One of the first habits that the baby acquires is to put anything in his mouth and start nibbling. It is a natural act with a very simple explanation, and it is that in a short time his first tooth will grow, and to calm his pain he uses any object that he finds within reach, being the most ideal to use the adapted teething toys for babies.
You could also use a pacifier, rattle, toy, or nursing necklace to ease the discomfort, but none of them has as many benefits and fewer risks as a good newborn teether.
So next, we are going to see the effects that the first teeth coming out, and how these symptoms can be alleviated in the baby through a teether. We will reveal the additional benefits they have. We will provide the main aspects that you should look at before choosing one. Finally, we will present one of the most complete children’s teethers that exist today, the famous Giraffe Sophie from the Vulli brand.
When Do The Baby’s First Teeth Come Out?
A first trait that characterizes the growth of the baby is when its first teeth begin to emerge. All moms and dads are very excited, but for the little one, it is a time of discomfort and pain.
On average, the sixth month is when the first tooth begins to appear in the baby’s mouth. Where we will be able to appreciate one or two small white dots that as the days go by we will see that they are shown more and more clearly.
On average, the baby’s teething process begins in the sixth month, but it is perfectly normal that it can take a few more months. There are even times that it is even early and with just 3 months, the first symptoms can already be appreciated.
As the little one is not yet able to express himself, it is normal that his behavior varies and it may be that he cries more than normal, that he begins to suck his hands, clothes, or any other object that he finds. The most common signs that will alert us to the beginning of your teething stage are the following.
- The gums of the mouth are redder than usual.
- He drools much more than usual, getting to soak his own clothes.
- He is more restless and cries even though we have fed him, changed his diaper, or bathed him.
- You wake up more often when you are asleep.
- He tends to remove the pacifier and puts his hands in his mouth.
- He grabs whatever object he finds within reach and nibbles on it with his mouth.
All baby teeth take time to fully erupt in an interval of 16 months so from the second year of life the child already shows a complete set of teeth. The first to appear are always the two lower central incisors. After time passes, the rest of the teeth will appear, as shown in the following graph.
Benefits For The Baby of Using Gum Teething Toys
The appearance of teeth causes an annoying effect that causes the little one to pick up any object to nibble and soothe their sore gums. So just by logic, it would be quite useful to provide teething toys for babies since they are designed for that purpose.
Therefore, the main benefit of a teether is that it serves as a soothing, and in this way; we prevent the baby from using any other object that may be more harmful to its integrity.
But a teether has other benefits for the baby that positively influence their physical development and the correct evolution of the five sensory stimuli:
- The teethers have a suitable shape so that the little one can grasp them without difficulty, and thus continue to strengthen their hands and fingers.
- They are generally designed in bold colors, allowing you to begin to sharpen your sense of sight. So when you see it you already know exactly what it is, and you will try to reach out to reach it.
- Practically most of these baby teethers have some sound component, either like a rattle or that makes a sound when squeezed. They certainly also help you in your sound stimulation.
- Obviously, the teether will be in your mouth all the time, as we will analyze in a while, they must be made with natural materials, so that they will always have a slightly different flavor to the pacifier, milk or food you eat.
- They also stimulate the sensitive development of touch, since they have suitable forms to grip, and in many cases, the teether has different textures so that you can explore new tactile sensations.
- As we have commented before, is made with natural elements, and they also have a different smell from the rest of the things. Some adults may not be able to perceive that different scent, but a newborn will notice a peculiar olfactory sign on the teether.
As you have seen, baby teethers are used to calm the pain in the teeth, but they also have great benefits in their physical development.
Recommendations Before Buying Teething Toys for Babie
We have already seen the great utility of a teether for the baby, but it is convenient to highlight some aspects to look at before buying one.
- It is essential that it is made with natural and hypoallergenic materials. The most famous are silicone baby teethers and natural rubber ones. It is something obvious; if it is going to be in most of the time in your mouth, it is normal that it has the same quality as a pacifier.
- Be careful with small parts or parts that may come loose. It is vitally important that any loose items on the teether are large enough that they cannot be fully inserted into the mouth. In this way, we will prevent them from being swallowed or worse still suffocating.
- Choose models that are easy for the baby to grasp and manipulate. If they have a special shape, much better, as it will help you discover new sensations.
- Avoid teethers with any electrical component, and even less if they have batteries. First, because they will surely have toxic elements for the baby, second because there will be a greater probability that a loose piece may appear, and finally remember that the teether will always be wet and full of drool.
- Teethers for babies are very popular that can be put in the fridge or freezer to provide a greater sensation of freshness. In this case, avoid those that are filled with some type of gel, at most if they have something inside that is water. More than anything in case when nibbling there is any pore, fissure, or hole that causes the liquid to escape.
- One last recommendation is that they always have rounded shapes without sharp edges that could cause a scratch on the baby’s sensitive skin or mouth.
Giraffe Sophie: Characteristics of The Best Baby Teether
One of the most complete baby teethers that we know is the Sophie giraffe teether developed by the French brand Vulli (a company created in 1860 specializing in toys adapted for newborns).
Sophie la Girafe is a teether that has the shape of a giraffe and is manufactured and designed specifically to meet all the benefits that we have indicated so far.
The main function of the Giraffe Sophie is that it is a very handy teether that will allow the baby to nibble in total comfort to calm the discomfort caused by the growth of its teeth.
In addition, this friendly giraffe contributes to the development and stimulation of the 5 senses:
- Taste: it is made of 100% natural materials with natural rubber and food paint to avoid any type of risk. In addition, the Giraffe Sophie can bite anywhere: its legs, ears, horns, etc.
- View: this teether is white with the typical orange spots that giraffes have so that it has a chromatic contrast that draws the baby’s attention and makes it an easily recognizable object.
- Ear: incorporates a sound when pressing the body of the giraffe, this noise amuses the baby and helps them understand the principle of cause and effect.
- Smell: Giraffe Sophie’s baby teethers have a special and different smell from other toys and pacifiers, which helps to identify it.
- Touch: it is soft, with rounded shapes, pleasant to caress, an adequate size that prevents it from being completely inserted in the mouth, and it can be easily grasped. And especially in the teethers for 3 months and 6 months, they have different textures.
From only $ 13 you can buy the Sophie giraffe teether, being available in 4 different models depending on the months of the newborn.
As you have seen, a very complete teether serves to soothe gum pain in the baby and helps its development. As a summary, we leave you with the following image which it summarizes its differentiating characteristics.
Another advantage of this cute baby teether is its ease of cleaning. Simply with a cloth dampened with water and a little soap, it is enough to prepare Giraffe Sophie for the next occasion.
Of course, it is important to prevent water from entering it through the small hole it has to make the sound it makes when squeezing the giraffe’s body. Anyway, we leave you with the following video where they show you how easy it is to keep this practical and original teether very clean.
Opinions and Advantages of Teething Toys For Babies
Among some opinions that you can find, is that many moms or dads give the baby something else, thinking that it also helps to calm the pain in the mouth. So next, we are going to assess the advantages of baby teethers to the detriment of a nursing collar, pacifier or rattle.
Breastfeeding Necklace
Many mothers take advantage of the breastfeeding collar also as a teether so that the baby can entertain himself with it, even nibbling. There are two negative aspects to take into account for this purpose:
- Although the necklace is usually attached by a thick and resistant cord, we will always have to be very alert and check that there is no risk of detaching a loose piece. You can imagine what can happen if the baby swallows a piece of the necklace.
- If you plan to also use the necklace as a garment, keep in mind that with the baby it will always be wet.
Pacifier
Some people think that the pacifier also serves to relieve tooth pain. But the reality is quite different, the pacifier has a relaxing effect on the baby since it gives him the same feeling of calm as when he is breastfeeding or feeding the bottle.
But due to the shape of the nipple, he cannot bite it, which is why it is very common to see how the pacifier is removed and tries to bite it by its outer edges. So, therefore, it is going to be much more like giving you a teether that is already ergonomically shaped appropriately for both your grip and your bite.
Rattle
Lastly, many rattles are marketed with the teether function, as it has a similar shape. In this case, you should pay close attention to the recommendations we made in point 3.
The biggest drawback of rattles is that to make the noise they usually incorporate very small pieces such as balls, with the consequent danger that it may break and choke the baby.
You have already seen how tremendously useful and beneficial teethers are for babies, just as we have introduced you to the Giraffe Sophie, a very complete teether. As always, we will be delighted to receive your comments and suggestions.