TEETHING PAINS

By Danelle Day © 2009

Ah, the great days of teething. We did all we could to help our little ones through their teething pains. The stories and research I'd read on teething (even with 2 dentists in the family) did not prepare me for the realities of molars cutting. It can be tough on a little guy! While I broke down and decided we could not forgo the infant's ibuprofen on occasion, we've also implemented many of the suggestions in Gaulin's article below.

Our first son's top 7 favorites (that actually worked!) included:

1) Sophie Giraffe - a favorite for his entire first year of life, we had to get one for the car, and one for the house because he chomped on Sophie so much. Plus, I've never met a baby who didn't adore Sophie! (She is made of all natural, non-toxic rubber from trees in the Alps).


2) Born Free's Teether Gum Brush and Teether - we kept these in the freezer and rotated between uses so there was always a cold one on hand. (You can also put teething gel in the ridges on this gum brush, but our son did not like the gel).

3) The Teethifier - especially great for back teeth and molars!


4) The Baby Safe Feeder - we packed it full of peach or banana slices and froze for teething treats - even works in the car (as long as you don't mind a possible messy face/hands)!


5) Baltic Amber Teething Necklace - many people have asked if this really makes a difference. It is a natural pain remedy, but babies do not teethe on the necklace. Rather, baltic amber secretes natural, soothing oils into the skin which aids as a potent pain-reliever. We found that days and nights with the necklace were much more tolerable than days/nights without the teething necklace. Baltic amber necklaces are also used for arthritis pain among adults who note a significant impact as well. We've purchased teething necklaces from a wide variety of companies over the past 7 years, and have found that the ones from The Art of Cure are some of the best.

6) Hyland's Colic Tablets & Teething Tablets - although we used both and both do help, for some reason the Colic Tablets (although our son never had 'colic' and rarely cried) seemed to work better for his teething discomfort than the actual teething tablets when he was young. Both are homeopathic remedies that melt quickly and easily in baby's mouth. (Simply slide the tablets into the cheek of your baby/toddler). You can find Hyland's Teething Tablets at most drug stores, some retail stores (Target, WalMart) - and you can find both the Colic and Teething Tablets at many natural food stores like Whole Foods, etc. They are also both available on Amazon.com

[UPDATE: Since Hyland's Teething tablets have been pulled from shelves, you may wish to pick up some Humphreys Teething Tablets - which many parents assert work even better without the lactose as an ingredient.]


7) Good ol' fashioned nursing with Momma. Nothing seems to comfort and sooth a teething baby like being held and breastfed. In fact, I've heard so many reports from parents telling me that during the especially tough days of teething, their baby often chose to forgo all solid foods and simply stuck to nursing. This was surely the case on occasion with our son as well, and I am thankful he still had nature's made-for-baby comfort source to turn to when teething times were a bit challenging. I never had to worry about him getting all the nourishment he needed -- even on days he refused to eat anything other than watermelon, popsicles, and momma milk!


We'd love to hear others 'best teething remedies' as well, so please feel free to share.

Update: Teething Collection of items most recommended by Peaceful Parenting families over the years: http://astore.amazon.com/peacefparent-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=11

Top 7 Natural Remedies for Soothing a Teething Baby

Soothe Baby Naturally
By Pam Gaulin

Nothing tugs at a parent's heartstrings more than hearing baby's painful cries when he or she is teething. There are some natural remedies that can be used to soothe a teething baby during the daytime hours.For some babies who experience most of their teething pain at night, parents may need to use stronger, medicinal remedies to help baby get some sleep while teething.During the daytime hours, babies who are drooling excessively, grabbing at their mouths, and trying to chew on everything in sight might need some relief for those emerging teeth.Some professionals claim that baby's very first teeth to come in are the most painful for baby. Parents may see a different situation. When the molars erupt, the baby can also experience pain that will keep him or her from a good night's sleep.These top 5 natural remedies are for soothing a teethign baby that does not have an accompanying fever of more an 101 degrees.

Top 5 Natural Remedies for Soothing a Teething Baby


Natural Teething Remedy 1: Teethers

Teethers come in all shapes and sizes. A useful and natural remedy for a teething baby is any liquid-filled teether that can be refrigerated for frozen. The cold temperature soothes and numbs baby's gums, without making a mess because the liquid is contained. This is best used for daytime relief.

Natural Teething Remedy 2: Frozen Bananas

For babies who are eating solid foods, and have already been introduced to fruit, a frozen banana does wonders. Take a banana and peel it. If you leave the peel on and then freeze it, you will not be able to peel it very easily. Cut the banana in half. Cut off the tips and remove the "stringy" pieces. Place the banana half in a freezer bag or other plastic bag.When the baby is experiencing teething pain during the day, take one of the half bananas out of the freezer and out of the plastic bag. Either hold the banana for the baby, or let him or her hold it and chew on it.The good thing about using a frozen banana is that the baby will be able to gum it and very small pieces of the banana will come off, not large chunks.

Natural Teething Remedy 3: Frozen Facecloth

Some parents swear by the frozen facecloth method. They freeze a facecloth or two and let the teething baby chew on it.

Natural Teething Remedy 4: Rub Ice on Gums

Rugging ice on the gums can be tricky depending on the size and shape of the ice cubes in your freezer. If you can find icicle-shaped ice cube trays, they will come in handy. Rub an ice cube on baby's gums. This provides very temporary relief, but it might be enough.

Natural Teething Remedy 5: All-Fruit Popsicles
For older babies and toddlers experiencing teething pain, all-fruit Popsicles can provide the same relief as rubbing ice on the gums. This method works for older children. The child may only take a few licks or sucks off the Popsicle. Brush baby's teeth when done.

Natural Teething Remedy 6: Gum Cleaner

Purchase a small rubber gum cleaner. The gum cleaner fits on your index finger. Parents can gently use the gum cleaner to massage baby's gums. It's also useful for applying medicine when needed.

Natural Teething Remedy 7: Chamomile Tea Bag

A cooled chamomile tea bag can be gently rubbed onto a baby's gums. Do not use this remedy if allergies run in the family, as some people with allergies cannot tolerate herbal teas. Also, do not leave the tea bag with the baby, as the tea bag can open or tear.

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20 comments:

  1. thank you for posting! we just began teething with our second daughter 2 days ago. there are a few more to try before we go with the motrin, and maybe by the time we finish all 6 (we aren't on solids quite yet) that tooth will be here! thanks for a great post!

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  2. we used homeopathic teething tablets with our older kids, and they worked great. We will see what works with Baby J, she is only 4 months old, so no teeth yet! thanks for the tips, I gotta get some of those things soon, just to be prepared!

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  3. The Hyland's tablets worked fabulously for Lucy! Frozen wash cloths, rubber toys (cold or not) and LOTS of nursing really does the trick. Like you mentioned, Lucy never really wanted solids during teething times either but I did have to pay close attention to hunger cues so I didn't become the one being chewed on! Hooray for boobies!

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  4. Another homeopathic product you might want to try is Boiron's Camillia. I used to always use the Hylands tablets but last time I was at the store they were ALL sold out so I bought the other stuff they had which was this product. It comes in individual liquid doses. I am a believer!!! Within 10 minutes my baby was completely calm and happy again. http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Homeopathic-Medicine-Teething-Single-Use/dp/B001F0RARK

    My neighbor recommended the Hylands teething tablets for overstimulation as well. Supposedly they help calm down an overtired cranky child. Seems to work. There are homeopathic "calming" remedies out there too that I've tried and they work wonders.

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  5. Certain teeth seem to cause more pain than others ("eye" teeth and back molars) so we resorted to homeopathic 30X chamomile tablets. What a lifesaver! We went from NO sleep AT ALL, to only waking to whine briefly and nurse briefly. We use Hyland's also, and find them to be very helpful for some teething, but for the nasty ones, we go full strength chamomile.

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  6. My little girl loves Sophie the Giraffe!!!

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  7. My kids liked to teeth on pacifiers, which is truly funny when you consider the fact that they never sucked on them and I never bought any. They like to hold the nipple and chew the guard.

    Also sugar helps a lot. I'm not saying that you should give babies sugar as a food. However sugar is a powerful pain reliever. And remember that Hyland's teething tablets are high in sugar, as are many children's medications. (NOTE: stay away from liquid forms of sugar and particularly honey until baby is at 12 months old because of botulism)

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  8. I wrote a post about all the things that worked for us - some of them, like the teething necklace are on your list too, but there are some others too - such as pulsatilla, chamomila and belladonna. Hope you find some of these useful: http://www.diaryofafirstchild.com/2010/05/03/dealing-with-teething-naturally/

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  9. Chamomille tea ice cubes in the mesh feeder bags. My son loves them and sucks them down!

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  10. I made a knot doll out of wash cloth like material and then made a Roman chamomile infusion. I just dip the knotted piece of cloth into the infusion. He enjoyed chewing and sucking on it. Calmed him down nicely and he was able to sleep well. He is 4 months old and we are embarking early. His slobber is out of control! Heh. This was a great post with a lot of great ideas on here as to how to sooth our lil teether as the journey continues. I'm definitely going to try at the giraffe.

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  11. Camilia by Boiron... you can find it at natural foods stores, Wegmans (if you're lucky enough to have one of those!), or online at vitacost.com.... THE BEST teething remedy we've ever used. Chamomilla 30x or the teething tablets/tincture worked pretty well, usually, but the Camilia seems to work every time - and usually in 1-2 minutes!!!!!

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  12. Boreal's Camillia.works for us. Homeopathic squirt bottles of liquid.

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  13. I will say that a Amber teething neclace works amazingly. But be caustious as there is a lot of amber out there that is fake. Make sure your buying from a reputable company! IBF has been known recently, to carry both fake and real. I bought mine from, balticcreations.net The owner Liana is extremly helpful, professional and knowledgeable (can even show you how to test your amber to make sure it's real).
    Nursing worked a great deal for us to.

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  14. i cannot recommend these highly enough. our daughter was an absolute nightmare with her teeth until we tried this. she has been wearing it since she was 8 months old and we haven't looked back since. i never take hers off, she sleeps with it on too. i have heard from a few people that take their lo's necklaces off at night and they all say that they still get sleepless nights due to teething. i think that they should be worn 24hrs a day. i feel quite happy that they are not a choking hazard. the necklace has a low breaking strain so if it had to get caught on something(an unlikely occurence) then it would snap. if it were to snap for any reason, each bead has been double knotted on, so that they wouldn't all fall off. i got mine off an LatvianAmberStore.com it was $14.50, so not expensive at all.

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  15. Thanks for this post! Lots of great ideas; one thing I thought I would throw out there though is that I was reading reviews for the Sophie Giraffe and although most people said their babies loved it, there were an alarming number of parents saying that they encountered their babies choking with one of the legs down their throats. Sounds like it really isn't something your baby should use without immediate supervision.

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  16. Look on that happy smile on the baby's face. The purchase of all those teething tools are worth it!

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  17. This is an older article, but for anyone here starting in mid-2012 and in the future, do research on Sophie Giraffe before choosing that route. There is a big controversy now not only related to choking, but also to the ingredients used to make Sophie. I have no opinion either way; we have decided not to give it to our little one but only because so far he hasn't needed it. You'll have to do the research yourself and make a decision that works best for you, but I thought it was important to post this so everyone is aware of the possible downsides.

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    Replies
    1. Have the materials for Sophie changed in the last 4 years? She used to always be made out of natural rubber - the company was very clear about what she was made from, and even where the rubber itself came from (which trees, and where).

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  18. Loved reading this. Super informative. I can totally recommend The Sleeping Baby Trendy Teether's. My little girl is obsessed with the fun colors, and she never lets it out of her precious chew-mouth! You should definitely check it out. They have some amazing products!!

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    Replies
    1. I'm curious which your daughter loves most? There are several to choose from... http://www.sleepingbaby.com/collections/trendy-teethers I cannot decide for our son. ;)

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