Teething Questions & Answers
Q: Are there any natural remedies I can try for my teething baby? She’s eight months.
A: Homeopathy tends to be the best choice because young children like the taste of the homeopathic remedies which are sweet and easy to administer. Homeopathy matches the symptoms of the condition because all babies may have pain while teething but all children’s specific symptoms will vary so finding the exact match is sometimes challenging. To find the exact match look for the child’s specific symptoms
- Silicea at 6x – helps the tooth erupt through the skin easier; baby will not scream out in pain but will be annoyed from the pain. Gentle babies who tend not to complain often.
- Chamomilla at 6c – for babies that get really angry when they are in pain and are difficult to console. Chamomilla seems to have not only a calming effect on the physical pain, but also the emotional pain teething can cause. Children that require this remedy often have redness in their checks.
- Mercurius vivus 6c – if your child’s main symptom is drooling. Drooling may also be accompanied by bad breath. Kids can’t seem to find a comfortable position.
- Calcarea careonica 6c – for babies that get sweaty and clingy when they’re in pain. This is for kids who also tend to get ear pain when teething; helps soothes.
- Cold fruit – (blueberries) helps a lot; you can also do cold peas. The mouth’s temperature is warm enough to melt the frozen blueberries and peas so there is no risk of chocking.
- Gaia Children – “gummy rub” topical herbal analgesic; anti-inflammatory and has a slight numbing effect on the gum.
- Herbal suggestions – Catnip and lemon balm herb sweetened with agave nectar and made into tea, cool then make it into Popsicles and let child suckle on them. Catnip and lemon balm and calming and soothing herbs that help reduce inflammation and ease pain.
- Breastfeeding a teething baby – Babies tend to breastfeed more often while they are teething because of the warm pressure of the breast on the gum helps ease the pain. Usually, babies will breastfeed very intensely for the 12 hours before the tooth erupts.
Does not recommend clove oil on gums unless it is HIGHLY diluted in olive oil. Clove oil is a very intense essential oil that can easily burn sensitive tissue. Used mostly in adult tooth pain, but still highly diluted.