Oh, the drooling, feverish agony of teething! Relief is needed and there are many adorable-looking teething toy options on the market. However, while labeled non-toxic, those easy-to-find flexible, vinyl teething toys actually have not been proven to be safe. PVC (vinyl) toys contain phthalates that easily leach into children’s mouths. Phthalates have been linked to respiratory ailments, hormone disruption, liver and kidney damage and cancer.

Your baby will be happy to gnaw on just about anything soft, but sturdy enough, to provide relieving pressure to their tender gums.

For a homemade teether, wet and roll up a clean organic baby washcloth, freeze it, then let baby suck on it. The coldness will naturally numb gums, providing relief. My girls loved this, and after I held the cloth for a minute or so, they could hold it themselves.

There are cute, easy-to-hold options out there such as the soft cloth vegetables made by Under the Nile or Ecotoytown’s organic cotton teethers, including a bumble bee or bear.