Natural Children’s Remedies: Teething!
My son is teething. He was teething last month…and the month before…and pretty much off and on since he was 4 months old. We just celebrated my son’s first birthday and no one told me we’d still be dealing with the irritability, biting, and sleepless nights that go hand-in-hand with teething. If you’re new to parenthood and you’re questioning whether or not your baby is teething, check out these teething articles by Dr. Sears and Dr. Alan Greene. I respect and value both of these renowned pediatricians and tend to seek their “advice” when I have a question regarding my son.
It may seem like a paradox (since I’m a nurse and all) but I don’t like giving my son medication unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ve compiled a list of all-natural teething remedies that we are still using with my son.
Get chilly! I freeze anything and everything because it allays my son’s discomfort almost immediately, although it tends to be short-lived. Frozen organic fruit (my son loved peaches) and frozen mini bagels work wonderfully and are relatively inexpensive. If your child is unable to hold the fruit by himself, pick up Nuby’s non-toxic Nibblers or Designs 2-U’s Baby Safe Feeder. Both are BPA, PVC, and phthalate-free and perfect for teaching your child to begin feeding himself (hat tip to The Soft Landing). While definitely not as tasty, freezing a wet washcloth has been used by many a parent with great success.
Play it up! The above recommendations work best when your tot is still working on becoming mobile. Once they’re off and running, they’ll begin putting anything and everything into their mouths. In my son’s case, it is his toys. I have tried to be diligent in keeping up-to-date on the latest research regarding BPA, PVC, and phthalates in toys and feeding products and I have found some wonderful resources for fun, safe teething toys. I highly recommend investing in a few since toxins can build-up quickly in babies’ tiny bodies. Here are my favorites:
Instill a love for fruits and veggies with Under The Nile’s organic cotton toys.
Nurture your baby’s exploration with ImagiPLAY’s beechwood rattles or Schaaf’s maple and beechwood rattles.
Alleviate teething troubles with the Canadian made Ringley natural baby teether. It contains maple and 100% organic cotton and can be used wet or dry.
Check out Sophie’s Boutique for the famous giraffe and her friends. These teethers are handmade in France from natural flexible rubber and food-based paint.
My son’s FAVORITE teething toy is the JeJe Therapeutic Teether. It’s easy for little hands to grab and vibrates to massage those swollen gums.
Check out Safe Mama, Zrecs, and The Soft Landing for an extensive list of all-things BPA-free!
Gnaw on this! It’s difficult to watch your child suffer, so as a last resort, you may want to talk to your doctor about the following all-natural teething remedies.
Hyland’s Homeopathic is our go-to for all-natural remedies. Check out their teething tablets that dissolve instantly when placed in the mouth or benzocaine-free teething gel.
Borion’s Camilia and Natra-Bio’s homeopathic teething remedy are both derived from Chamomile, among other ingredients, and can be used on infants as young as 4 months of age.
Herbs for Kids’ Gum-omile oil is derived from an almond based blend that is useful for teething.
The Sears’ docs do not recommend over-the-counter teething gels for the following reasons:
-Teething gels have an unpleasant taste
-Teething gels can numb the tongue and lips as their action extends beyond the gums
-Teething gels can be overused
-Teething gels can be swallowed by babies
Dr. Greene also cites the increased risk of allergic reactions with benzocaine, the active ingredient in these gels. All of the above reasons warrant caution if you do decide to opt for this route.
Remember to check in with your pediatrician before using any of above remedies.
July 6th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I love your teething review! I will swear by Hyland’s all the way, especially the teething tablets, my son is 16 months and I’ve never used the gels especially since I had a tooth ache one day and I tried it, that stuff is literally GROSS, I wouldn’t want it in my mouth either, my son has no problems with the teething tablets and they are a very natural miracle!
July 7th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I too loved the review and will have to try the frozen organic fruit. Its a great idea.
July 10th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Thanks, Caryn! This was a very useful article! We gave our daughter that awful numbing teething gel once when she was little, but we never did that again! It just didn’t seem like a healthy “fix” to the problem. Natural remedies are so much better…
July 10th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Oh wow, thank you so much for this list! I hadn’t thought about some of these things.
We avoid most of the medicines, too. But the teething is only get worse and my sons molars are working their way in now! He’s only 10 months old and has had all 8 teeth now for more than a month. Those molars are coming through soon, I’m sure! I can’t wait to try some of these!