Natural Teething Remedies for Baby
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Suggestions from a mother of 5 happy kids!
It seems like after you give birth to a child you are open to everyone's advice. You have advice coming from grandparents, aunts, friends, and even people at the grocery store will offer up opinions! It also seems that no two people advise the same things. You will get both ends of the spectrum from the old wives tales to the advice to simply load your child up with over the counter children's pain relievers because "sleep cures everything". I was bound and determined to ignore everyone, politely decline their comments, and make decisions for myself. When it came to teething I tried many different things and here is my list of the ones I liked the best.
I must preface this list by telling you that I am not a "hippie" nor am I against modern medicine. These are what truly worked the best for my teething children. Each of the 5 did favor the natural and homeopathic remedies to the pain relieving gels sold in stores, however, I recommend that you try whatever you feel the most comfortable with first then move on if it is ineffective. Most of the remedies below do not require a trip to the health food store! They are available at your local pharmacy, grocery store, or you can order them online..If you are already at the health food store..it never hurts to check out their selection of homeopathic pain relievers for children!
1. All Natural Teething Tablets (made by Hyland's) http://www.hylandsteething.com/products/ - To my children..the miracle tablets. These precious little tablets dissolve quickly in your baby's mouth. There is a gentle warning on the back to not be concerned if your child is suddenly sleeping as the pain is relieved. Note that these did not make any of my kids "drowsy". My children did nap but awoke happy and fully alert! See the website for detailed information.
2. Pure vanilla extract - Yes, this is the PURE vanilla not imitation. This worked for a "quick-fix". I believe that it is because the small amount of alcohol in it that provides a tingle and soothing sensation to the gums. Simply rub a little pure vanilla extract on the baby's gums and a few seconds later...no crying! .Vanilla is known for its soothing effects and has even been used to cure stomach distress so it can play double duty!! A definite must have in the medicine cabinet. (I have seen recommendations of almond extract working as well...I was concerned with nuts before 1 year of age so I skipped it but if you are clear for nuts..I hear this works too!)
3. Frozen Washcloths - It's as easy as it looks. Wet a portion of a washcloth and set it in your freezer. Give it to your baby and they will do what comes naturally. The frozen area will temporarily numb the baby's gums and the pain will be relieved. I have also heard that you can soak this first in chamomile tea for an additional boost of relaxation to the baby (check for allergies!).
4. Cold Applesauce - works the same as the frozen washcloths. The cold food temporarily numbs the gums and the act of eating distracts them from the pain. Not a long term fix but certainly enjoyable for the baby!
5. Clove Paste (homemade) - This suggestion came from a friend.... I haven't tried it BUT she swears by it. Mix a small amount of ground cloves and butter together and place into the fridge. Just rub on baby's gums whenever needed. She said that the more cloves you use...the longer it works! You can also use clove oil from a dropper and rub a small amount directly on the gums. Again, you may want to consult a pediatrician on this one.
You can scour the web and find many different suggestions. There is talk of using natural licorice root (not the candy) to soothe the gums. NOTE: There was a disclaimer on one site that also added that it worked to relieve constipation and has other various digestion related uses. I felt it best not to try this as I was changing enough diapers. People will also suggest frozen fruits and vegetables but I was leery of choking hazards so I did skip these until they were much older. There are recipes for homemade teething gels and necklaces made using allspice, lavender, and other various herbs that I hear great things about but..again, I have 5 kids and worked from home so making homemade teething necklaces just wasn't in the cards for me.
No matter what method you choose do what feels right to you as a parent. You will have so many decisions to make in their lifetime and teething pain relievers will certainly be one of the small ones. Do your research, ask around, but try them out and do what is best. Before trying any "off the wall" methods please consult your child's pediatrician. Good luck to you and your baby!
