My daughter didn’t get her first tooth until she was 7-months-old, and didn’t seem too fussy when it first started to poke through her bottom gums, so I momentarily thought I was going to get off easy in the teething department.
A couple of months later, when I was in the throes of sleep training, she started to cut 4 top teeth at the same time, and I was fairly certain I was going to lose my mind.
So I did some research and tried every remedy known to mankind.
Well, I thought I did.
But when my girlfriend called me in tears last week after her son screamed all. night. long. because he was cutting his first tooth, I asked my awesome Facebook followers for some advice, and I was amazed at all of the different products and remedies they suggested to me.
And since I know there are more moms like my friend out there who are DESPERATE to find something (ANYTHING!) that will keep their little ones from screaming all day and night, I thought I would pass along this list to you. I’ve featured all of my favorite teething products below (just click the images to find out details and where to buy them), and go into more detail about each throughout this post. Good luck!
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1. HYLAND’S BABY TEETHING TABLETS
I have heard great things about Hyland’s Teething Tablets, but they aren’t available for sale in Canada, and I never had the sense to ask someone to send some to me to try.
Sleep deprivation will do that to you.
But based on the responses from my Facebook fans, these are a real hit!
“Hyland’s Teething Tabs. I put them in EVERY.SINGLE.BOTTLE. my children drank for about 7 months of their lives.”
–Ashley T. of The Dose of Reality
“I second the Hyland’s teething tablets. Didn’t really help my daughter but they were a lifesaver for my son and my niece.”
–Andrea T.
“Hylands teething tablets.”
–Jennifer D.
2. WHISKEY
My aunt was FOREVER telling me to rub a little whiskey on my daughter’s gums, or add a little to a bottle, but my postpartum hormones had me convinced I would be arrested if I so much as showed my daughter a bottle of Jim Bean.
As it turns out, a lot of moms are much more relaxed than I am.
And they probably got a lot more sleep than I did when their kids started to cut their eye teeth.
“Whiskey. For me, not them. Well, a little on the gums for numbing, but mostly me.”
–Jeannette B. of Mommy Needs a Martini
“Whiskey. All mine teethed with it. I kept a little airline bottle of Jack Daniels with me, and if they were fussy I would rub a little on their gums. It’s a natural anesthetic. You could also try apricot flavored brandy. Same effect, more appealing flavor!”
–Nancy M. of a calibama state of mind
“Jamison Whiskey on the gums (my in-laws are all Irish!).”
–-Janine H. from Janine’s Confessions of a Mommyaholic
3. CAMILIA HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE FOR TEETHING RELIEF
I don’t think I would have gotten through the first 6 months of my daughter’s life without Boiron Cocyntal Colic Relief, so when I heard that Boiron made homeopathic medicine for teething (Boiron Camilia Teething Relief), I immediately ran out to our local drug store and bought every single box on the shelf. Sadly, Camilia didn’t work well for my daughter, but other moms swear by it.
“Camilia. It was a GODSEND. Found it on Amazon.”
–Meredith N. of From Meredith to Mommy
“We used Camillia drops from whole foods. Worked like a charm and helped my poor teething son sleep.”
–Erin F.
4. FROZEN FOODS
We froze a lot of bananas when my daughter was teething (which might explain why she can’t stand them anymore), but as you can see below, you can freeze just about anything!
“Frozen green onions…also a natural anesthetic. ”
–Nancy M. of a calibama state of mind
“Frozen bagels, hylands teething tablets, frozen bananas.”
–Sara H. of Caffeinated Chronicles
“Eating frozen waffles.”
–Elizabeth S.
5. CLOVE OIL MIXED WITH OLIVE OIL
I had never heard of the clove oil + olive oil remedy for teething, but based on the responses below, it works wonders. Never heard of it either? You can find out more, including how to make and apply it, RIGHT HERE.
“My youngest hated Ambesol so I tried clove oil mixed with olive oil. It worked a little better than Ambesol without all the numbing that freaked her out, and made her mass produce drool. Also they say be careful not to numb their gag reflex w the Ambesol, clove oil is more natural.”
–Joy C. of ComfyTown Chronicles
“Clove oil in olive oil.”
–Terran M.
6. WINE
This is the one remedy I used.
Every. Single. Night.
“Biggest jug of wine you can find, and ear plugs!”
–Christina G.
“Wine. For mom.”
–Steph J. of When Crazy Meets Exhaustion
7. FROZEN WASHCLOTHS
Would ANYONE survive teething without frozen washcloths?
And is it just me, or is Melissa J. a genius??!
“Washcloths. Wet frozen washcloths in zip lock bags. Even good on the go. I would have went crazy without them. And baths. She loved to be in a cool bath when it was real bad. Helped with the fever also.”
–Kimberly S.
“Wet frozen washcloths, frozen breastmilk pops.”
–Melissa J.
8. MUNCHKIN FRESH FOOD FEEDERS
The Munchkin Fresh Food Feeders are messy, especially when you give birth to kids that love frozen blueberries like I do, but oh my goodness do they ever help numb painful gums!
“Ice cubes in the little mesh bags and Tylenol.”
–Suzanne A.
“Munchkin Fresh Food Mesh Feeder. I received a lot of advice, tried everything, but this was by far the best remedy. You can put anything frozen in it (grapes, watermelon, peaches, popsicles, apple juice frozen, etc) no choking and aside from getting baby a little wet, it works great!”
–Mary H.
9. AMBER TEETHING NECKLACE
I was always too nervous to put an Amber Teething Necklace on my daughter, but you can buy amber teething anklets and bracelets as well. And from what I have heard from my Facebook fans and a couple of my mom friends, these work. Just do me a favor and research them in more detail before trying them, and please please please don’t ever leave a child unattended with a necklace around her neck!
“Raw amber necklace.”
–Heather V.
“My daughter wore an amber necklace and never had any discomfort from teeth coming in.”
–Megan N.
10. TEETHING RINGS
I kept a tupperware container FULL of teething rings in our fridge at all times so I always had something cold to give my child when she started on one of her crying jags.
But I never tried the teething rings that Jenn B. suggested below. Have you?
“These [Lifefactory Multi Sensory Silicone Teether] teething rings were the best! My son loved them and chewed them a ton. I think they gave him some relief…along with children’s tylenol.”
–Jenn B. of A Splendid Messy Life