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By the time your baby is 3 months old, they could start the process of teething. Even though teething is entirely “normal.” It is still a painful and strange feeling for your child, who doesn’t yet understand what pain is or how to soothe themselves. It falls on you the worried and stressed parent to take care of them and help them overcome the teething pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, teething can lead to a number of other problems for your infant as well, including drooling, which can also be treated with some remedies mentioned below
How Do You Know When a Baby is Teething?
The first thing to figure out is if your baby is actually teething. You can determine this out by monitoring your baby and watching what they do and how they react to certain things. While some infants may not show any signs at all when teething, most will exhibit a few signs because of the discomfort that goes along with the process. This may include refusing a bottle or food, sucking or chewing on fingers or toys, or excessive drooling. They may also simply seem fussier than they usually are.
All of these things happen because the teeth are attempting to emerge through your child’s gums which may encourage them to bite on things which in turn causes more pressure. They may cry or fuss or even refuse food and drinks because their mouth is sore and hurting and they don’t like that pain (who would?). In all, these symptoms, paired with an age between 3 months and 1 year, should let you know that your little one is teething.
Natural Teething Remedies That will Sooth Your Teething Baby
When you know that your child is teething, there are actually several things that you can do which will make your child feel better. So where do you start when it comes to relieving their discomfort? If you’re like most parents, you want to stick to something that’s natural and safe and will provide your child with some pain relief.
Baby Teething Remedy #1 – Massage the Gums
The first thing you can do that doesn’t require any real products is massage your baby’s gums. You can do this with your finger alone or with one of the many special gum massaging tools that are available. Just make sure that you’re using something BPA-free to avoid as many chemicals as possible. You should make sure the tool or your finger is as clean as possible and rub it gently on the baby’s gums for a couple of minutes at a time. Your baby may not be keen on the idea at first, but they’ll probably be okay with it after the first time.
Baby Teething Pain Relief #2 Cold- Ice cube/Washcloth/Banana
Cold helps soothe the tender gums and decreases irritability. You can provide your baby with a small ice cube to chomp on (make sure it’s really small and not sharp, as ice cubes can be a choking hazard. Alternatively, you can also rinse a washcloth and freeze it in a Ziploc bag and let the baby nibble on it. You could do the same with the very small piece of frozen banana as the cold will help soothe the gums. Also, as the banana thaws out it will become softer and the baby can easily swallow it.
Infant Teething Remedy #3 Teething Toys
There are a number of different teething toys around that can help your child with pain and discomfort. Some of these are just normal toys and some are actually specifically intended for teething. For example, some teething rings can be frozen, giving a different texture and coolness for your baby. Others could be just a toy with sections that have ridges that provide different textures and can help with teething.
Baby Teething Pain Relief #4 Natural Teething Gels
There are plenty of different types of gel that you can use to help your little one feel more comfortable. Teething gels work in a similar manner as a pain reliever. However, they contain mostly natural ingredients thus making them safer for your little one. They’re also in gel form, which makes them easier for you to apply directly. This makes teething gels work a whole lot faster and more specifically for the pain, they are experiencing. Be careful about getting natural versions of the gels, however, as many do contain chemicals.
Baby Teething Remedy #5 Homeopathic Teething Pain Pills
There are also homeopathic pills that you can use for your baby to help them relieve the pain that goes along with teething. These pills are easy to dissolve and you can simply slip under your baby’s tongue. Once they dissolve, your baby will start feeling relief in no time at all and will be able to sleep or play without the pain. For those who want an all-natural remedy, these can be a great option
Baby Teething Home Made Solutions #6 Herbal Remedies
There are plenty of different herbal remedies that you can use to create a soothing drink for your baby. Herbs like rosehip, chamomile, catnip and clove can all help to relieve the pain, improve your baby’s immune system and decrease their irritability. You can make weak tea and freeze them in ice cube trays. Wrap the cube in the muslin cloth and let the baby gnaw at some really small ice cubes. The cold will help soothe the gums and when it ice melts the herbs will provide relief to the pain.
Conclusion
Helping your baby when they’re teething isn’t always easy, and doing it without the use of chemicals is even harder. So what can you do? Any of these natural-style remedies is going to help relieve the pain and decrease your baby’s irritability. Before you know it, your little bundle of joy is going to feel better than ever. They’ll be able to eat whatever they want, well over time anyway. GUESS WHAT they’re going to have teeth too.