Do you have your arsenal of teething remedies ready? Most of your baby’s first year milestones will arrive to great pomp and circumstance, spreading nothing but pleasure, pride, and happiness all around. You’ll grab your iPhone and happily show the world your baby’s first smiles, first rolls over, and even her first haircut. And then comes teething….
As the writer, Anthony Doerr, so eloquently put it, “Watching teething babies is like watching over a thermonuclear reactor — it’s best done in shifts, by well-rested people.” If the pain hits during your watch, it’s best to be armed with an arsenal of teething remedies for poor aching gums. Here are seven we really hope will work for your little tooth-cutter.
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Give him a frozen bagel
This was one of our editor-in-chief, Claudia Ahrens-Hernandez favorite teething remedies for her three boys. Even though the thought of gnawing on a rock hard, cold, tasteless breakfast pastry seems vile to you, your baby may feel relief from the combination of the bagel’s iciness and hardness. We can’t promise you will feel the same about the gnawed off, chewed up little pieces he will leave behind in his wake.
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Go Bananas
If your baby is not going for the frozen disk, try a frozen banana. The sweet, familiar taste may be more appealing and it’s shape more practical for reaching pesky back teeth.
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Keep Teethers Around
Invest in BPA-free plastic teethers, the ones filled with a special gel that freezes into a leak-proof toy, and keep a stash, clean and handy, in the freezer.
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Go Natural
Use homeopathic teething remedies. If you are uncomfortable administering over the counter pain relief, choose a natural remedy that usually includes chamomile (or put some chamomile tea in your baby’s bottle). It will soothe her nerves and help manage the discomfort.
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Massage His Gums
Baby’s first toothbrush, the kind that fits over an adult finger and features small, flexible plastic bristles, is the perfect massage tool for a baby’s itchy, sore gums. The added benefit is that it will get your little one used to brushing when those teeth are finally in.
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Numb the Gums
Use a topical analgesic, the kind sold over the counter, to buy your baby a half hour or so of relief.
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Chase Down the Ice Cream Truck
A popsicle is one of the best teething remedies, likely as much for the novelty and the sugar as the icy goodness. And yes, sorry, it will get messy.