Teething can be extremely traumatic for a baby but obviously every baby is different. Some babies (and parents) are lucky enough for the first nashers just to pop through without any issue whereas others might scream for months, drool enough to paddle in it and chew on anything that will fit into their poor little mouths. That's not to mention the bright red cheeks and drool rashes.
For a little while now Little Man has been excessively dribbling and practically pulling his gums off so we know it won't be too long until a tooth pokes its way through. While we're yet to endure the tears, he does seem to have some discomfort as he pulls at and rubs everything on his gums, if you get too close he'll have either a body part or an item of your clothing rammed in his face in seconds.
After having a look online I realised the options and variety for baby teething products is immense! I didn't have a clue where to start.
We were kindly sent some helpful items to try out while Little Man is trying to push these teeth through.
Funky Giraffe Bibs sent us three of their XL bandana bibs. I have previously bought Funky Giraffe's standard size bibs and was massively impressed but the XL bibs are on a whole different level!
I love them. The size is perfect for my very dribbly man.
Funky Giraffe bibs have a massive range of funky designs which are all well made and fleece lined. The lining protects even the dribbliest babies clothes underneath. The Little Man has reflux so not only are they complete saviours with the dribbles from teething but they're great for saving his clothes from his sicky outbursts.
The XL bibs are a reasonable £5 each which I don't think is too bad considering the prices of bibs in some other well known high street baby shops. Funky Giraffe regularly have offers on their website too so it's worth watching out and following them on Twitter and Facebook to be the first to hear of any.
Usually we go through at least 4 normal bibs each day, whereas 1 maybe 2 of the XL Funky Giraffe bibs last all day. We've had no problems with any wetness soaking through and they look soft and comfortable and don't ride up round his neck at all. Each bib has adjustable press studs on the back which means they'll still be able to be used when Little Man gets older.
I'm definitely going to buy some more of these larger sized bibs. I wish I'd found them weeks ago. GUMIGEM have created a unique idea - jewelry for parents that's also a treat for babies! Their silicone jewelry is BPA, PVC, Lead, Latex and Phthalate free and is the perfect size for little hands .. and mouths!
I was sent the Button Pendant in Splash to try out. It costs £12.95 on the website and comes with a protective plastic purse for when it's not in use. GUMIGEM also offer free postage on all orders over £40. The silicon button comes on a black cord chain with breakaway clasp, so you don't end up being strangled by little hands! It's quite a long length to allow baby to grab it and chew while it's attached to your neck.
I do quite like the GUMIGEM idea and I think the texture of the pendant is great but I don't think I'd wear the necklace out of the house, and I do think Little Man prefers to chew his toys in his own space, he doesn't necessarily want to be cuddled up to me all day, so I think it'd be a nice idea if there was a way to attach the pendant to something he could play with alone too.
I've noticed that GUMIGEM also sell bangles which can be used alone by babies so I think that may be a better option for us.
The GUMIGEM necklaces would make a lovely alternative idea for a baby gift or for a baby shower. We were also sent some Dentinox Teething Gel to try. I wasn't even aware they produced a teething gel until we were sent it to try out. We've used their Infant Colic drops previously when Little Man was tiny and suffered from really bad trapped wind and found it worked well. Dentinox Teething Gel is suitable from birth and helps numbs pain during teething. It's reassuring to see that it's also sugar free.
Prior to trying the teething gel we'd previously used another brand which the Little Man really didn't like. I have no idea whether it worked with numbing the pain in his gums because all he did was spit it out. He seems quite happy with the taste of Dentinox, it doesn't have a sweeter taste as the other brand.
While I try not to use teething gels too much, prefering to take a more natural approach .. for now, it is nice to have a back up option should the Little Man suffer from any more pain.
We've tried a few different ideas to help with our teething journey, I've listed a few of the ones we've tried below -
A flannel chilled in the fridge - Little Man sucks and chews for ages. The cold crisp flannel soothes his sore gums and keeps him cool at the same time.
A chunk of icy cold apple - Obviously this is a full supervised one but Little Man loves this. We cut a large chunk off and apple that's been in the fridge and he knaws at it until it's a soggy mess.
Amber - I know some people love this but we bought an anklet and I have to say it had no effect whatsoever. The cynic in me thinks people 'want to believe' in amber.
Sophie Le Giraffe - Another one that people rave about but it still just resembles an expensive dog toy to me. Little Man will take it or leave it. He prefers the squeak to the chewing though I do know some children go wild for them.
I can't wait to see the Little Mans first little tooth. I just hope it's not too traumatic on it's way through.
What worked for you when your little people were teething?
