It’s hard to keep track of the milestones with a little one! They just seem to come and come and come. Some of them are pleasant, and some of them not so much.
Teething, as exciting as it may be, is one of the latter. The fussiness and the pain are sometimes enough to drive you up the creek!
You can expect your baby’s first tooth to make its debut at around 6 months. This is not cast in stone, though. The symptoms of teething can start appearing some months before the first pearly white. The ear pulling, difficulty with eating, the crying and biting, the coughing, the cheek running, and the drooling may all be a part of your life for a few months.
It’s all about alleviating the symptoms and making the baby’s life as easy as possible during this time. And, of course, trying to do the same for the parents too!
Teething toys are godsent in difficult times. And there are so many of them on the market. You are literally spoiled for choice. That said, they’re not all made equal. A bit of knowledge and a whole lot of discernment will take you a long way when you decide which teething toys are ideal for your little one.
With this in mind, we’re going to look at a few of these, discuss their ins and outs, and give you a foundation for when you choose.
The teething toys we looked at for this article are:
- Sophie La Girafe
- Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy
- Nuby Silicone Teethe-eez Teether with Bristles
- RaZbaby RaZberry Silicone Baby Teether Toy
- Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Baby Activity and Teething Toy with Multi-Sensory Rattle and Textures
These teething toys all do different things well, and they’re all great products in their own way. You’re the only person who’s able to decide which one of these five is right for your baby!
Sophie La Girafe
Sophie la Girafe is versatile, durable, and above all, cute as anything! Babies around the world use and love her when they’re teething. This teether is super easy to clean.
Produced from 100% rubber – all-natural, mind you – and paints that are 100% food-grade, your baby’s health is top of mind presence for the manufacturer.
Sophie’s limbs are chewy and safe and have been designed with a lot of know-how to soothe itchy and painful gums. She squeaks – and this is great to divert attention from the baby’s discomfort.
GREAT value for money all around!
Pros
- Durable
- Well-designed
- All-natural products
- Squeak-toy as well.
Cons
- The paint sometimes fades or rubs off
Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy
This teething toy is exceptionally well made. It’s colorful, has lots and lots of contrast, and the cube in the center is covered with polka dots. It will capture and hold your baby’s gaze for a long time!
The loops and center cube are made of polyurethane – completely safe – and it has no PVC or BPA in the manufacturing process. In fact, it adheres to the most stringent European standards for Phthalates.
It’s not all that easy to slip into a diaper bag; it won’t fit into a pocket – so storage, when you’re on the go, maybe an issue. But that’s minor when considering how much fun and relief babies get from this product.
Pros
- It will stay with the baby for a while – it won’t be outgrown in a hurry
- It’s perfectly shaped for baby to grab and chew
- The colors are bright and dazzling, and the sounds are curious and enticing
- The design is exceptionally durable
Cons
- It’s an awkward size to haul around with you
- It defrosts quickly
- You have to wash it by hand
Nuby Silicone Teethe-eez Teether with Bristles
The silicone this teether is made of is so chewy and soft; you may actually be tempted to have a nibble yourself! It has flexible bristles on one side for sore and itchy gums and a handle on the other. The handle is also made for chewing.
It has a carry case, so it stays as clean as you want it to, and it slips easily into a diaper bag for trips out of the house.
All in all, this is a fantastic, simple teether, and the bristles on the one end are an inspired idea.
Pros
- The attached ring is made for comfort when the baby grabs and chews
- The case keeps it clean – a great idea
- It’s not expensive at all
Cons
- It may still be a little big when your baby is cutting its first tooth
- It’s a pet-hair magnet!
RaZbaby RaZberry Silicone Baby Teether Toy
This teether is everything-free. It has no cadmium, no lead, no phthalates, no PVC, no BPA. It’s made of the finest soft silicone, it’s chewy, and it’s food-grade. Phew! That about sums it up – it’s really safe!
It’s fashioned after a raspberry – and the bumps on the fruit head are specifically designed to soothe irritated gums and help take away the itch and burn of emerging teeth. It’s hands-free, so your baby can do other stuff while chewing on the teether.
If your baby is three months or older, this may be the one for them.
Pros
- The soft silicone is really great
- The bumpy surface invites baby to get their gums right into it – it provides great relief.
- The fact that it’s hands-free is really helpful
Cons
- It may be too big for small babies
- It unfreezes very quickly
Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Baby Activity and Teething Toy with Multi-Sensory Rattle and Textures
This teether toy is textured – which is almost a must for something like this. It has sounds, and it has all kinds of different textures.
It makes rattling noises and crinkling sounds, and all of this is wonderfully distracting as your baby’s hands explore while it is trying to chew on something to get a bit of relief from itchy gums and cutting teeth.
In short, this teether toy is really a multi-sensory experience. And it is excellent for home or out.
Of course, it’s free from all the nasties. It’s 100% safe and healthy.
Pros
- A multitude of textures
- Great sounds
- Travels easily
Cons
- Not easy to clean
A Short Teething Toy Guide – What to Look Out For
As we said, teething is a milestone, and all of us parents look forward to EVERY milestone, even if we know a particular one may not be all that easy. Teething is certainly not one of the easy ones. Not for the parent, and most definitely not for the baby.
So, how do we make it easier for both?
It’s really all about comforting your baby and, of course, soothing their gums and mouth irritations as much as possible while all this discomfort is going on.
Here are a couple of ideas to help both you and your baby through this difficult period:
Teething Rings Galore
You really can’t have enough of these. And shopping for them can be quite fun. There’s so much variety on the market, the designs are splashed with color, the materials are MUCH greater than they were a decade ago, and they’ve become little activity centers, rather than just teething aids.
Pacifiers Are Still Your Friend
When your baby’s fussy, a pacifier is a godsend. But here’s a quick hack – cool the pacifier down. Keep it in an ace box of sorts for extra relief.
And make sure you have a container to keep the pacifiers clean and germ-free.
A Good Old Toothbrush Makes All Kinds of Magic
This is an excellent idea for getting a baby used to dental hygiene from a really early age, and it’s also great to soothe irritated gums and burning spots where teeth are cutting.
Buy Bibs. And Then Buy More Bibs. And, When You Have A Chance, Buy More!
Your baby will turn into a drool monster when the teeth start coming. Bibs? You can simply never have enough unless you want to do laundry twice a day!
Noisy Toys – Anything Distracting
A good old-fashioned baby rattle is excellent. But anything that will make a noise to distract your baby from the itching gums and burning teeth.
Often, it takes nothing more than a rattle. But many teethers on the market have been specifically designed with this in mind. You may want to consider one of those.
Give Them A Friend to Share in The Discomfort
It’s human, even at that age. When we’re in pain or physically unwell, we want intimate company. A soft toy is a baby’s best friend, confidant, and drool-cloth. It’s everything and then some. Make sure your baby has one during this time.
Also, it’s worth looking at the teething toys on the market. Many of them have been designed to double as soft toys specifically for this reason. They come in all kinds of fun characters and make a wonderful array of noises.
But don’t let your baby go through this alone.
Conclusion
Every stage of development your baby goes through is nothing short of a collection of small miracles.
Those are in the way the baby’s little body develops, the way the little mind is learning about itself and the world, and the fact that everything is geared towards the little one’s total, eventual independence.
Not all of these stages are fun, and not all of them are pleasant – for you or your baby. But they’re all miraculous in their own way. Remember, nothing is too big to overcome with lots and lots of heartfelt love.
