When Your Baby Is Teething (And Won't Stop Crying)

Wondering what to do when your baby is teething and won’t stop crying hysterically? Here are clever ways to soothe your inconsolable little one.

The worst part of teething is that it can become a guessing game. Any time my baby fussed, I immediately pointed to teething as the cause, even though no teeth would show up for months (despite the telltale symptoms like excess drool and irritability).

Still, other times I knew that his teeth were causing him to cry hysterically, so much so that he wouldn’t sleep unless he was held. It didn’t help that he’d get a rash on his face from all the drooling or rubbing them constantly.

Considering how often babies go through teething (they do have a lot of teeth to grow, after all), I knew I needed to find a way to get him to sleep.

If you’re looking for remedies to help your little one, you’re in the right place. Take a look at a few ideas that have helped me console my babies when they couldn’t sleep because of teething:

Table of Contents

1. Offer frozen or cold food

Frozen food can work wonders on your baby’s gums and ease some of her fussiness. Try giving her frozen food through a mesh feeder so she can suck on it while soothing herself. Here’s how it works:

First, puree or mash the food.
Then, pour them into ice cube trays.
Once they’re frozen, place the cubes into the feeders.
Let them slightly thaw so that they’re not too cold or hard.

This also works well with yogurt and breast milk! And another option is to pour the food into a popsicle mold for a daytime snack.

Free resource: Struggling with putting her to sleep? Teach her to self soothe and sleep on her own. Whether you’ve tried to teach her in the past or are just now considering it, take a look at the 5 key mistakes to avoid. Grab this resource below—at no cost to you. You’ll also get my newsletters, which parents say they LOVE:

“Thank you for offering your useful parenting advice as always.” -Lorna P.

2. Offer frozen teething rings

Teething rings are fantastic for your baby to chomp on, releasing the pressure she feels in her mouth. Even better if the teething toy is frozen, as this also helps numb the pain she might be feeling. Pop these into your freezer or refrigerator to cool them down.

Another option is to freeze a wet, cold washcloth. She can then gnaw on it, giving her sore gums a sense of relief.

Whatever item you freeze, keep it in a plastic bag or reusable container so that it doesn’t touch the surface of the freezer.

3. Give medicine

If you’re like me, you’re a bit hesitant to offer your baby medication, especially for something like teething which can go on for quite some time.

But for challenging moments when she’s inconsolable, over-the-counter pain relievers can be a huge help.

Our pediatrician recommended Tylenol or Motrin to help with pain, fever, and inflammation. Either way, check with your pediatrician to see what she recommends, and in how many doses.

4. Provide a comfort item

This is the time to give your baby a special lovey or comfort item to help her when she’s uncomfortable. While the lovey won’t replace you, she can find comfort in it when you’re apart, like when she’s asleep or in someone else’s care.

My kids loved the Angel Dear lovies and chewed the corners to help with teething pain.

5. Slow down

Sometimes, in our quest to get our babies to stop crying as quickly as possible, we get upset when we don’t get the results we want.

We blame ourselves for not knowing what to do or resent them for making life hard. The to-do list never ends, and we feel glued to holding them in our arms, unable to tackle our tasks.

But sometimes, the reason things are hard is because we resist them so much. What if, instead of finding all the ways to stop the crying, you’re simply present for your baby when she needs you?

Stop what you’re doing and tend to her. Put things on the back burner for now and hold her in your arms. You won’t get any housework done, but you’ll get to it at some point (or realize they’re not even that important).

For now, make comforting her your top priority. Of course, this doesn’t mean you pause your life entirely, but for those heightened moments when you just know she needs you, slow down and be there for her.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever wondered what to do when your baby is teething and won’t stop crying, rest assured you’re not alone, friend.

But now you have a few tricks to try. Offer cold or frozen food to numb her gums, as well as teething rings to relieve the pressure that can drive her to clamp down on everything. Give medicine, from over-the-counter pain relief to cooling gels for her gums.

Provide a comfort item like a lovey she can gnaw on and sleep with, especially in your absence. And finally, for those brutally miserable moments, slow down and comfort her—this is the time she needs you most.

Teething isn’t fun for anyone involved, but thankfully you now have solutions—even if it can sometimes feels like a guessing game.

Get more tips:

Don’t forget: Join my newsletter and take a look at the 5 key mistakes to avoid below—at no cost to you: