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Frozen Treats for Teething Babies

Oh No: Teething Time

If there’s one thing I don’t like about babies, it’s when they’re cutting teeth.

Teething messes EVERYTHING up: nap time, milk feeds and the new solid food schedule you’re probably just adopting!

Now your baby might be developing his first teeth anywhere along the infant spectrum. Some babies are born with teeth (weird, I know…but it’s true) and other babies might not get their first tooth until after their first birthday.

Both of those are outlier situations - but there’s no rhyme or reason about when a baby gets teeth.

It’s also important to note that having teeth is not a pre-requisite for starting solid food…so don’t let the lack of teeth hold you back from getting started with baby’s first bites!

Signs of Teething

You probably don’t need a medical degree to know when your baby is teething.

You can usually tell SOMETHING is up.

Side note: teething might actually be MORE uncomfortable for parents and caregivers than it is for some babies - because not all babies are bothered by teething.

But here are some signs to look out for during teething:

More drool from babies than usual
Area around tooth may be swollen and tender
Temperature may rise slightly

When it comes to the temperature thing - a 2016 Pediatrics review found that although temperature might rise during “primary tooth eruption” - but it’s usually not to fever levels. Since true fever is not usually associated with teething it may instead be a sign of illness or infection, so be on the lookout for that.

And about all that drool…excess drool can lead to rashes around the mouth and changes in your baby’s diaper. Sometimes these two side effects of teething actually get blamed on feeding.

Keep in mind that your baby is trying new foods and textures and possibly potential allergen ingredients during the same time he or she is teething. What “might” seem like a reaction to a new food (rash around the mouth or changes in the diaper) may in fact be due to excess drool and saliva associated with teething.

Interventions for Teething

You can’t really stop the process of teething, so it may give you peace of mind to know there’s not a whole lot you can - or should do.

But if you feel the urge to give your baby a break, here are a few interventions for teething to consider:

Medication - ask your doctor about weight-appropriate doses of acetaminophen (Tylenol) for 6 month+ babies or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin).
Don’t offer remedies that include the plant poison belladonna, gels with benzocaine or amber teething necklaces (the FDA advises against teething necklaces because of choking hazard & the AAP backs up claim that they are not supported by science).
Chew toys - plastic and rubber toys are good for aching gums (…but then again the AAP also recommends against BPA in hard plastic, go figure).
Massage - you can gently rub or massage your baby’s mouth / gums, but make sure to wash your hands first.
Sleep schedule - “try” to keep your sleep routine regular even when baby is teething; avoid disrupting the schedule to prevent further sleep troubles down the road.
Cold temperatures can also help - try damp washcloths that have been twisted and frozen but avoid teething rings that are frozen solid (they’re too hard for baby’s mouth and also present an opportunity for potential bacteria contamination).

Food Tweaks When Teething

Your baby does not need teeth to transition to solid foods.

But there are some foods that are a bit safer when babies are teething. Personally I like to hold back on the following foods until baby has 1 or more teeth poking through:

Corn on the cob
Chicken legs on the bone
More challenging raw vegetables like cucumber with skin and bell pepper strips

Some babies find frozen foods feel good on their gums, so try out frozen yogurt bites or cubes to suck on.

Chilled cucumber strips (with or without skin and/or seeds) work as well.

Frozen Yogurt Teether Treats

These frozen yogurt teether treats are one of my favorite foods to offer teething babies. This recipe idea is from the book “making mealtime ezpz: fun ways to fill the happy mat”. I adapted the recipe by adding yogurt and then putting the yogurt mix in my deviled egg dish because I didn’t have the freezer space for spreading it out on parchment paper. You could also do this in mini ice cubes too!

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Frozen Yogurt Teether Treats Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk (full fat) yogurt
2 cups strawberries

Instructions

Rinse strawberries and remove green stem / top of strawberries.
Combine hulled strawberries and yogurt in a blender and blend until liquid. Add additional yogurt or milk to achieve desired consistency.
Pour yogurt mixture into a zip-top bag, then snip the bottom corner and portion liquid mixture into deviled egg plate, food molds or ice cube trays. Freeze for 2 hours or until set.

If your yogurt mixture is a tad thicker you can also just portion it from the zip-top bag direct onto parchment paper. Mine was a little too runny to do this - which is why I opted for the deviled egg plate, which helped keep the spread contained!