Every parent knows how difficult it can be when their baby is teething and will do anything to ease their pain.
Most moms and dads give their infants a teether to chew on, which are designed to soothe painful gums and relieve their discomfort.
But one mom recently raised eyebrows when she insisted that she had discovered something even better for her young daughter to chew on during those awful few months: giant pieces of meat.
Bridget Levine, 37, from San Diego, California, went viral after she shared a clip of her daughter Summer munching on a large slab of steak back in December.
She listed a slew of benefits to giving your baby meat over plastic teethers in the caption, which included building jaw strength, providing iron and keeping them engaged longer than traditional teethers.
And while many praised her for the information, others weren't so convinced.
Now, Levine has hit back at her critics during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail.
'Yes, there has been some backlash online. Anytime you share something that challenges what people are used to seeing, especially when it involves babies, it can spark strong reactions,' she explained.
Levine explained that when her daughter, now 17 months, started teething she didn't want to give her a traditional teether because she's 'intentional about what materials she's exposed to'
'My response has been to stay calm and focus on education rather than defensiveness. A lot of the concern comes from seeing a short clip without context.
'I try not to engage with negativity or name calling. My focus is on sharing information, encouraging thoughtful conversations and supporting parents in making confident choices for their own families.'
Levine explained that when her daughter, now 17 months, started teething she knew she didn't want to give her a traditional teether because she's always been 'very intentional about what materials she's exposed to.'
'Many teethers are made from plastic or silicone and are chewed on for long periods of time,' she said.
'I prefer real food and natural options whenever possible, especially during such an important developmental stage.'
She added that the idea of using steak came from her 'learning about how babies have traditionally been fed across many cultures.'
'Long before modern baby products existed, babies were often given large pieces of food to gnaw on,' she dished.
She said there are many other pros to allowing babies to chew on meat like 'supporting oral motor development and the coordination needed for future eating and speech.'
'It also introduces babies to real textures early on,' she added.
'From a nutritional standpoint, even sucking and gnawing allows babies to extract small amounts of iron, zinc and amino acids, which are especially important once iron stores begin to decline in infancy.'
Levine vowed that 'safety is always the priority' for her and insisted that she makes sure the meat is 'well cooked, tough and offered in a large piece that cannot easily break apart' to protect Summer from choking.
'I supervise closely the entire time,' she stated. 'I would not recommend small or shreddable pieces, and this is not something meant to be done unsupervised.
'Like any feeding approach, it needs to be age appropriate and intentional.'
According to Levine, her daughter loves the steak teether, and it 'soothes her gums' just like any store-bought one would.
'It [actually] holds her attention much longer than traditional teethers had,' she added.
In the end, she said she hopes others remember that there's not a 'one size fits all approach to parenting.'
'Parents should feel empowered to explore options that feel aligned with them,' she concluded.
'Real food has been used for generations, and for some families it may feel more intuitive than modern alternatives.'