Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the nursery . . . he’s back! This time with teeth. At 7 months, Boy Wonder is biting his way through everything he can (Daddy’s fingers, cheeks, and nose included) with his two razor sharp teeth. He’s also producing enough drool to fill a swimming pool and racking up plenty of sleepless nights too.
We knew that teething was going to be a painful time for him, so we’ve tried every trick in the book and even invented a few new ones to help him out along the way. After all, we are the IncrediFamily.
Chew Toys
There’s a zillion of these things on the market. Check out some amazon results here. We found out that the trick with these was to leave them in the freezer for a while before we hand them over to him. Boy Wonder is completely pacified by a chew session with his frozen chewable keys.
Baltic Wonder Amber Necklace
My cousin recommended this one and I have to tell you it’s magical. Controversial but magical. Natural Baltic Amber teething necklaces are advertised to reduce pain and boost the baby’s mood. The Succinic Acid in the beads treats teething pain naturally without side effects. This is an all-natural remedy that can be just as effective as drugs and the harsh ointments.
The trade-off of course is the danger of choking or strangulation. I was worried about the choking hazard at first but upon inspection, I noticed that there is a good sized knot tied between each bead, so if the necklace breaks all the beads won’t come falling off. As for strangulation, the directions state that you shouldn’t leave it on the baby when they’re sleeping. I guess, just like everything else, a little common sense will go a long way here.
Breast-feeding
Before Boy Wonder was born, Bex insisted that she would only breastfeed for six months. When six months rolled around she amended that to say that she would stop when he had teeth. When the teeth came in, she said she would stop the first time he bit her. That moment came and went and she’s still breastfeeding. I’m not going to lie about how grateful I am for this. Boy Wonder tends to wake up once or twice a night but a quick feeding from Super IncrediMom usually lulls him into submission pretty quickly.
Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder
This is by far and away my favorite teething assistance. Maybe I am biased because we spend so much time making baby food for him that I’ll jump at any chance to use it. Actually, it’s just a really clever gadget. We just pop the frozen brick of food into the net and let him suck on the thing like a Popsicle. As the food melts, it seeps through the net and he gets the double enjoyment of his gums being soothed while he has a snack. I don’t think it matters what kind of food you put in the net. Anything cold must feel on those painful gums!
This Too Shall Pass
For our own sanity, Bex and I have to remind each other that this is just a phase. There will always be some challenge or hurdle for us to overcome. Today it’s teeth. Then toilet training. Then Math homework. After that I’m sure it will be something else! We’ll take it one day at a time, like we always do. The key is remembering that it’s not about us, no matter how annoying the problem is. It’s about helping Boy Wonder be the happiest and kindest kid he could ever hope to be.