Just when we were getting on a great sleep schedule, it got ruined by teething! Ok so that's not really what my kid looks like when he's teething. It's more of an uncomfortable and sometimes tear-filled face with screams of terror. Why? Well dentists say its because their teeth feel like their teeth are cutting through their gums. POOR BABY! Some parents are super lucky and never really experience the teething phase because their babies don't feel much pain. Me and my husband on the other hand...not so much. So how did we know he was teething in the first place? Well he had majority of the symptoms:
- biting
- drooling
- gum rubbing
- sucking
- irritability
- wakefulness
- ear rubbing
- facial rash
- decreased appetite
- mild temperature
Lots and lots of drool.
You can see his first tooth pushing through.
I'm all about natural remedies but the first time my son started teething, he cried non-stop for an hour and we wanted instant relief. It was horrifying! We rushed to the drugstore and bought Orajel and had the baby Tylenol on standby. The Orajel worked after we applied it straight to his gums but I told my husband that we need to try other methods that didn't involve chemicals. Teething rings, cold washcloths, Sophie the Giraffe and even his swaddles didn't really help. Frozen food isn't an option for us yet because we're waiting to introduce solids until he's at least 6 months old. Then finally we found three things that really helped with the pain: amber teething necklace, the baby banana toothbrush, and a good distraction.
I know what you're thinking...either 'what the heck is an amber teething necklace' or 'gosh Yasmin, how long were you living in Oregon? You're so granola.' To answer your first question: Amber beads provide a natural remedy without the use of drugs. The stone contains a naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory which can be absorbed through the warmth of your baby's skin. It's known to ease teething pain as well as other ailments. The necklace isn't made for chewing on so it's important that it isn't too loose around their neck. I ordered two from this Etsy site and love it! There are so many styles and colors to choose from but I narrowed it down to the 'Maximum Effective Raw Unpolished Baltic Amber' style and made sure that they were at least 13 inches long.
Raw unpolished amber stones aren't rough, it just means there is a slightly higher concentration of the naturally occurring anti-inflammatory property in those beads.
To answer your second question: Yes I've adopted many of their granola ways and I'm proud of it because guess what? It totally worked for us! I gifted one to my girlfriend whose son is also teething and she said she noticed a big difference in her son's behavior. Like my son, he became less fussy and less irritable. You shouldn't let your child sleep with the necklace. NOTE: Amber stones are easy to counterfeit so you want to make sure you buy the real deal. Click HERE for 4 easy tests to find out if your amber teething necklace is real or not.
To further ease the pain, our good friend Al gifted us the baby banana. He said it worked for his kids when they were teething and he was so right! It's a silicone banana with fun banana peel handles and soft silicone bristles. The size is perfect for my little man to grasp and he loves biting on the soft bristles which massages his gums. Al also suggested that distracting your baby away from the pain gets their mind off of it. Usually I'll take Luca for a walk in the Ergobaby or just play and sing nursery rhyme songs with him. SIDE NOTE: Pandora has great 'Nursery Rhyme Medley' stations :)
Teething at 5 months old, working on that first bottom tooth.
(clockwise) Amber teething necklace, Baby Banana Infant Teething Toothbrush, Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder.
Once we introduce solids to our little man I was told the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder is awesome. Just add frozen fruits for a tasty teething treat! My girlfriend and fellow mommy blogger Monica Lempert said a whole cold celery stalk did the trick for her baby girl. She was able to gnaw on the thick part and it was a healthy snack for her! Any other teething tips for me? Let me know below!