Teething Baby: Use Vegetables

A teething baby is tough for everyone. Obviously it is tough for the baby as their mouth hurts, and they really have no idea why. They simply know that the gums in their mouth are hurting and they want it to stop. It is tough for a parent because they do not want their child to suffer, but there is not a lot to be done. Similarly, it is tough to hear your baby cry and know there is not a lot to be done.

There are plenty of methods out there for helping to relieve the pain that a child will feel as those teeth come in, but at the end of the day they’ll simply have to get through it. Regardless, getting a teething toy is a good idea for your baby as it will help them to feel better as the teeth come in. We’ve always used the little banana toothbrush type toys and the water filled plastic toys, but most any are a great option.

Sometimes though, you’ll find yourself in a place without a teething toy to use. Your child will be hurting, and you either can’t find your toy or you’re not at home to be able to give it to them. You could let your child go through the pain, but you likely have something close by that you can use to help soothe the pain right now. It may sound funny, but letting your child nibble on a semi-soft vegetable is a great way to help relieve some of the pain.

You can give your child most any vegetable that you want and it will generally due to the trick. Carrots and celery both work well (not baby carrots though). Those are the most common vegetables you probably have on hand, but they’re not the only option out there. One of the better options is asparagus - flip the veggie over so they’re nibbling on the end and you have a perfect tooth soother.

Make sure that whatever vegetables you give to your child, they don’t bite a chunk off and choke on it. While they probably won’t be able to if they have just gums in there, once the teeth come in then they’ll be sharp enough to bite a chunk off the end. In any regards, you’ll need to keep an eye on them. Kids love the little bit of flavor that they’ll get with a vegetable vs a boring unflavored toy.

Having teeth come in doesn’t really hurt older kids - once your adult teeth are replacing your baby teeth, your body is used to a little bit of pain. Older kids are really excited to lose teeth by the time it comes that they’re ready. In fact, most kids will pull on those teeth way harder than seems wise to try to get that tooth out of there - they’re likely just excited for the tooth fairy to come with some money.

It’s usually pretty cute to watch your baby chew on a vegetable, and it’s certainly nice if that vegetable actually calms them down for a bit of time. Kids can be quite whiny as their teeth are coming in, and it’s really hard to not to be able to do anything. You’ll be glad once the teeth are all in as you don’t have to hear them crying knowing that you can’t do anything about it.

If you’re ever in need of something to sooth your child during teething, reach for the vegetables. They’ll often work wonders.