of time.
Wooden spoon or spatula
Wooden spoons or soft-tipped spatulas feel good on budding teeth and can keep baby’s interest — probably because they know they’re not toys!
Homemade popsicles
You could make all kinds of interesting combinations in the blender for your popsicles, but applesauce or yogurt are hits as well.
Frozen foods
Older toddlers can chomp on frozen peas, frozen bananas, the ever-popular frozen bagel (or waffle), frozen sliced kiwi or watermelon. Younger babies can use a food mesher, see below.
Best teethers
We have quite a few teething toys (too many teething toys), and these are my boys’ top picks:
Fresh Food Meshers
You can put an ice cube or piece of cold fruit in one of these Food Meshers for baby to gnaw. This one might be best for the highchair because they tend to drip, but kids love them.
Baby Banana Bendable Training Toothbrush
Adriano has wanted to chew on a toothbrush the whole time he’s been teething. It’s great that he’s into oral hygiene, but I worry about him falling down on it and hurting himself. That’s why this bendable, silicone Banana Toothbrush is great — he’s got his toothbrush and I don’t worry about him choking on it.
Nuby Icy Bite Keys
Babies love their key rings, so these Icy Bite Keys were a natural one for me to try. He plays with this one whether he’s teething or not.
Sassy Flutterby Teether
I think my son chooses this Flutterby Teether is because he likes the way it looks. Its top two wings are freezable and the bottom two offer a soft rubber texture.
Teething ring
Teething rings are a classic. They stay cold longer than most of the toys and baby can put it around his wrist. The only downside is that it can make little hands cold. Nuby’s Ice Bite Soother Teething Ring is pictured here, but I’ve seen a water teether by Infantino that is only available in stores (not online) at Walmart for a little over a dollar.
Sophie the Giraffe
I’m including the iconic Sophie the Giraffe especially for younger, baby teethers. There’s something about the soft rubber texture that has made this a favorite for decades. Not to mention, it’s adorable!
There are also teething necklaces and bracelets for mom to wear. How genius!
If you’ve got a magic teething toy that has helped your tot or a new DIY teether, please share!
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Frozen pickle juice Popsicles work well! I’ve read that there’s something in pickle juice that helps calm angry gums. My boys loved it!
Haha! Never heard of that one! I’ll have to give it a try my next time around. Thanks for the tip!
My baby has his first tooth coming through now and I’ve found that freezing a washcloth and letting him chew on it works very well. Doesn’t last long though haha
The frozen paci isn’t a great idea. You don’t want to cause frost bite. You have to be very careful. That’s why you don’t just put an ice pack directly on your skin. Same concept here. They make tethers that can be refrigerated.
Thanks for your concern, Lex. It’s good to keep safety in mind! I have, however, done this many, many times — testing it on myself first :)
Hi Kate
What kind of binky is that clear one you filled with water and froze? My girl only has the Mam ones (which she loves) and I tried to do this with one of them but it didnt work…the back is all sealed shut so I couldn’t fill it with water. We’ve got a serious crank pot on our hands with the teething so Im trying everything! Haha. If I can buy that brand in a store or on amazon I’ll get it today!! ;) Thanks so much! Great blog!!
I’m so sorry, Jennie. I stopped getting comment alerts and just now saw your question. I used free flow Avent pacifiers and have now added it to the text. Hope she’s feeling better!
Have you seen the Zoli gummy teether? It’s basically the same concept as the silicone-tipped wooden spatula (good for reaching the rear teeth) but it has a guard so it doesn’t go too far into the mouth.
Worked great for us.
Sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing, I’ll check it out.
Have you seeing those freezable baby pacifiers that are supposed to be fillies with water? They are actually on label use.
They are called Nippii freezable pacifiers.
Found the website. Check out. http://Www.nippii.com freezable pacifier teethers looks like.
Thanks, Ryan!
Great information Kate and thanks for sharing, i wish i could have ran into this post much earlier while my little one was going through this process though :). As a parent, it is hard to watch your little one go through this painful process, which is why it is important to know all about teething so that you can offer your child every comfort while he/she is teething, and what remedies/toys are safe for them. If i can just add, by reading through a couple mom blogs, what i noticed a lot is new moms always wondering which is the “best” toy to buy the baby while teething. This is a difficult task because ultimately, it is whichever toy the baby chooses, which is why i strongly agree with buying a variety of toys and have the baby pick their favorite. Like in my experience, after going through multiple toys, my daughter finally fell in love with the Silicone Teething Mitten Baby Glove, which in my opinion, actually topped other teething toys. Teething Mitten glove, Protects baby`s hands from becoming chapped from excess chewing and saliva and also it stays on the baby’s hand comfortably with a secure velcro strap which makes it easy to carry around. Also the teething mitten glove will keep your baby entertained with its crinkle noise, attracting baby’s attention, and distracting the baby from the pain. I would definitely recommend the teething mitten glove to any parent new or not.
It can be really stressful for both the parents and the babies but it is important to try and relieve pain as much as possible. great tips thanks for sharing.
Great article … my baby is 5 months old and he’s teething..he’s putting his fingers into his mouth to reduce the discomfort.. and he is going through pain..i started searching for the remedies & some best advice, finally i landed here.. thank you for these wonderful tips, these really very helpful for me. Really looking forward to read more.
Oh good, I’m so happy to help :)
Good information about teething problems and remedies for teething. Sophie the Giraffe is a good toy for getting baby out from the pain.