Hellobee

Some babies are unaffected by teething, and many others, like Toddler Checkers, have difficulty functioning while cutting teeth.  She cut her first tooth at nine months, and now at 26 months is cutting her two year molars.  This means eating for her is a chore and meals are often hit or miss, sleeping (for all parties) is erratic, and irritability is a frequent visitor in our household.

*Some of these items have helped us while dealing with teething:

1) Infant/children’s acetaminophen – When the teething tablets do not seem to be working as well, we will offer Toddler Checkers a dose of children’s acetaminophen before bed time.  I tend to use this as a last resort, but when she genuinely appears to be in pain and is unable to sleep, this has proven to be helpful in allowing her to sleep.

2) Teething bibs – Any bib will really do, but I found these teething bibs (with the waterproof backing) to be helpful in the earlier months while Toddler Checkers was teething and drooling excessively.  When she was cutting her first few teeth, I felt like our laundry was constantly full of bibs!

3) Baltic amber teething necklace – I purchased this when Toddler Checkers was only a few months old after reading rave reviews online.  To this day, I have no idea whether or not this has really helped ease pain; the jury is out on this one, but I am willing to try it again!
4) Teething toys – Chill teethers and Sophie the Giraffe were great for Toddler Checkers during the first year of teething.  I have read on some reviews that children have used Sophie all the way through the two year molars, but Toddler Checkers has showed little interest in these after turning one (even though she will stick just about anything else in her mouth).

5) Homeopathic teething tablets – We have been using Hyland’s Teething Tablets to help soothe her gums.  These seem to have helped for mild to moderate pain, but have been less effective as her molars are coming in.

6) Soft foods – After days of refusing food, we found that Toddler checkers was more inclined to eat softer foods, like yogurt or rice mixed with soup, since these required minimal to no chewing.

7) Essential Oils – A couple of moms I know are strong advocates for using essential oils as a more natural remedy for teething (and other ailments).  I have been rubbing various essential oils from DoTerra (diluted and mixed with water) topically on Toddler Checkers’ jawline and on the bottom of her feet to help soothe the pain and help her sleep.  I was skeptical at first, but I am beginning to see the results!

8) Chilled foods and/or popsicles – We have been giving Toddler Checkers slightly frozen grapes (we will usually put them in the freezer after work and pull them out right after dinner), and I think she enjoys 1) the cold and 2) the hard pressure on her gums.  Other moms have also told me popsicles helped calm their child during teething stints.  If you like to make your own pops at home, this Zoku Mini one looks easy to use and toddler-friendly.

*These tips are reference only, and are not intended to be substituted for advice from your child’s healthcare professional.

Hive:  Do you have any helpful teething tips to share?  What other remedies worked for your baby?