Product Spotlight 5/14: Teething/Health and Safety

SmashJam · May 2018

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... Teething/Health and Safety! What items did you find were essential to have on hand for the early days of health care and safety, as well as the dreaded teething?

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Is there a [Teething/Health and Safety] item you don't have but are considering? Why?:
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Our past threads are here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nhSR3UAwJx8UitC9b2hRx57c4hHkK6BU679FjqXMeHQ/edit?usp=sharing

zande2016 · May 2018

https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Banana-Training-Toothbrush-Teether/dp/B002QYW8LW?th=1

Buy the banana teething toothbrush, it's $8 well spent!

acunamatada · May 2018

Vulli Sophie The Giraffe New Box, Polka Dots https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XHNCJHV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JVz-AbP7DPYD4
Dont buy buy the Sophie... Glorified $25 dog toy. I don’t get it.

Munchkin 4 Pack Fresh Food Feeder, Colors May Vary,2-packs(4 feeders to one unit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0076DFF1I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AXz-AbXWK1Q6S
These are great for teething and starting solids. Pre-solids, just stick frozen formula or breast milk in the mesh. When they start solids you can stick whole frozen fruits and veggies. It’s messy, but worth it.

morethanamama · May 2018

Thoughts on the Amber necklaces that are all the rage now??? I'm skeptical.

runsomewhere · May 2018

@kissableviv I have several friends that use those. I'm skeptical and not comfortable with anything around baby's neck. I would pass.

My daughter didn't struggle much w/ teething and we didn't get many teething products but she liked something similar to this. The mom wears it which makes it even more appealing to baby

Baby Teething Necklace for Mom Silicone Teething Beads 100 BPA Free Gray Mint White Gray

michelle_bird · May 2018

We had a couple amber necklaces because I had friends who swore by them. I put them on her sometimes but I'm not really sure how much of a difference it made. Her favorite was a frozen, wet washcloth to chew on when teething. We rarely gave her Tylenol for teething unless she was too miserable to sleep.

Definitely get a rectal thermometer - in young infants it's the only doctor approved method of checking temperature and you want one designated for "that end". Use Vaseline or something similar. After about 6-9 months we started using the forehead/ear one. I don't love ours so I won't link it.

After an unfortunate incident, I recommend keeping both Tylenol and Benadryl in your diaper bag just in case. We only had Tylenol and really needed Benadryl while on a flight. DD was miserable with hives all over her. Not sure what age they can start taking that though, may be only a 2+ thing.

runsomewhere · May 2018

@MichelleAG05 I have never used a rectal thermometer, only underarm and our pediatrician never seemed concerned. Also, the doctor has never taken DD's temp rectally.

Speaking of thermometers, has anyone used the head scanning one? Or something like this?
ANKOVO Thermometer For Fever Digital Medical Infrared Forehead and Ear Thermometer for BabyKids and Adults with Fever Indicator CE and FDA Approved

ANKOVO Thermometer For Fever Digital Medical Infrared Forehead and Ear Thermometer for BabyKids and Adults with Fever Indicator CE and FDA Approved

Ours is a cheap under arm one, it worked fine but I could probably invest is something better.

zande2016 · May 2018

My mom got my son the amber teething necklace and put it on him every chance she got (she was/is his primary caretaker when we're working). I honestly don't think it made much of a difference but as long as he wasn't left unattended with it, I was cool with it.

We have the forehead scanning thermometer and find it way easier to use on an uncooperative baby/toddler who hates having his temp taken than other methods. IDK how accurate it is, rectal is always the most accurate.

michelle_bird · May 2018

@runsomewhere - must be something doctors differ on. We do have a thermometer like that (both forehead and ears). DD loves it, but I don't find it is consistently gives the same temps. It will also give you the wrong forehead temp if it "skips" off the forehead at any time during the swipe.

kc1293 · May 2018

@runsomewhere - I use the forehead thermometer. I like it to get an initial temperature. If it reads high, then I will take a rectal temperature to get a more accurate read. Like @zande2016 said, it's easier with an uncooperative baby. Also, my hands are always cold, so my kids always feel warm. The forehead thermometer makes it easy for me just to double check without having to deal with rectal (pain the butt for everyone

)

acunamatada · May 2018

I have both, I haven’t gotten the chance to use the forehead thermometer on anyone but DH but I never had any issues with the rectal. I’d prefer rectal over the forehead just for accuracy’s sake, especially when they’re tiny.

One thing I totally didn’t prepare for/forgot after DS was to stock up on those little gauze patches and Vaseline. This only applies if you’re having a boy and circumcising in the hospital, but after the procedure they had us lube him up with Vaseline and put a gauze patch over it so it wouldn’t stick to the diaper while it was healing. I sent DH out the day we got home for a tube of Vaseline rather than a tub because it was so much more convenient.

stillcozy · May 2018

@acunamatada yes to both of those!

We also used these silicone teethers DD liked the ridges on them https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nuby-Silicone-Teether-with-Case/16777583?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228009139669&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40340544632&wl4=pla-78297782912&wl5=9019698&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=16777583&wl13=&veh=sem

Also I would do the infant wash cloths frozen in the freezer.

zg49 · May 2018

We used amber necklaces for both of our kids, but I've also seen bracelets/anklets if you're uncomfortable with it around the neck. With DD we definitely saw a difference, DS I don't notice much.

We used the Hylands teething tablets with DD and they helped so much but then they stopped selling them in the US so DS had to rely on Motrin or Tylenol if he was in severe pain. Both our kids were late teethers - DD didn't get her first until after she was 1 and DS at age 2 is still getting his canines and hasn't even started on his 2 year molars. We did rely on pacifiers quite a bit for the pain of teething. I breastfed both kids until 1 year old and never had issues with the pacifier causing them to not want to go to breast so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

We prefer the head thermometer. It's much faster than trying to get a reading under the arm or in the mouth, plus it can be done while the kids are sleeping. We didn't use a rectal, if ever the head thermometer got to an un-comfortably high number we took them to the dr and they would do the rectal. (Usually our head reading was pretty accurate!)

Other safety things - get a good children's fingernail clipper. (Safety First makes a decent newborn kit that has one included.) I notice even to this day though that the kids nails are soft enough to pull off gently if you're worried about wiggly fingers and a clipper. Those nails can do some damage to their sweet faces though if they get too long!

flockofmoosen3 · May 2018

I personally would say no to Amber necklaces. I think they are a hazard and I don't believe in its "power". My kids didn't have Amber necklaces and also didnt have teething issues so I wasn't desperate for anything, but I have also read studies where there was absolutely no correlation to "teething symptoms" and actually cutting teeth. They interviewed like 1000 parents over several months to track symptoms and when teeth broke through. I have heard of other kids like in my old bmb who literally throw up the day they're teething, so who knows!

Vaseline is a must have, and I use it specifically for rectal thermometer usage. We also have a forehead thermometer for the kids now that sits in the middle of the forehead and we really like it. It can be off occasionally so we do like 5 readings at once (which takes 0.25 seconds each time) to make sure we have a consistent temp.

wildtot · May 2018

We stayed away from Hylands tablets because of all the news around them. We occasionally did the teething oral gel but very rarely. DS gets super sick with teething so we had to use Tylenol or moltrin many times. We liked the mesh feeders and cold silicone toys. Honestly it’s all a blur because of how bad his teething was. We still got 4 to go

Be prepared with extra bibs. The drooling is insane!
Amber jewelry was just annoying to deal with and i always got scare he would pull it off and eat it. Not worth my anxiety.

emzie54 · May 2018

Nosefrida! It seems gross but it’s not, and when your baby is so stuffy that they can’t breathe or nurse, you’ll be glad you have it. It’s basically a device where you stick one end in the baby’s nose and then the end of a hose that’s on the other end in your mouth and suck out the snot.

wildtot · May 2018

@emzie54 yes!!!! It’s a battle but so worth it.
I haven’t tried the gas thingy. It looks like a torture device.

SmashJam · May 2018

+1 to the nose Frieda, but I don't think I could ever do the gas one. I don't even know how to use it but it's existence makes me uncomfortable, lol.

Also can some link their forehead thermometer that they trust? I have a safety first one and feel like it's always lying. It was like $25 too!

wildtot · May 2018

We use a temple thermometer. The forehead one never seemed accurate for us. I just really hate how the light is bright and it beeps too loudly. Not ideal for night time. DS hates any thermometer.

comealongponds · May 2018

I’m a nurse so I do recital temps because I prefer the accuracy. My kids protest briefly but it’s done in 5 seconds so meh. We had an tympanic thermometer (Braun, not a cheap one) and I chucked it in the garbage the day it told me my temperature was normal (I had mastitis and a fever over 104 when I checked orally).

Hard no on the amber necklaces, teething tablets, orajel etc. way too dangerous for all three (choking/strangulation hazard for the necklaces/bracelets plus there’s no scientific evidence they do anything at all. Homeopathic crap makes me twitch, too risky for me I’d much rather give a weight based dose of Tylenol or Advil and the numbing gels can cause infants to stop breathing so that’s out).

We like the banana toothbrush for before they have teeth (and for teething), along with cold wash cloths and Tylenol/Advil if they’re suuuuper cranky and not sleeping.

emzie54 · May 2018

@wildtot @SmashJam some of the women in the lactation support group I was in swore by that gas relieving device. I never tried it, but then my daughter never seemed to have bad gas pains and wasn’t colicky. I can imagine getting desperate enough to try anything under those circumstances!

rkk0002 · May 2018

+1 for just going with rectal till DD was 1, then started using the Braun ear one but double checking if anywhere close with the good reliable rectal.
For teething, the silicone type teethers that have gel inside and you stick in the freezer were a must have, got mine at tjmaxx, and my pediatric nurse sister told me a hard no on the teething tablets, gels, etc, she saw 2 bad reactions at the hospital she worked at. Just go with tylenol or advil for really bad nights, and I swear the teething does eventually end!
My must haves: head & shoulders shampoo and soft bristled brush for cradle cap, simethicone for gas(life saver!), baby nail clippers, vaseline-many uses, nose frida and saline solution for colds, smaller bulb for on the go suction (hospitals give you one but it's too big for newborns)

elizabethrn87 · May 2018

Tip- we use cuticle cutter to trim nails. Seems scary but actually a lot easier to see and control. My MIL showed me this and I never have used anything else since.

We use rectal temperature until about 1-1 1/2 then switch to the ear one.

hillbillywife · May 2018

I always thought the mesh fresh food feeders got pretty nasty (we didn’t have a dishwasher until DD was bigger) I want to try these silicone ones with this baby. They seem like they’d be easier to clean.

Baby Fresh Food/ Fruit Silicone Feeder Teether Pacifier with Handgrip for Boys and Girls 2 PCS (6-12 months, Blue,Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2YLJX2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hlS-AbBBWBGCM

i never did the amber necklace because it scared me and didn’t seem like there was enough evidence that it helped.

I wanna try a nose frida this time too but it kinda makes me gag a little thinking about it lol.

ETA thermometer recommendation: we have a braun ear thermometer. It’s been pretty reliable so far. Not cheap but worth it!

Braun Digital Ear Thermometer Suitable for Baby, Infants, Toddlers, and Adults, ThermoScan5 IRT6500 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MUK6M82/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qpS-Ab0W3KTPS

zande2016 · May 2018

The amber necklace we had used a safety clasp that would open if you pulled on it, and he definitely was not strong enough to break any beads off. Regardless, we didn't leave him unsupervised with it, and he also never had any clue he was wearing it and never even tried to touch it.

Second the mesh feeders! My son loved those things. And he loved Sophie too. We also did Motrin if he couldn't sleep, and he loved sucking on cool wet wash cloths. At almost 20 months he has all his teeth except his two year molars, and so far it's never been a huge issue when he is teething, sleep disturbance hasn't been too bad. I probably just jinxed myself for when he gets those last molars!

Also, if you want to try something homeopathic, I've read some use chamomilia tablets. It's the belladona in Hyland's that is unsafe, I've never read anything about chamomilia being unsafe. We also used arnica in place of Tylenol at times, like if he bumped his head or after his tongue tie procedure. I don't know if it helped, but then again, I don't know if Tylenol ever helped either.

wildtot · May 2018

Tip to cut nails with one who hates it: do it when they are sleeping. DS hates getting his nails trimmed and sounds like he is getting tortured. The only way is during naps. But that will be a different struggle when he gets rid of naps

zande2016 · May 2018

My H would always bite my son's nails because I was afraid to clip them. I always yelled at him for it but then my aunt, who is a nurse practitioner and midwife, once told us its the best way to clip a newborn's nails without knowing that's what my H always did. They're like paper thin at that point.

KatyF0813 · May 2018

@SmashJam we have the Braun forehead thermometer. My dad recently had a heart transplant and needs to check his temperature regularly and this is the thermometer they chose. My mom happens to be a cardiac nurse, so if it's good enough for her to trust it it's good enough for me. That being said, for tempts that were on the edge of scary high I double check with a rectal thermometer.

zande2016 · May 2018

oh yeah @smashjam we use the Braun too

SmashJam · May 2018

Thanks @zande2016 and @KatyF0813

flockofmoosen3 · May 2018

I also liked the nose Frida but it was a serious battle for my kids to use it. I had to literally use my knees like a vice to keep their heads still and they screames the whole time...and I would lose my breath sucking haha!
This time I have a boogie wand thingy I found at BBB. I have used it for the older kids and really like it. I think it's called Oogie Bear.
I never liked the mesh feeders--too hard to clean out for me. I did BLW anyway (at 6 months old) so then they became kind of a moot point for us.
We did use store brand gas drops for DD often in the beginning and she was never colicky. DS hated taking it (like it was torture to him) so we did without and he was fine anyway.

Sarafuss · May 2018

I'm a believer in the amber teething necklaces. I used one with my daughter and DS still wears his at almost 21 months. His isn't long (11" in length) so he doesn't even notice it. I get the concern with having something around baby's neck but I'm comfortable with it as long as baby leaves it alone. But with both kids who wore the necklace, I never noticed them "teething" or being super fussy when getting teeth. I hear people complain that their toddler is getting their molars and how awful it is and I've thankfully never experienced that. I happened to look in DS' mouth the other day and was surprised that he had 3 molars and I didn't even notice him getting those teeth until they were already in. So because of that, I've never really used teethers that they chew on because they didn't seem to need them.

As for nail clipping: I saw this recommended and was intrigued by it. I've never used it but I'm thinking about getting it. In the newborn days I file their nails rather than clipping them because I'm afraid of cutting their skin.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CN0V7Y?colid=1X97ZGE51WVBQ&coliid=I2T2US9H3AJ6TB&ref=br_ADD_TO_CART_title_link

flockofmoosen3 · May 2018

@Sarafuss I think part of the amber necklace thing is that you really don't know if it is helping your kids or your kids just don't have teething issues. My kids also never have problems when teething and I often discovered new teeth (molars included) after they'd grown in a bit, and we don't use the amber. So, for us, we would rather avoid using it.

Sarafuss · May 2018

@flockofmoosen3 that's true. So I guess it comes down to your comfort level. Like I said, the specific necklaces I've chosen don't worry me so I choose to use them. It's one of those parenting things that doesn't bother me at all if other people think they are total crap. Doesn't bother me if other people don't want to use them. I get questions occasionally from people what the necklace is and if I think they work. Thankfully, no one I've encountered has tried to make me feel like I'm endangering my child for using one.

zande2016 · May 2018

@Sarafuss totally agree with everything you said, in my opinion who knows if it helps, but if it's not hurting, then meh I feel fine trying it. Like I said earlier, my mom is a big believer and was way more into it than H and me, but since we both felt comfortable that it wasn't going to hurt him, we saw no reason not to allow it. That's just our comfort level. I feel the same way about homeopathic remedies, I don't know if they work, but I've never seen or heard of any ill effects from ones I've chosen to give my kid. I also feel like there are plenty of conventional drugs that the FDA regulates that can still have negative effects on certain people. To each their own

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