You hear things about teething babies and think you understand… and then it happens to you. Yes, I realize it’s something that technically happens to your baby, but trust me, it happens to you too! I wish when we first experience the fun, I had read more tips for teething babies, but alas, I had no idea it was coming so fast.

For Amalia it started on Christmas Eve, of course. That night she woke up at 1:00am screaming and nothing we did could soothe her unless she was upright. Finally, after two hours, she passed out and we were shell shocked. Sure enough, the next morning, two tiny teeth had poked their way out.

Of course I felt terrible because I could have taken away her pain with Motrin, but didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late. For the next few nights, we gave her a homeopathic remedy as well as Motrin (more on both below) and she slept a lot better. That was at five months. She’s now almost nine months and her two bottom teeth are fully in, and I think the top two are on their way next. I feel so much more prepared this time around

Before I get into it, I just want to note that no babies were harmed in the taking of this photo. I know someone will say something but we were just playing around and she started crying out of nowhere. For anyone who doesn’t have kids, that’s totally normal. For anyone who does, you know…

Tips for teething babies: Signs of teething

I read somewhere that signs of teething can start two or three months before a tooth actually shows up. In our case, it started with drooling and chewing about a month before.

Excessive drooling: Like serious drooling. It will shock you how much drool can come out of your child! Luckily, amber necklaces help a lot with that (see more below).

Ear pulling: Teething can cause pain in your baby’s jaw, and she might pull on her ear to alleviate that. Around bedtime it gets worse, so be on the lookout at night.

Chewing everything: Your baby will most likely start biting and chewing on anything he can get his little hands on. The act of chewing feels good on sore gums, so try to give your baby something cooling which feels even better!

Fussy at night: Teething babies are often fussier than usual and, like with any ailment apparently, it gets worse at night.

Fever & Diarrhea: Amalia didn’t get either of these during teething, but according to our day care teachers, many babies spike a fever and can get diarrhea from all of the extra drool when they’re teething.

Tips for teething babies: Helpful products

Amber necklace: I used to think that amber teething necklaces were for hippies and didn’t, for one second, believe that they did anything. A few months ago, Amalia was drooling so heavily that we’d have to change out her bib every 15-20 minutes because it would be soaked through. I asked our daycare teachers if they knew of anything I could do and they all agreed that I should get a teething necklace. I rolled my eyes but asked my crystals guru (yes I have one). She sourced one for me and I put it on the baby the day it arrived. Within one day, I kid you not, she stopped drooling pretty much entirely! We haven’t used a drool bib since.

Honestly, if you don’t believe me, I totally get it. I wouldn’t have either. But take my word for it, if you have a drooling situation, amber is your friend. We take it off for all of her naps and overnight, but you can get an anklet if the drooling continues while your baby sleeps. This set comes with one of each.

Camilia homeopathic medicine: A friend of ours who is a pediatrician recommended this to us before Amalia was born. We were stocked up but had no idea how much it would come in handy in our future! I use Boiron homeopathic products for myself and Anel for things like cold, flu, and allergies, so I know how effective they can be. These single serve drops often relieve her pain within half an hour.

Chewbeads: This brand makes a lot of great teething toys, but we have this one that sticks onto the stroller, car seat, high chair, or whatever. She loves them and it feels good on her gums.

Cold teething rings: A lot of people recommended that we put her teething ring in the refrigerator. We have this one which is filled with distilled water so it gets nice and cold for her.

Baby Banana: I never really understood why every mom had this weird and slightly random looking banana teething toothbrush. At my shower, I received two of them! I threw one in Amalia’s diaper bag as a back up toy and kept one in her playroom. Once she started teething, she was drawn to it like crazy and couldn’t get enough. Now I understand all the rage! The little rubber bristles feel good on their gums and it gets them used to the idea of a toothbrush. Win/win! It’s made from silicone so you can throw it in the dishwasher too.

Cold foods: Our ped suggested having her chew on a frozen bagel (random) but we opted for cold berries and ice pops. My friend Lauren recommended these Munchkin mesh food feeders that you can fill with frozen berries, peas, or whatever you want! They’re messy but they work well.

Motrin (when needed): When she’s up at night and clearly in pain, we try the Camilia first. It helps most of the time, but once in a while it’s beyond the help of homeopathic medicine. Infant Motrin is the way to go in that case. It usually kicks in within 20 minutes.

What are your tips for teething babies? Anything that’s worked well for you?