Teething. That word brings chills to most parents the second it is mentioned. Whether you're going through it or just remember a not-so-distant time of teething, it can be quite scary! Sometimes, doesn't it seem that teething is just as hard for parents as it is for the teething baby? Yes the baby is the one in pain, but mom and dad are left wishing they could take that pain away while trying desperately to find things that help with relief!
If you are reading this thinking, "My baby popped her first two teeth without me even knowing," then you are the luckiest duck in the teething universe! My daughter started the terrible process at just three months old. I was so sad that her gummy smile would soon have teeth in it, and she was so sad that those teeth were causing her pain. Suddenly, the blessed results of sleep training were temporarily ruined, and our days revolved around where the teething toys and Tylenol were.
Since teething became a 24/7 irritation for my little lady, I didn't want to just keep pushing Tylenol down her throat all the time. By the time she had popped her first two tiny bottom teeth through the skin, I had a pretty good grasp on the things that best helped her! Let me just say that there are hundreds and hundreds of teething products out there, so keep trying until you find something your babe takes to! I loved the adorable wooden teethers so I bought one. She picked it up once and never touched it again.
For us, anything squishy, rubbery, and sometimes cold was the ticket! She chewed on her fingers all the time, mostly because they were easy access I'm sure. I figured that even though they were a given, she must have liked how they felt on her gums. So, I began my search for the teethers that felt a little bit like fingers (that sounds wayyyyy creepier than it should, but you get the point, right?!). I also wanted to make sure that whatever she was going to be sucking on all the time came from a company manufacturing chemically-responsible products.
You guys, I found two of the cutest teether brands that fit that exact description! These Oli & Carol teethers are seriously the perfect amount of soft and rubbery and are as CUTE as can be. They squish perfectly, so baby can really gnaw on them without rigid edges poking them. Do you have a babe that started teething early like mine did? Grab this carrot bracelet and save yourself from constantly chasing the dropped teether toy!
Another fantastic teether find is from Itzy Ritzy! These are a bit more stiff, but have thin round ridges that create the perfect amount of counter pressure for those sore gums. Another big plus with these is the fact that you can thread a little binkie clip through the holes and clip them onto baby's clothes. That's one less stray thing to look for!
Both of these companies manufacture these products free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates. The teethers are made from 100% food-grade silicone (Oli & Carol) and 100% natural latex harvested from trees (Itzy Ritzy). Everything is safe as can be for your little chomper to use.