Like the name suggests, teething is a process of baby’s teeth erupting through the gum. It typically starts when the child is around six months old.
While it’s a perfectly natural process and an essential part of every child’s development, it can be a distressing time and cause some discomfort. Here are some of the usual symptoms:
- Disturbed sleep patterns, as well as the difficulty of falling asleep
- An excessive amount of drooling
- A desire to bite and chew on objects more than usual
- Diarrhea, typically accompanied by diaper rash
- Red checks, which sometimes feel hot to touch
For a parent, it can be quite difficult to watch the baby suffer through all that discomfort. In case your teething child is irritable and in pain, check out our list of the essential baby teething remedies:
#1: Apply Cold and Pressure
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but also the one that works pretty well. Using cold and pressure can significantly help a baby that’s suffering from painful teething. Give your child safe and non-toxic items that can be frozen and then chewed on. The cold can significantly assist in numbing the area, while the pressure successfully soothes inflamed gums.
Here are a couple of examples:
· Frozen washcloths
Take a small washcloth and soak it in water. Wring it out, and keep it frozen for one hour. Take it out of the freezer and let your child chew on it.
· Frozen veggies or fruit
Take these foods and put them in a silicone teether. Keep them frozen for at least an hour. For older children, use a banana – put it in the freezer and let the kid chew on it. It’s one of the best natural teething remedies, but also a tasty snack.
· Natural teething biscuits
Not only are these biscuits easy to make, but also don’t contain harmful ingredients usually found in those bought at stores. You can keep them in your fridge for a more refreshing treat.
· A cold spoon
This one is a no-brainer. Take a metal spoon, put it in your refrigerator, and leave it there for 15 minutes. Take it out and give it to your child to gum.
#2: Use Teething Toys
Sometimes, having something that your baby can chew on is the only thing needed. When it comes to teething toys, there are a lot of options out there. Most of these are safe and non-toxic. Some examples include:
· Silicone teething rings
Manufactured from safe silicone (and not from harmful plastic or latex), these toys are an exceptionally safe choice.
· Wooden teethers
Unfortunately, silicone rings don’t work with every baby. If it doesn’t work with your child, give wooden teether a try. The texture of this toy might be perfect for your baby.
However, an important thing to mention here is that you should select a brand that uses food-grade dyes and natural water-based sealants. Moreover, remember that some teethers require waxing or oiling before they can be used.
#3: Try Teething Necklaces
If you’ve ever attended one of those “natural mother” meetings, you’ve probably noticed unusual amber necklaces on babies. These are actually teething necklaces. The idea behind them is that the heat of an infant’s body triggers the release of succinic acid, which is a natural anti-inflammatory.
Whether these things really work or not is a matter of debate, but many moms say that they provide teething relief. If you do decide to get one, make sure to purchase a real one. There are a lot of fake ones on today’s market. Furthermore, remember to remove it when the kid goes to sleep.
· Mom teething necklaces
An option that deserves to be mentioned here is getting a teething necklace for mother. It is manufactured from silicone and the baby can use it while sitting in mom’s lap. The child can also fiddle with it while getting breastfed.
Moreover, it can be placed in the fridge for a cool treat.
#4: Herbal Remedies
When it comes to old teething remedies, nothing beats the natural ones – such as chamomile, rosehip, or clove. Parents have used these for centuries to help ease their children’s teething aches. Here are a couple of examples:
· Rosehip
Containing antioxidants and vitamin C, rosehip tea is excellent for boosting a baby’s immune system. Furthermore, it is well-known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
· Chamomile
Another of the popular teething babies remedies is chamomile. It is one of the best solutions for relaxing and soothing irritability.
· Clove
This is a natural anesthetic and is well-known to relieve pain by working as benzocaine.
· Catnip
This herbal remedy is said to relax irritable infants and assist them with getting properly rested.
How to use them?
· Rub directly onto gums
To create herbal infusion that you’ll be able to rub directly onto kid’s gums, place the herbs into a saucepan and then cover them with oil. Simmer them on low for the duration of three to six hours. Strain and store in the fridge. Place the cool oil onto your kid’s gums when required.
· Make a tea
Fortunately, any of the herbs mentioned above can be used as a tea. You can either give the tea as a beverage or dampen a washcloth with it before freezing.
To make a tea, boil some water and steep one teaspoon of herbs in around ten ounces of water for 10 minutes. If you want your baby to drink it, let it thoroughly cool down before giving it in a bottle.
#5: Lower Inflammation
Inflammation caused by teething stimulates the nerves that cause pain. For that matter, reducing inflammation is another way to help your kid with its aches.
· Low inflammation diet
Try giving your baby paleo-type foods. These include pastured meats, fruits, vegetables, and wild seafood.
· Lower stress
Stress can also cause inflammation. Make sure that your kid is getting enough rest.
· Balance blood sugar
To keep your kid’s blood sugar stable, use whole foods instead of the highly processed ones. Try pairing healthy carbs with healthy fats and protein.
As you can see, there are a lot of things a parent can try out to help his child cope. Teething can be a stressful time for both the baby and its parents, but with remedies such as the ones we’ve mentioned, it can be significantly less painful to get through.
