Fast foreward 7 months - Let's talk teethers!

Ok, so technically a little more than 7 months, but little man aka 'Adam Laith' is 7 months old now, so let's go with that. He was born on the 24th of August and is the cutest, happiest and sweetest little boy ever!!!

I'm not going to get into his birth story as it's all a blur, and I sadly won't be sharing photos of Adem or Esra anymore as that's what we decided upon as a family. I already announced that a while ago on Instagram, but thought I would mention it on here too, incase anyone had missed it. I also wanted to thank you all for the continued support regarding the subject, I definitely think it was the correct thing to do and feel really good about it.

Furthermore, I've been through some tough stuff lately, like losing my grandfather and both kiddos getting the chicken pox. But, life goes on which seems cruel but it has to be that way. My family are still in Turkey and it just seems like everyone is still on holiday and everything feels surreal. I genuinely didn't think I would get back to blogging as I had kind of given up on it due to how different it is now than when I first started. But, I have decided not to let that bother me and just do my own thing and stay true to myself always. I'm going to be using blogging as a sort of therapeutic output hopefully my positive energy will shine through.

Onto the teething part. Well, Mr Adem has 2 teeth at the bottom and he has been quite miserable with it which has the complete opposite of Esra who wasn't greatly affected by it at all. I am using teething gels and powders which work a treat too but, theres something about little toys that do the trick. I have basically purchased almost every single teether on the market and wanted to share my views and favourites as it seems I have become quite addicted to buying toys. But, not just anything as I'm really quite fussy, which  can sometimes get the better of me. I have really tried to be conscious of the materials used, the toxicity and safety of the products. Here's what I am sharing today....

1) Manhattan Toys - Skwish in natural £12.50 I love this teether which is also a great grasping toy. Esra used to have the multicoloured version and loved it just as much too. This was basically the first toy that Adem held, he likes to wave it around and really teethe on the big beads. I love that it's wooden and the beads make a rattling sound providing a great sensory and tactile experience. The only downside is, it's technically better from 6m+ as when he was smaller I found that the beads sort of poked him in the eye as he was trying to chew on the beads at a lower level. However it's perfect for him now at 7 months.

2) Green Toys - Twist Teether £9.99 - This teether again is similar to the squish in size but a lot more loud as it's made from 100% recycled plastic milk bottles and makes a cool clacking sound when shaken. The plastic is completely non toxic and safe to chew on and made in the USA. It's one of the only brands of plastic toys which I truly trust. (We also have some speed boats and stacking cups for the bath too.) Adem absolutely loves the hard plastic and just loves chewing on the different shapes. I love that the colours on this are pastel and not so in your face like most baby toys. This is one of the toys that I usually attach to the buggy to take along with us as it really keeps him entertained and his gums busy and soothed.

3) Banana Teether - This is a classic and definitely worth the hype. We started using this when Adem was about 12 weeks old to just massage his gums which calmed him down instantly. It's made from a bpa free silicone which for some reason I'm not 100% comfortable with but he really enjoys it as it gives him so much relief.

4) PolkaDottKids - Silicone and Wooden Teethers - These are fantastic handmade in the UK teethers that aren't only beautiful to look at but work really well as easing pain too. Adem loves the simplicity of the designs and can chew for ages on just the simple wooden rings. A definite must have for the handbag.

5) Sophie the Giraffe £14.99 - This was Esra's absolute favourite and the only teether I needed with her. But, for some reason Sophie isn't quite cutting it with lil man. He holds it for about 5 seconds then chews on it for 2 seconds and throws it away. "Mama buy me more" is the message he conveys. So thumbs down for Sophie this time around. Side note, seen as though Adem wasn't enjoying it I decided to cut it open to see if there was any mould inside and I'm happy to report that there wasn't which is a huge relief as this was Esra's that I kept so it's over 5 years old, Eeeek!

6) Calmies Ball £14.99 - I only purchased this teether last week as teething and chicken pox is possibly one of the worst combos ever. I thought it would really help calm him down true to it's 'calmies' name  and make him forget about his itching and focus on his gums. It's a great tactile ball that squashes flat and smells absolutely divine like vanilla cakes. It's completely eco friendly and non toxic made from rubber and I love it. I have even caught my husband playing around with it as it's a great sensory toy and absolutely perfect to teethe on. It's a great size that fits nicely in his hands and lovely and soft for him to chew on. This is possibly my favourite of them all as it can be used just as a simple ball to roll around to enable crawling and even as a bath toy. 

Gotta get my moneys worth obviously/

7) Matchstick Monkey (emerald green) £12.99  I only got this yesterday and it's very similar to the banana teether but the handles are smaller and thinner making it easier to hold. It's basically the exact same thing in the shape of a monkey and you definitely don't need both but I couldn't resist the lovely colour. This is quite a new toy on the market and at first I wasn't sure on the quality of it as I thought it had a strong chemical scent but my husband assured me that there wasn't. On the brighter side, Adem giggles when he sees the monkeys face so thats a major positive in my book.

8) Grimms Toys Wooden Fish £15 - I'm not gonna lie, when I was buying this one from a local toy boutique I thought about how cool it looked and that I simply had to have it for my boy. I thought I was buying it more for me than him but, I was wrong. Adem, completely and utterly loves this solid wooden fish. He is forever chewing on the tail and manipulating it in his hand. It's really easy for him to hold and has the softest rattle inside which is really quiet. I am so happy he loves it as I felt kind of guilty for buying him something that didn't look like much fun. It's so easy to fall into the trap of buying typical bright, flashing and loud baby items but the simplest of things make babies happy and it's important not to overwhelm them. I LOVE the brand 'Grimms' and they make some lovely toys and I have quite a few on wish lists for Eid and Birthdays. 

9) Hevea Dummy - This soother is pretty big, I tried to give it to Adem when he was a newborn but it just looked so wrong so I saved it and thought he could use it as a teether when he was a little older. It's made from completely natural safe rubber and it really helps calm him down if he's upset, he just puts it in and out of his mouth and moves it around his gums whilst biting and chewing on it. 

10) Nuby 'Spin n Teethe' Triangle Teether £3.79 - This teether is a firm favourite which I attach to his jumperoo and it's constantly in his mouth making him smile. We also had the bugaloop but the bright colours and shiny plastic just scares me, he also didn't enjoy that one as much as this. I know I'm slightly extra in that department but, I can't help it. This  triangle version is one that I will sometimes throw in my bag too as I don't mind if it gets lost as it was quite cheap, because lets face it 'baby brain' with 2 kids is a million times worse lol and I am bound to forget stuff whilst out and about. Confession, I already lost a few things - oh dear

11) Wooden Egg -Tiger Stores £2 - This isn't technically a teether but I go to Tiger a LOT and when I saw this it reminded me of the Montessori egg and cup toy and that was that. Adem LOVES this SO much. He's constantly trying to roll it around and bite at it with his teeth. The shape and size is perfect and I love the fact that it's not a conventional teether and made from solid wood. They have loads in stores at the moment because of easter. Try one, with your baby and if it fails just use it for display or crafting, but I guarantee it will become a favourite. :)

Wow it seems I have a lot to say and missed the sound of typing, well done if you read up to here!

In conclusion we basically LOVE most of these teethers but Adem also loves to chew on his soft toys and even his sleeve. My top 5 would be the Calmies ball, Green Toys teether, the banana, Grimms wooden fish and the egg and a bonus would be the polka dott teethers as they are so damn beautiful!

What are your favourite teething toys? Well, not you personally but your bubbas :)

Disclaimer: No affiliate links, not paid, not sponsored, I purchased everything with my own money apart from the polkadott teethers which were gifted. Honest opinion as ALWAYS!