Teething Pain
Teething pain is caused by the pressure of a baby’s growing tooth pushing against the inside of the gum before it breaks through. It is usual for your baby to be fussy and irritable for no apparent reason several days or even weeks before you notice a red bulge in your baby’s mouth and realize that it is teething pain! Your baby just doesn’t understand the aching pain in their mouth and are understandably unsettled and upset.
Teething is hard work for both parents and baby and is unavoidable but there are things you can do to help your little one through this milestone with the least discomfort to them and disruption to you
Natural Ways to Relieve Teething Pain
Applying Something Cold
This is a very soothing and effective way of easing teething pain. Here are some easy and natural ways to do this.
- Partially freeze a clean, wet cloth. Let your little one chew on the cold cloth to help numb the area and reduce swelling.
- Offer your baby an ice cube placed in a securely tied in a cotton washcloth or muslin, they can hold the washcloth and chew on the cold hard ice.
Applying Pressure
Babies love to chew when they are teething and will try and chew on anything they can reach including their own hands and possibly yours! There are however plenty of teething toys designed specifically for this purpose. Make sure they are easy for your baby to hold and meet safety standards. Some can be frozen or cooled before use for added pain relief. Soft silicone teething toys are excellent, easy for your baby to hold and shaped so that your baby can easily reach their back teeth. There are necklaces made of silicone also which your baby can safely wear (check the safety standards) and this saves the problem of when your baby drops their teether and you have to keep picking it up and washing it.
Chamomile
Chamomile is naturally calming and helps relax nerves and soothe pain. Try chamomile tea – make a weak tea and freeze it in ice cube trays. Place a frozen tea cube in a muslin bag and secure it tightly. Now your baby can gnaw on the bag and benefit from the chamomile as the cube melts.
Amber teething necklaces
Amber teething necklaces have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. The theory is that the warmth of your baby’s body releases succinic acid found in Baltic amber. Succinic acid can allegedly have analgesic properties which help relieve pain in the body. Scientific evidence is yet to prove this but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from parents who have had good results with teething necklaces, but as with any natural or home remedies they may not work on all babies.
Always extreme care should be taken when anything is placed around a baby’s neck and teething necklaces should be removed for sleeping. Ensure the safety standards of anything you allow your baby to wear or play with.
Have you tried any of these natural teething remedies? What natural remedies have you found to be helpful for teething babies?
