Teething can be a real pain in the buns, and knowing how to safely help your baby manage the discomfort can feel impossible. Add to it the uncertainty regarding the safety of over the counter teething remedies, the sleepless nights, and the baby who just won’t quit fussing… Yeah. It ain’t pretty.

Enter the milksicle.

Milksicles are exactly what they sound like: frozen breast milk or formula, used to help soothe aching gums. The simplicity behind this hack is stellar because many babies teethe at an age where they are too young to be given anything other than breastmilk or formula. Even water isn’t recommended until after 6 months, which makes this hack all the more handy (and versatile).

Before you go all Elsa on your milk stash, there are a few things to consider.

Milksicles 101:

Be aware of creating accidental choking hazards.

The whole point of this is to create something your baby will put in their mouth, so make sure you do it safely. Nuby popsicle molds are nice because the handles are large and easy to hold, and the milksicle is on the small (but safe) size so you’re not wasting precious resources.

Be cautious of the old gag reflex

While traditional popsicle molds will work, the long skinny shape is perfect for gagging the shit out of your baby when they excitedly ram that puppy all the way into the back of their throat. Another reason the small, oval shape of the Nuby molds is so nice.

Get creative

The beauty behind the concept of frozen breast milk is you don’t have to box it in. Make a slushy, or pop a cube into one of those mesh teething bags if the milksicle isn’t hitting the spot. Once your baby is old enough for solids, you can add different flavors to it, like banana or avocado, to give your baby an interesting sensory experience, while simultaneously numbing their aching gums. Parenting level: expert.

A few other tried and (maybe) true non-medicinal teething tricks:

• Rub the gums (with your clean, non-whiskey coated finger) but once those teeth come in they are SHARP so watch yo’self.
• Let your kiddo suck on a cold, nearly frozen washcloth
• These Babyganics Teething Pods are made with clove oil and do a great job of numbing sore gums without the use of Benzocaine.
• Try a gum massager – kind of like a toothbrush without bristles, but easy to hold and clean
• Amber teething necklaces are extremely popular with some, though doing your own research is always a good idea. Here’s a post we did on them.
• Shaving off one of your partner’s eyebrows while they are sleeping. Okay, that’s a lie, and also a terrible idea. But it might at least make you guys laugh. Maybe?

Have you made milksicles? Any tricks that you found worked well? If you make them, take pictures (a step-by-step would be awesome) and send them to me so I can add some to the post!

Our next recos: The New Baby Food Guide