As we approach the eight month mark, Freya still has no sign of any teeth, although we have had lots of teething symptoms, poor little one. I thought I would write a post on teething and things that we have found have helped us, so that hopefully they can help you.
When Freya is particularly suffering with her teething I find she is very clingy and wants more cuddles than normal, not that I’m complaining. I go with this and give her all the love she needs, even if it means nothing else can really get done that day. I find trying to distract her from the discomfort helps, which means lots of playtime, going for walks so she can look around and just constantly talking and singing to her. I am always playing music or singing to Freya so she seems to be distracted by that too – or maybe she’s terrified by my voice!
We have tried a lot of the teething products that are on the market. I start off with Camilia teething gel; I like this product as it is homeopathic so a good starter and sometimes this is enough to take away the discomfort. I have always preferred using homeopathic products first as they are more natural. I have never been one for taking many tablets and always try to avoid medication if there is another option! I was recommended this by our baby massage tutor and I found it online. If she is still grizzly then I sometimes use Bonjela. When I first started using Bonjela I found it worked really well, and I think she started to realise what it was as would instantly relax when I used it.
One thing we don’t tend to use is the teething granules. We used these a few times and they did work but I was aware I started using ALL of the teething products and I just wanted to narrow it down to the few that I thought were the best for us.
We then use calpol if she is still suffering. I have bought Ibuprofen for children but as my mum is allergic to it I still havent used it. I am nervous to (just incase she has an allergy also), so I am saving it for a last resort. Although a lot of people say this works brilliantly as it is an anti-inflammatory.
I like using teething rings as they double up as a distraction for Freya. We use a Nuby “Wacky” teething ring, which is really good as it has many different pressures, so they can use the area most comfortable. It is a good size to hold and really light so they are unlikely to keep dropping it. It can also be put in the fridge to cool down so it is even more soothing on her gums.
The latest thing we are trying is an amber bead anklet. They are meant to release a natural oil when next to the skin, that works like a natural ibuprofen. I have spoken to other mums who swear by them and say that their babies were teething and they wouldn’t have even known! The way I see it is, it is worth a try! I bought mine from amazon, click here for the link. So far, I *think* these are really helping. She seems a lot calmer with them on, the only problem is we keep losing them as they can drop off her ankle with all the crawling and kicking about that she does.
Luckily when Freya started teething she was old enough to be able to hold objects like teething rings. However some babies do suffer with teething symptoms earlier on. For these babies then the Baby Gumz teething mitten is perfect- we have tried this teething mitten and Freya really likes it. Even now that it is too small for her hand she still holds it and chews on the silicone.
This is Freya a few months ago using the mitten
It even comes with a travel bag and a teething progress chart
Once your baby’s teeth are through it is important to start cleaning them and to establish that tooth-brushing routine. I can do a separate post on tooth-brushing for babies; if you are interested in this and think this would be useful just comment below or message me. I hope this has helped, even if it is just one new thing to try,
Carly
This is another teething ring (BPA free too) which we got as a present