6 Teething Remedies to Help Your Fussy Baby

Before you have kids, teething seems like some event that happens over the course of a few days. Once you become a parent, you learn the truth about teething. That it lasts for years!!!

Some babies and toddlers barely seemed bothered by their erupting teeth. They sleep well, eat well and suddenly one day some adorable little chiclets appear in their mouth, but that's not the case for many babies, including mine. If you have a little one who is drooling profusely, gnawing on everything, and all out of sorts, there is a good chance they are teething. Some of the other symptoms babies experience are red cheeks, decreased appetite, loose bowel movements, diaper rash, red swollen gums, disrupted sleep and generally clingy behaviour. Sounds like fun eh? Well I'm here to help. Here is a roundup of my favourite ways to help support your little one through teething. As always, try to remember, this too shall pass. 

1. Teething Toys: Silicone and wooden toys that baby can safely chew on can help give them some relief and entertainment. (Details: Gertie the Goose, Wooden Teether, Silicone Red Teether)

2. Feeder With Frozen Fruit: If your little one is old enough to eat complimentary foods (approximately 6 months and beyond Learn more), fill up your silicone or mesh feeder with any type of frozen fruit and let baby enjoy a nice numbing sweet treat. 

3. Frozen Wash Cloth: Wet a baby wash cloth and place it in the freezer. Once it's frozen it can be removed for baby to chew on. Before giving to baby always make sure there are no sharp edges of ice, and allow the cloth to thaw for a few minutes to soften if necessary. You can also use the frozen wash cloth to gently massage your baby's gums if that provides them relief. 

4. Frozen Pineapple Core: This one is a win win for parents and baby. Simply cut all edible pineapple off the core to eat and enjoy. Then take the tough fibrous core and slice it into wedges approximately 1" wide x 3" long. Toss them in a container or baggie in the freezer and pull out a wedge of frozen pineapple core when baby is needing some relief. The great thing about it is that the core is so hard baby can't chew through it, and it's relatively mess free. Always ensure your baby is being attended while enjoying their frozen pineapple core.

5. Clove Oil: Essential oils are something that I've started to explore in the last year. When we were having some epic non-stop teething pain with Penny a few months ago, and she refused all pain medications, we decided to try clove oil. We diluted 2 drops of clove oil in 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil and rubbed a small amount on her gums. It seemed to provide some good relief and Penny didn't mind it. *Please Note: Clove oil should never be ingested directly and should always be mixed with a carrier oil to dilute it. Always test on yourself before applying to baby's gums and always ensure you are buying high quality food grade oils. 

6. Camilla:  With all of my babies I have found homeopathic Camilla by Boiroin to be a nice option to help with their irritability. There is no solid research to support homeopathic remedies, but I'm open to trying anything that is safe and within reason. After all, I don't claim to know all, and I don't think that we can prove everything with research studies. Camilla doesn't contain any alcohol or sugar and is safe to be used in combination with over the counter pain medications.

It's important to remember that numbing agents that are typically used for tooth pain are not safe for use on babies. Over the counter pain medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are safe options, but should be reserved for occassions when baby really needs them. Pain medications should not be used for long periods of time, and teething can go on for several weeks at a time...for several months...for several years. It's super fun ;) Good Luck!

Care 

*Note: There has been a lot of attention in the news in recent months about the safety of Hylands Homeopathic Teething Tablets. There has not been any concern about Boiron homeopathic products and there have been no issues within Canada. Homeopathic remedies should never be dangerous to your health, and all companies (whether traditional pharmaceuticals or homeopathics) should have stringent checks in place to ensure their product is being produced safely. More from Health Canada.

*This post is not sponsored