He is 3 months old and has started gnawing on his hands. It’s too early! We just finished 6 months ago with our last child. Here we go again!
Teeth.
Their appearance is inevitable. Necessary, yet often a dreaded part of the journey. Some babies are not affected at all by teething but, for others, it can be a very painful process that leads to a cranky household. My first son was the former. He would nap for a solid 2-3 hours, something that was otherwise unheard of with him, and wake up with a tooth. My second was up all night for weeks and crying and fussing and often had an elevated temperature so we had to pull out all the stops to help him out.
We chose to stick with alternatives to conventional medications for our children so I did some research and experimentation and found some natural teething remedies that worked.
1. Breastfeeding: Some babies will nurse more frequently while teething to soothe both their emotions as well as their gums. It’s simple and free. And often all that’s needed to help a baby through. Here’s a great article that addresses breastfeeding while teething in more detail.
2. Amber teething necklace: I put one on my second son at about 8 months, skeptical about it making any difference. My husband was actually the one who noticed within a couple days that he was crying less. Contact with warm skin releases succinic acid that acts as a natural pain relief. The more beads and the closer to the source of pain, the better it will work (a necklace will be more effective than a bracelet or anklet). If you are nervous about your baby wearing a necklace at night, you can wrap it around an ankle instead. It will be less effective but better than completely removing it.
3. Cold rag: You can either wet a rag and place it in the fridge or freezer, or you can secure an ice cube or some crushed ice in the rag (using string, a bag clip, or even a hair elastic) and give it to baby to chew on. Simple yet effective. Just keep in mind that the numbing sensation can make breastfeeding a little more difficult for the time being.
4. Refrigerated spoon: Simple to hold on to and works great. One of our favorites for molars was a refrigerated Sling Ring. Easy for a baby to grip and he could put it just far enough in his mouth to avoid his front teeth and just gum it.
5. Frozen fruit: If your baby is taking solid foods, a frozen banana or peach slice can be a great pain relief. You can often let them chew directly on the fruit but another option is to put it in a mesh bag made specifically for babies.
6. Wooden toy: I have not personally used this method but it has been recommended by several friends. Here is a great organic maple teething ring or you could get a bamboo spoon that is not only great for teething but can also be personalized and used as a regular spoon as baby gets older.
7. Hyland’s Teething Tablets – These were a lifesaver when the above remedies just weren’t enough. We used them a lot when our little man was cutting the more difficult teeth, like canines and molars. It’s also helpful at night when things like a frozen rag just isn’t practical. Not only do they provide pain relief, they also have calming properties (chamomilla) that helped with soothing crankiness enough for my son to sleep. (I also have a friend who has given them to her son before car trips and she says it woks like a charm to calm him enough to sleep instead of cry.)
I’m hoping our newest little man will take after his older brother and just sleep extra when he cuts teeth but, in case he doesn’t, I’m going to be prepared.
Do you have a favorite natural remedies that I could add to my arsenal?
Hyland’s teething tablets are a lifesaver in our house. We’ve also used the teething gel on a toothbrush occasionally to brush her gums and teeth with it. I recently read on another blog that crunchy foods can help, like gnawing on carrots. I have to tend to agree. We let our daughter snack on veggie straws sometimes and I honestly think that other than they taste good she likes them because they are crunchy!
I like the teething gel on the toothpaste idea!
My daughter just broke her first tooth a couple of days ago. I was looking for all kinds of soothing natural remedies. I did get her an amber teething necklace. I new about the cold rag but I don’t know why I didn’t think about the frozen fruit! She has a net feeder and I put an ice cube in the net feeder for her to gnaw on
Hopefully these ideas can help the next tooth go easier. Ice cubes in the net would work too, just not as flavourful as fruit.
I have tried the frozen fruit and it worked for my daughter.
I have heard a lot of good things about the Amber Teething Necklaces. When my kiddos were younger we used cold items to suck on plus Highland Teething Tablets.
Thanks for these tips – I have a one year old with the slowest teeth causing him so much pain 🙁
Aw poor guy 🙁 Teeth can be tough for little ones. Then come the molars…. yikes! Just keep in mind that all babies get teeth eventually and the all make it through. The parents do too 😉 Good luck!
Great read never thought of using a chilled spoon 🙂 I have been using teething mittens with my youngest. They have worked wonders, better than a rag because I don’t need to home it for him. I highly reccommend for hand chewers I got my los from http://www.etsy.com/shop/easybreazybaby
What a unique product! I love this idea.
these are all great teething methods, i recently used frozen fruit for one of my grandbabies who is teething at the moment, i can truly say it works and she loves the fruit hehe thanks for share 🙂 @tisonlyme143
You can also try a slice of coconut.
I loved the idea of frozen fruits, they can also relieve and soothe down swollen gums of the little babies.