I still remember the first time I wondered if my daughter was teething. I don't know exactly what month it was - she was tiny, I know that - but I couldn't tell if her first teeth were coming in. It quickly became obvious that her little gums were in pain when I saw the first small white spikes peek through her gumline. I tried everything, from cold towels to organic teething rattles to rubbing her gums with my clean fingers. The doctor told me I could give her Tylenol, and nudged me to keep trying out different teething toys. I finally found one that worked.
The Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys ($4) toy is an Amazon besteller with a beaming 3,400 reviews. But that isn't what sold me. It was the fact that this toy went into the refrigerator. I thought that aspect was genius.
The set of keys is visually entertaining for a baby, and each one is filled with a gel substance that cools nicely when you stick it in the fridge. We have a dog at home, so I had to be extra careful that the dog didn't mistake it for one of her toys and puncture the plastic, but other than that, this thing worked wonders. It's BPA-, phthalate-, PVC-, and latex-free, and when she grew tired of gumming it, I just gave her a new key. The fun would start all over again.
And even now that she's nearing 15 months old and I can see her back molar coming in, you better believe we're using this thing again. The most important thing is to check it before giving it to her each time to make sure that the plastic hasn't been punctured, but that's hardly an inconvenience when it's proven to soothe her aching gums.
Related: Mom's Frightening Warning Further Proves Why Teething Gels Should Be Off the Damn Market
