Becoming a mother is far from easy, especially for new moms. Babies are often fussy and cranky, more so when they’re teething. While it may seem tiring and annoying trying to deal with drooling, wailing baby, it’s also challenging and worrisome at the same time. Mothers, after all, are very empathetic to their kids, to the point that sometimes, it makes them cry when their babies cry.
Some sure signs that a baby is teething include a decrease in appetite for solid food, an increased appetite for breast milk, rashes in the bum, extreme fussiness, and of course, all that screaming! This is a normal phase, and as such, it passes after around three years. You’ve probably even figured out already how to deal with screaming teething babies by using frozen washcloths, cooled teething rings, and sometimes even a finger (clean, of course). But these aren’t enough.
So, how do new parents get through this kind of hardship? For one, they should know all the foods that help babies deal with their painful teething. Since it’s not something babies can skip or fast-forward through, they’ll just have to learn how to alleviate their child’s pain while making sure the kids eat. Here are some foods that effectively help pained, teething babies:
Ice pops
Ice, as we know, is a natural pain reliever. Needless to say, it should work as such for your teething babies as it gives their aching gums immediate relief. Also, since they usually swear off food while in this stage, it’s an excellent way to give them actual nutrition with the ice. For instance, you can pump some breastmilk—or formula, depending on your breastfeeding preference—freeze them into ice pop molds, and let your babies suck on those for a bit.
If you want to give your kid something more substantial, you can also get them an avocado, banana, yogurt, and spinach smoothie that is frozen into ice pops, or melon and mint zingy teething pop. If it’s a particularly nasty bout of teething pain, you can also make a banana and turmeric lassi. Since turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, it should help your kid cool their gums down. These nutritious and tasty ice pops should help deal with your kid’s teething pain as well as keep them healthy.
Soup
Soup, while a walking contradiction to ice pops, is surprisingly easy on the gums. It does the same thing as the ice pop—relieves the babies’ pain while loading them with actual nutrients to keep them healthy. It’s a win-win solution to your wailing baby’s problem!
Muffins & Pancakes
If you want to give your teething babies something more solid than ice pops and soup, you can also give them tasty and healthy muffins and pancakes. If you make it right, you should be able to make nutritious, yummy muffins that are also soft on their painful gums. They won’t need to exert much effort to eat it, which should be a relief. If for some reason, they’re not super into your pancakes, you can always give them something for the pain first, like Teeth. This should help the babies regain their appetite enough to eat the muffins and pancakes.
Cooled Fruit
Fruits are some of the easiest and healthiest foods you can give your teething babies. Just peel some bananas, mangoes, or avocadoes, stick them in the freezer for around ten minutes, and then give them to your babies. It won’t be iced but it will be cool enough to relieve the pain in your babies’ gums. Or you can opt for watermelon and cucumber. Just slice them up into cubes or sticks and stick them in the fridge. These should help your kids get their appetites back while getting all the nutrients these fruits offer.
Chamomile teething gel
Chamomile teething gel is an all-natural teething solution that is not only great at relieving teething pain but also with calming screaming babies down. Make sure to store it in the fridge so it would be cold. When needed, apply only a pea-sized amount and massage it in using a finger (clean, mind!). Once the massage takes effect, you will notice that the kids are calmer and that their previously flushed cheeks and dribbling mouths are gone.
Cruskits
Cruskits aren’t known as the most nutritious cracker out there. However, it’s one of the kid-favored snacks that teething babies like to gnaw and suck. These crackers are also quite tidy which makes them an excellent option for hungry and fussy kids before they wail their frustration. Like all crackers, Cruskits have original, rice, corn, and wholegrain, among others. For kids who have allergies, make sure to check the label so you’ll know what they contain.
Frozen Blueberries
Frozen blueberries are some of the best foods to come out of a packet. Kids and adults love them. For teething kids, however, they are a Godsend—exactly the perfect distraction from teething. Sure, they can be messy so you’ll have to be careful, even when your kids aren’t. Make sure you have a bib handy. Make sure your kid isn’t wearing his best clothes when you give them frozen blueberries. Their enthusiasm will probably show by way of the stains on their clothes.
Ice
If you have no time, money, or inclination for something fancier, simple ice will do. Of course, you’ll have to put it in a form that is appealing to your kid. This is when parents begin making their versions of teething pops, which is cool. However, if you want something easy, just wet a clean cloth, wring it, rolling it up, and freeze. This is a guaranteed treatment for your child’s teething pains.
If you have wanted to do something extra special, however, you can always experiment with your version of teething pops. Just make sure it’s made to your kid’s preference and specification, as well as his/her allergy situation. After all, it won’t hurt to be careful when it comes to your kids’ safety and health.