r/NewParents 21h ago

Tips to Share Give me all your best teething hacks and your favoriteteether toys!

I think my almost 4 month old son is going to be starting teething on the earlier end for babies, and I want to be prepared.

What teething hacks did you do that helped? Any specific teether toys recommendations?

5 Upvotes

73 comments sorted by

30

u/swearinerin 20h ago

Just a warning I thought my baby was teething since like 4 months as well and had all the classic signs. He did t get his first tooth until after 11 months old. It’s totally possible he’s getting teeth but it’s also possible you’ll be ripping your hair out for the next 7 months THINKING he’s getting teeth because of how fussy and drooly he is and then nothing comes and you rip your hair out lol

6

u/SamAtHomeForNow 20h ago

My doc told me that their teeth don’t descent all at once, but in stages. So they can have teething pain and no teeth showing because the teeth did move down, just not all the way. Then they stop for a bit and continue again a few weeks later. We’ve had confirmed by doctor teething pain since 3 months old and now at 7 months still no teeth, it’s infuriating

3

u/swearinerin 19h ago

lol I get that, it just made me lose my mind because everyone even seasoned moms would be like oh he’s teething! And then NOTHING! Lost my mind. Then all of a sudden one day 2 weeks ago he bit me and there was something sharp! Lol didn’t even notice that the teeth had actually started to erupt. I just ignored all the signs because I’d driven myself mad thinking he was for 7 full months lol

5

u/SamAtHomeForNow 18h ago

Yes! Everyone is like “that’s the most textbook perfect teething I’ve ever seen, he has all the signs, you’ll have teeth in days” and then nothing. For months. Still nothing 5 months since I was told this for the first time lol

2

u/swearinerin 18h ago

lol yep! I fully get that

He now has two bottom teeth he got 2 weeks ago and turns 1 in 2 days

They’ll come eventually but all the comments are the worst! Lol

2

u/elizabreathe 20h ago

Yeah my baby's almost 9 months and didn't get any teeth until after 7 months but I could see them getting closer and closer to the surface for months before they actually broke through. She started teething at 3 1/2 months and it's been in and off since.

2

u/lilac_roze 19h ago

What the evil hell is this??? Your poor baby!! I can’t imagine 4 months and going of constant pain :( I thought it was bad enough that each tooth was a few weeks too a month of teething pain.

Babies really have it rough! Wish Mother Nature programmed them with some basics at birth. They need to learn how to poo, fart, burb, keep their heavy head up, crawl and walk.

2

u/SamAtHomeForNow 18h ago

It picks up for a few days at a time and we get it all - the rash, the drool, weird poops, no appetite, the 2hrs of crying in pain at a time,… - then just stops for 2 weeks, then picks up again. I desperately want the teeth to show up already, it’s been almost 5 months of this!

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

I didn't realize how stool changes is a part of teething too!

2

u/SamAtHomeForNow 18h ago

Apparently it’s because their saliva changes and then that in turn causes odd poops? I’ve not looked into it too much so may be wrong

1

u/lilac_roze 16h ago

I wonder if it’s to do with their body preparing them for solids. They’ll need new acid and bacteria to break down the food. I remember how bad the drool rash was in the first few months of drooling

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

That's crazy! I didn't realize it can be in such phases/stages.. did your LO have trouble sleeping through the night at all?

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Haha thanks for this comment!❤️

10

u/Tiny-Bridge-7829 20h ago

At 4 months it’s also possible that it’s just normal development milestone and not teething. The hands in mouth, drooling, and more alertness and fussiness when awake looks a lot like teething

My 4 month old loves these. They are really affordable too!

-Bright Starts Oball Easy Grasp Classic Ball

-Innobaby Original Teethin Smart EZ Grip Star Teether

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Right?? As a first time mom, Im not sure but thought to get things in case🤣. I have a brightstar oball and he seems to love it! Affordability is always a plus!

5

u/bad_karma216 21h ago

My boy only has two teeth so far but he did not seem too bothered during the day. Tylenol or Motrin helped at night

2

u/EverlyAwesome 20h ago

This was our experience. I gave her Motrin one night because she was super fussy. I honestly wouldn’t even have known it was happening if I hadn’t noted an uptick in drool and stuck my fingers in her mouth to check.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 21h ago

Did sleeping through the night stop? I'm so afraid sleep+ sleep deprivation will get especially bad again. How old is your little one?

2

u/bad_karma216 20h ago

He started teething a week ago at exactly 7 months (he got two teeth at once). The first night he woke up in pain but went right back to sleep after we gave him Motrin. The second night we gave him Motrin before bed and he slept without any issues.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Thanks for this!

2

u/leilabeanie 19h ago

Just some reassurance from the mum of an 8 month old with 8 teeth already and several more coming through…!! Our little one had her first tooth through at 3 months and didn’t have any sleep regressions during any of her teeth cutting through. Fingers crossed you’ll have this luck too!

2

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Yay! This makes me have hope. 8 teeth at 8 months is so impressive!! So age slept through the night still?

2

u/leilabeanie 13h ago

We’ve been very lucky that she has slept through the night since she was 6 weeks old. It’s only the past week that we’ve had what I would say is our first sleep regression but that’s cleared up quickly and it was only that she needed longer for us to settle her when we put her down. We think that’s down to separation anxiety rather than teeth even though she’s got more on the way.

Ours learnt to self soothe by chewing her hand very early and I would say she has much preferred this method than using any teething ring or anything like that - when we’ve tried they have just ended up on the floor!!

5

u/imnotbork 20h ago

my daughter’s favourite teething toy is my chin 😂.

we have lots of silicone teether toys, she loves them all so far! she probably likes chewing on her silicone spoons the most, i call them her emotional support spoons now lol.

cold breast milk/formula can help too, but my girl didn’t like it cold.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

That's adorable about the spoons🤣

6

u/chelly_17 20h ago

Celery. It has anti inflammatory and pain killing properties. I would freeze mine in sticks and give it to my girls to gnaw on. They loved it

4

u/SelectClass6623 20h ago

This!!! Frozen celery has worked wonders. My LO also loves the Haakaa popsicle molds with frozen breast milk and the Infantino brand silicon teethers (since they’re easy to grab/hold)

2

u/Lavender_dreaming 17h ago

Second the Haakaa popsicle molds! My LO was also teething early and during summer and she loved the breast milk pops. It was also great later for cold fruit chunks after she started solids. She could chew and get off small bits and enjoy the cold juice without me worrying about her choking.

5

u/elizabreathe 19h ago

Always make sure any celery juice is completely washed off before going out in the sun. Celery juice and citrus juice can both cause margarita burns when combined with sunlight.

2

u/Alarmed-Log-7064 21h ago

My kiddos couldn’t care less about teething toys. But a frozen washcloth soaked in breastmilk? Oh heck yeah. Or a frozen cube of breastmilk in one of those mesh/silicone teething things are also a fav

3

u/Honeym3l0n 21h ago

Like frozen to the point that it's all crinkly-ish? And are the mesh things like the mesh food and fruit feeder things?

1

u/Alarmed-Log-7064 14h ago

Yeah I soak a washcloth is breastmilk and toss it into a plastic bag and into the freezer and wait for it to get crinkley. Once baby starts handling it won’t stay frozen for long but my kiddos have loved it. Or could fill a bottle nipple with breastmilk nd freeze it upside down. But yeah we just have one of those regular mesh food/fruit feeders with an IceCube of breastmilk. When my baby got older I switched the breastmilk out for frozen mango and she loved that even more

2

u/Matthew-1991 20h ago

We bought the dr brown silicone teethers, we freeze them.

2

u/EmbarrassedRN 20h ago

A wet washcloth! The texture was really helpful for her.

Now that she’s 7 months, she loves gnawing on celery sticks!

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Did you freeze it at all or just get it wet with cold water?

2

u/EmbarrassedRN 16h ago

Tried freezing once and it was a brick. Just cold water did the trick 

2

u/Puzzled_Produce_8868 20h ago

My son likes this: https://a.co/d/ancrnxl And he really likes gel teethers. They don’t get super hard in the freezer so he can chew on them. I strap them into a pacifier clip (he doesn’t use a pacifier) so he always has one ready to go.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Do you use one of the rings to strap them into a pacifier clip?

2

u/Puzzled_Produce_8868 17h ago

I have a silicon pacifier clip that has a loop at the end and I just slipknot it around the teether.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 17h ago

That's so smart!!

2

u/DifferentJaguar 20h ago

Sophie la girafe is definitely a favorite over here

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Is it worth like the $30 bucks?

2

u/DifferentJaguar 18h ago

To us, yes because he loves it and still uses it regularly. I know it’s ridiculously priced for a teether though.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

I just want to understand the hype 🤣!

1

u/DifferentJaguar 17h ago

I think it has a specific taste to it? Or something? Something unique and proprietary that basically makes all babies go apeshit lol

2

u/Honeym3l0n 17h ago

I had a mom of 2 boys and then another mom of 3 girls recommend it.. like it can cost more than most teethers too?🤣🤣

2

u/rklingaman 20h ago

My LO hates cold things, so we haven’t tried a lot of the tips and tricks suggested here. A wet washcloth is definitely a favorite. We’re trying to avoid medication unless he’s SUPER fussy, but he’s definitely sleeping shorter stretches at night and wants to eat every time he wakes up (I think mostly comfort nursing). I’ll echo what others say — it took a lot longer for that first tooth to pop out than I expected, but it’s been good to have things on hand because it definitely surprised us when it came through!

2

u/AndiAodh 19h ago

A baby toothbrush while supervised!! Especially one of the silicone ones when they're little. It does two things - helps gently scratch itchy gums, and gets them used to a toothbrush in their mouth, so when those teeth come in you can actually brush them! Was recommended by my sister who was a dental assistant and worked out great for us!

2

u/Dianthus_pages 19h ago

This Nuby Carrot tube teether is my baby’s all time favorite. Seems to be the only one that provides her any relief so far

2

u/IndependentBerry5024 19h ago

Teething straws! My daughters pediatrician recommended them and they were a lifesaver. Most other teethers she wouldn’t be interested in and throw them on the ground after a few minutes.

2

u/ApplicationSelect981 18h ago

These are my lo’s favourites.

Teething straws ( https://a.co/d/4rTAp6l )

Penguin ( https://a.co/d/bW8WWgu ) he likes this more when he was younger, at 9 months it isn’t one of his regulars anymore.

Specifically the banana and giraffe ( https://a.co/d/3WI9OWo ) Banana might be our current #1

Remote ( https://a.co/d/i4zUMzC )

Sophie the giraffe

Soother shaped ( https://a.co/d/7GEqZT7 )

Pretzel (it’s a harder teether) ( https://a.co/d/i1iqo0l )

Frozen blueberries in a silicone feeder are his favourite, has them every single night. Celery. He also likes chewing on harder things like cups or his link rings or stacker rings.

The teeth shift and move, they don’t have to be actively cutting the teeth to feel pain. We give Tylenol and Motrin as needed. Plus it can start early, my friends lo had 7 teeth by 6 months. Best of luck!

2

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Someone commented that their baby had 8 teeth at 8 months!

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Is Sophie the giraffe worth the price tag?

2

u/ApplicationSelect981 16h ago

My mom bought it for us. I wouldn’t have bought it myself if I’m honest. He likes it but not enough to shell out the $35 from my own pocket.

2

u/Honeym3l0n 16h ago

Especially because you can get like multiple teether from a different brand for like that price.

1

u/rachh19 21h ago

these have been a hit! i chill them in the fridge

1

u/Honeym3l0n 21h ago

Tysm!❤️

1

u/Cool-Importance6004 21h ago

Amazon Price History:

3 Packs Baby Teether Toy for 0-6 6-12 Months,Hold & Wear,BPA Free,Food Grade Silicone Teething Mitten, Anti Dropping Wrist Hand Teethers Baby Chew Toys for Sucking Needs(Pink & Dark Pink) * Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.8 (54 ratings)

  • Current price: $9.99 👍
  • Lowest price: $9.99
  • Highest price: $13.99
  • Average price: $11.64
Month Low High Chart
08-2024 $9.99 $13.99 ██████████▒▒▒▒▒
05-2024 $9.99 $13.99 ██████████▒▒▒▒▒
04-2024 $9.99 $9.99 ██████████
01-2024 $11.90 $11.90 ████████████

Source: GOSH Price Tracker

Bleep bleep boop. I am a bot here to serve by providing helpful price history data on products. I am not affiliated with Amazon. Upvote if this was helpful. PM to report issues or to opt-out.

1

u/callietilley 20h ago

My son loves Sofie the giraffe!

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Is it worth the price tag?

2

u/callietilley 17h ago

Yes! It survived an attack by my parents pitbull. No teeth marks at all

1

u/Honeym3l0n 17h ago

Do you know why Sofie is so highly recommended?

2

u/callietilley 16h ago

I have no idea! But we have all of the teethers and this is the one he uses most! I assume because there’s just different shapes and angles for him to chew. Or because she’s a fancy French girl 😂

1

u/callietilley 20h ago

My son loves Sofie the giraffe!

1

u/-CluelessWoman- 20h ago

I also currently have a teething 4 month old. I can feel the tooth. It’s going to pop out any time now. Tylenol at night is crucial. We also take one of those pacifiers where you can shove your finger in, fill it with water, freeze it and let him munch away. He loves that. But the best teething toy is papa’s finger. Mama’s fingers are too bony.

1

u/destria 20h ago

Mine has been obsessed with his matchstick monkey since he could grasp toys. It's a teether but my LO loves gnawing on it whenever.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

How cute!

1

u/PrincessKimmy420 19h ago

My baby likes frozen fruit in a silicone fruit feeder.

1

u/Patcheslove55 19h ago

You need a teething mitten! You can get them on amazon and you put them on babies hand and they can’t drop them. I get the ones that they grab and not the ones that fully cover their hand. But it works great! I put it on when we go on car rides so baby isn’t chewing on their hands.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 18h ago

Like the penguin teether things on Amazon?

2

u/Patcheslove55 18h ago

Yes penguins or chickens or I’ve even seen a strawberry one! They can go in the dishwasher.

1

u/daarksunshinee 6h ago

Camilia teething drops, infant Tylenol, celery, water-filled rings to put in fridge for a cool feeling, tooth brush teething toy, raspberry teething toy, teething mitts.

1

u/Honeym3l0n 2h ago

Thank you!☺️