Teething can be a challenging time for both – the child and the parents, especially when those first milk teeth start forming. It's a transformative process and does get uncomfortable, which is why infants tend to become irritable and fussy during this period.
Your child may feel sore or have tender gums when the teeth are about to erupt, which causes discomfort in the first place. That's why babies tend to gravitate towards something to chew that will help them ease this pain.
That's why teethers are so important. They can help a baby overcome that irritability. Gently rubbing their gums or using a cool spoon helps soothe that discomfort, while a teether is a sure-shot alternative that your child can chew on.
But instead of getting teethers from the market, you can make your own homemade teething toys too. Well that's exactly what TikTok mum Kate Bast did.
Going by the user handle @thebastfamily, the mum is popular for sharing parenting hacks on her page.
DIY Brilliant Homemade Teething Toys
In order to handle fussy kids during their teething period, Kate shared a teething hack that any parent can try at home.
- In the video, Kate starts out by folding and knotting a simple baby washcloth.
- Once it's tied up nicely, the mum soaks it under the tap.
- She then knots five washcloths that are soaked underwater. They are then placed in a small baking dish and placed into the freezer.
- Kate says she leaves them there for 20 to 30 minutes until they're cold but not frozen.
- Once they're cold enough, the homemade teething toys are given to the baby, who can suck and chew on them.
The hack has other parents in awe, who simply can't get enough of it.
Netizens In Awe Of The Brilliant Hack
Commenting on Kate's TikTok handle, users wrote what they thought of the teething hack. One user wrote, “I love this, I’m going to try it on my baby who’s having a rough time right now teething.”
Another user suggested, soaking the washcloth in cold chamomile tea, which further helps to soothe the baby's gums.
One user thanked Kate for the valuable parenting hack. They wrote, “I’m going to try this later today. My mini is almost four months and has been at this drooling, chewing, and crying stage of the teething process. Thanks!”
As kids get uncomfortable during the teething process, it's little tips like these that help parents get by easily.
Teething For Infants
Teething is part of a growth process for babies as they get into toddlerhood. Babies are born with 20 primary teeth below their gum line.
It usually starts around four to eight months with the lower front teeth coming up first and continues until 30-36 months. That's when the last molars appear.
Symptoms Of Teething
There will be a change in behaviour of the child when they begin the teething process. If you see any of these symptoms below, it's a sign that your baby is teething.
- Fussiness
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Drooling more than usual
That being said, teething symptoms do not include:
- Fever
- Diarrhoea
- Rashes
If your baby starts showing any of these symptoms while teething, make sure to consult your paediatrician at the earliest.
How To Soothe Your Baby When Teething?
Teethers
The sore or tender gums cause discomfort that makes babies fussy during teething. The best way to soothe your baby would be to give them a teether like the homemade one above. You also get teethers made out of solid rubber that can be an alternative, especially when you are outside the house.
Avoid giving teethers that have liquid filled inside or plastic objects that could break upon pressure and hurt the baby. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recommends that parents do not use benzocaine products for children under the age of two years. These are usually present in numbing gels.
Medicines
If the pain and discomfort is high, paediatricians may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) for babies older than two months. On the other hand, Ibuprofen can only be given to children who are at least six months old.
Make sure to follow your paediatrician's instructions when administering medicines to your child.
Cuddling
Lastly, there's nothing like the good old warmth of a parent to help soothe the baby. Cuddling and rocking them helps ease the discomfort on occasion, if not at all times.
Teethers You Should Avoid
In addition to the above information, it is also worth mentioning that you must avoid a few teethers that are readily available in the market and are dangerous for your child.
- Teething necklaces: Teething jewellery of any kind can can cause potential injury to the mouth or infections due to the beads causing irritations or piercing into the child’s gums.
- Frozen teething rings: Avoid freezing teethers such as rings as they are quite firm and can easily bruise your baby's delicate gums. The extreme cold can also cause frostbite on your baby's gums and/or lips.
- Teething tablets: Experts such as the FDA have warned against the use of teething tablets as many of them contain Belladonna, a plant derived alkaloid that is dangerous in high concentrations.
- Topical gels: As stated by FDA, "the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against using any sort of topical medication to treat teething pain in children, including prescription or OTC creams and gels, or homeopathic teething tablets." They do not offer much benefit and the chemicals in the gel can harm the baby's health.
Do you have any teething hack of your own that you would like to share with us? Let us know about them here.
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