The Best Teething Solutions for Early Teethers

I’m on my third baby, and as luck would have it, I have an early teether. My son came out with thin gums, which I was definitely able to feel as I breastfed him. At the second month of his life, he began to get incredibly fussy. I couldn’t figure out why. He also seemed to be drooling an awful lot. I placed my finger in his mouth and began to rub his gums. It was like instant relief and my fussy baby began to calm. But, how does a 2 month old manage a teether? Most of them are made to be held by the baby and many are too big or too hard for a 2 monther to handle. I searched far and wide to find the best teething solutions for my little guy (who is now 4 months by the way.) Here is what I found:

1. Olive the Deer

I LOVE this little deer. This is seriously the cutest little teether. It’s very small and soft, perfect for the young baby. Made from hevea rubber and hand painted with organic,  non-toxic plant extracts, this little teether is completely safe. What’s great is that Olive the Deer is a bracelet, so your early teether doesn’t need to hold onto it; which, as you know, is pretty difficult for a 2 month old baby to do. The little deer is solid rubber, so you won’t have mold problems inside the toy. And, because it’s a soft rubber, it provides relief to your baby without being too difficult to chew. The only con is that the little bracelet seems to come off easier than I would like. So, we tend to just use it around the house because I don’t want to risk losing it. It’s just too stinkin’ cute to lose! You can buy it from Oli & Carol.They don’t sell them directly from their website, so you would have to find a local (or online) distributor.

Pros: Olive the Deer is wearable as a bracelet and is soft and comfortable for the early teether. Olive the Deer is also made from natural, non-toxic materials. This little teether is solid so you don’t have to worry about mold either.

Cons: The bracelet comes off pretty easily and it’s not very big so you risk losing it. We keep the teether at home for this reason.

2. Baltic Amber Necklace

Amber necklaces have been around for a while. However, I was skeptical and didn’t fully believe that they would work. Consequently, I never used them on my two older children. I mean, how does amber from a tree provide relief from pain? Well, after doing some research I discovered that it works similarly to essential oils. The oils from the amber get absorbed into the skin and provide an anti-inflammatory to your baby that’s natural and non-toxic.

When my youngest was 2 months old, he was just so fussy. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Once I discovered that it was his gums that were bothering him, I had to figure out a way to relieve his discomfort. Most teethers are too bulky, hard and require the baby to hold, and, medications are not recommended on babies under 6 months. I finally bit the bullet and bought an amber necklace. I decided on the Baltic Essentials Necklace because they are made from 100% Baltic amber and have a great reputation. They are priced around $30 but can be more or less expensive depending on where you buy them. The necklace has a pop on/off clasp so if the necklace gets caught on anything, it will easily come loose. Note, they also have screw on clasps which I find are very hard to take on and off of baby.

Just as described, 30 minutes after my baby wore the necklace, he began to calm down and fell fast asleep on my husband’s shoulder. I couldn’t believe it. I’m a skeptic, so I still wasn’t entirely convinced until one evening when I bathed my son and forgot to put his necklace back on before bed. He was up every couple hours that night and I couldn’t figure out why. In the morning I found the necklace sitting on the counter next to the kitchen sink (where I left it). It dawned on me that he was awake all night because he was in pain! I put the necklace back on him and within 30 minutes he began to calm down again! Wow, I just can’t say enough good things about this product. My son also wears the hazel wood necklace that helps with reflux. It has proven to work well too and I would also recommend it. I’m so happy to have finally given this product a chance!

Pros: This thing works! After putting it on him for 30 minutes, my 2 month old calmed down and slept for a full 5 hours!

Cons: It’s hard to get on and off, especially if you have a chubby baby (like I do) and have a twist on clasp versus the pop on/off clasp. It’s not supposed to come into contact with water so you have to remove it before giving your baby a bath.

3. Nuby Teething Necklace

Again, with the early teether you are faced with the problem of having a baby that can’t hold onto a teething toy. So, you have to find solutions that give your baby the relief he needs. These necklaces are great for a multitude of reasons. First, they are really cute to wear. Because they come in a number of sizes, colors and styles, you should be able to find something that matches your personality. Secondly, they are made with silicone, safe for baby to chew on and they are pretty soft. When I wear my son in his baby carrier, it’s really easy to just plop them into his mouth and he chews away while on the go. These necklaces are great because they will continue to be useful as baby gets older, so anytime you are holding or wearing your baby, they have a teether right at their convenience. The pricing is all over the place from around $15 to $30 and upwards. I have found price is dependent on the brand. Nuby tends to be more affordable though. I have found them in baby stores, Wal-Mart and Target or you can buy them easily on Amazon.

My only complaint is that they are pretty bulky and sometimes not the most comfortable to wear as I prefer more delicate jewelry. However, considering their purpose, they really are a great buy! And, they are around your neck so you can’t lose them!

Pros: Wearable and fashionable, therefore they are easily available to your little teether while holding him. They are soft and easily chewed on so the early teether can enjoy them, but they are also great as your baby ages. They aren’t overly expensive and, because you wear them, you won’t lose them!

Cons: They are a bit bulky and a lot of the colors are a little off the wall.

4. Toofeze Teether

This is such a cool teether! Although it’s not specifically made for the early teether, you can stick baby’s hand in the hole of the teether and baby will grasp it naturally. Toofeze is 100% silicone and soft enough for the early teether to be able to handle. However, it also has this nice stainless steel disk on one side, so as your baby gets older and needs something hard and cold, this works perfectly. Toofeze has won a whole bunch of awards, and I now know why. My baby really does prefer it to other teethers. If you’re interested in finding out for yourself, you can order it on Amazon. I have also seen them at other baby stores for a bit more. If you are a Colorado local, their company is based here, which I think is pretty cool.

Toofeze really doesn’t look like much more than your regular old teether, but my baby prefers it to most others. I think that silicone is the perfect texture(?) for my baby’s mouth. He will chew on it for a good while, before he accidentally drops it. It comes in a few colors. I like the green because I have a forest animal themed nursery, so it fits right in. I think it would be cool if the product came in a few more shapes. But, I’m not sure if that would take away from it’s effectiveness as my baby can easily maneuver this teether.

Pros: My baby loves this! It’s made from natural, non-toxic materials, it has soft silicone for the early teether and cool steel for the older teether. Toofeze grips easily in baby’s hand.

Cons: I wish it came with more options for shapes, but otherwise it’s really a great teether.

So there you have it, my personal opinion and experience with all 4 products that have been helpful for my early teether. It’s important to note that every baby is different, not all products work with all babies, but I think these teethers are pretty universal. So try them out and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear if they were helpful for you!