Red cheeked baby, wash basket full of bibs, Mammy and Daddy sleep deprived – just another day in the life of the family with the teething baba. Just when you have them settled and out of the ‘colicky phase’ the next era of grumpy, crying baby begins. And this one lasts a lot longer. We have all heard of the legends of the babies that sailed through the teething phase; it just didn’t bother them says a breezy, chilled out Mum. I have yet to meet one of these mythological, non-teething creatures and so I will side with my scepticism and say that they do not exist.

Luckily, there are quite a few remedies that can be used to help soothe our little darlings as they cut their chompers. Teething gels are often the first reached for and so I have selected three that I currently have in the house to review:

Up first, a classic – Bonjela

Bonjela is synonymous with all things mouth and gums and Bonjela Teething Gel is a pretty effective pain reliever. It contains Lidocaine Hydrochloride which is a local anaesthetic used to numb the gums. Baby must be over 2 months and Bonjela can only be used up to four times a day – when you have a crying baby, these 4 times can be gone fast!

Next, my preference, Nelson’s Teetha.

This one is homeopathic and more of a ‘natural’ gel. Also available in powder format which some babies love, and you can actually combine both so long as you stick to the recommended dose. It can be given up to 6 times a day, and is said to help with flushed cheeks also. I find it tends to calm my baby down quickly.

Lastly, Dr. Talbot’s Teething Gel

This one is all natural, but baby must be over 4 months before you can use it. I tried this one on myself and it is the strongest of the three, so definitely fast acting. However the tutti frutti flavour is very, very overpowering. I gave some to my little girl and she hated it! I can see why – the sensation was very like those lip enhancing lip glosses that make you tingle. Will be storing this one until she is older.

Do you use any other teething gels? What is your experience with the above? Share your experiences and tips with other mums.