Just Confident

One of the wonders of having a baby are all the milestones that go with it, like getting in those first teeth. Babies are adorable with those gummy smiles, but it sure is sweet to see a couple pearly whites coming through!

Teeth come in at such a wide range of timing. Often times babies start feeling gum pain as early as two months, despite that there is quite a while before they erupt. Once they do finally come in, most children get one or two at a time.

Not mine. My baby boy got in 6 teeth all in the same month! They did break through in the right order, but just didn’t stop coming! First the bottom two then the upper two center teeth and the two on either side of the top. He certainly doesn’t look like a newborn anymore!!

But as all parents know, with teething comes a slew of distressing side effects. Needless to say it made for some sleepless nights and a cranky baby.

So the crying comes with fingers in the mouth, chewing on anything they can get their hands on. Then comes the runny nose and sometimes diarrhea. And of course, they will start biting while feeding. Ouch.

Stop biting while nursing. When the baby bites, say “no” in the ugliest, nastiest tone and gently put the baby down for a few seconds. They will probably cry. After a couple good hollers, pick them up and tell them you love them, but biting is not ok. And it hurts. They’ll get it, but it may take a few times!

As a life long student, and always looking for the best way to get things done, I love to share my findings with those people that I care about. I had some great resources to help make the time a little bit easier. So I wanted to share with you my tips and tricks to get your baby through teething with some comfort and help from you!

Get your tools.

If you are lucky enough to get a baby shower, definitely put some of these on your list! That’s where I got most of mine. Teething toys, boogie wipes, teething necklace and breast milk popsicles are some of the things that eased some of my baby’s pain. So grateful for all the mom’s in my life that had the knowledge to share with me!

One toy that is great for car rides and walks because you don’t have to worry about it being wet or remembering to grab it from the fridge. Baby loves this one that Granny gave him. I like this Nuby Bug-A-Loop Teether ring.

This is one that we liked to put in the fridge or freezer. Initially I had to hold it into his mouth because he wasn’t quite able to get his hands to hold it by himself. He still enjoys this one and I love that it’s easy to wash. We got the Infantino 3-Pack Water Teethers in our health kit from Granny.

And of course the classic Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys are also wonderful because there are several colors in one to keep them occupied and makes it last longer. This one is great cold or room temperature just as a fun toy.

Additionally, I was gifted a Baltic Amber Necklace from a seasoned mom and found it effective for pain relief by trying it myself before baby came. For my back pain that I experienced during my pregnancy, I decided I would try it out and see if it was legit or a hoax. Around my ankle it helped to relieve my achy back. And it really made instant difference for my baby.

The other must have for teething is Silicone Popsicle Molds for baby. These can be used to make breast milk popsicles or fruit purées. I would avoid just using juice since it has sugar without the benefit of fiber from the actual fruit. I grabbed a set from BuyBuyBaby that was ready in two hours thanks to the updated customer service we are now accustomed to.

Make it Yourself.

If your like me and feel like your job as a wife is to help spend less of the money your hubby brings home, then you will love the DIYs that I find. You can see how to save money by making your own baby food, using cloth diapers and wipes.

There are a couple things that you want to make quickly when your baby starts showing signs of teething. Easy to make popscibles are breast milk. Be sure to pump fresh milk to put in the mold and don’t use thawed milk.

Additionally if you don’t have time to make fresh fruit purée, you can use applesauce! It freezes well and tastes great.

If you are into making your own baby food, you are going to LOVE this Make-Ahead Baby Food Cookbook. This is fantastic because it gives you a shopping list, meal plan, and recipes for each baby stage. You can check out the authors blog here.

Use the purée recipes to make your popsicles or the recipe for teething biscuits is easy to make and so satisfying! They are eaten straight from the freezer and crumbly nicely so they are safe for baby to chew on.

Teething Biscuits

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a small bowl combine the ingredients until thoroughly mixed. The dough should be moderately firm and not sticky.
*tip* if the dough is too firm, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of applesauce, if it is too sticky, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.
3. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper, or wax paper, cover with another sheet of paper, and use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Remove top sheet and cut dough into 1-by-4 inch rectangles.
4. Transfer the parchment paper containing the dough onto a baking sheet. Separate the pieces of cut dough so they are not touching,m and use your fingers to round edges of each piece so they don’t become sharp after baking.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the biscuits are dry to the touch and slightly browned along the edges. They will harden further as they cool.
6. Allow to fully cool on a wire rack and serve or store for later.

Freeze biscuits and serve straight from freezer. Label bag with recipe and date. Use within 3 months.

Good luck to you on your parenting journey. Feel free to share your tips in the comments. Show me your happy baby by tagging me on Instagram or facebook @jessdelachapelle.