Natural Teething Remedies for Your Baby

Teething is an unpleasant time for babies. It’s incredibly uncomfortable and the little darlings don’t even know what’s going on. No wonder they’re upset. Here are some natural options for teething remedies.

Why you need to use 'natural' for teething remedies?

Many over the counter teething remedies contain benzocaine. However, FDA warned that the use of benzocaine can lead to a serious and rare condition called 'methemoglobinemia'. Methemoglobenemia does decreases the amount of oxygen flowing through the bloodstream and children under 2 years old are in particular danger. This statistic makes it particularly important to use natural pain relief for teething babies.

When can I expect teething to start?

Most babies start teething around 6 months old, but it can start as early as 4 months or as late as 12 months. (Teething ages seem to run in families. Look at your family history to see if you're early, average or late teethers.)

Which teeth come in first?

• 5–7 months: bottom incisors (bottom front teeth)
• 6–8 months: top incisors (top front teeth)
• 9–11 months: top lateral incisors (either side of the top front teeth)
• 10–12 months: bottom lateral incisors (either side of the bottom front teeth)
• 12–16 months: first molars (back teeth)
• 16–20 months: canines (in between the incisors and molars)
• 20–30 months: second molars (behind the first molars)

Most children have all their baby teeth by the time they're 25–33 months old (about 2 and a half years).

Teething symptoms

When teething first starts you’ll usually notice your baby crying more than usual and having trouble sleeping. She’ll act fussier, and may stick her fingers in her mouth to try to relieve the discomfort. Teething pain can affect her jaw, ear, or even shoulder, so you might see her rubbing those areas. Her gums will look red and swollen – blisters might form over the erupting teeth as well. Your baby might lose her appetite, when she was a healthy eater before, but want to bite down on anything and everything. (This is where natural teething toys come in handy.) She might also get a rash around her mouth that looks like eczema. (It’s not, though, it’s usually just irritation from increased moisture and touching her face.)

What are not teething symptoms

If your baby experiences fever, diarrhoea, cough or cold symptoms you should probably bring her to the doctor if they don’t go away in a day or two. Previously, these were considered as normal teething symptoms, but doctors no longer believe that. It’s possible baby might have picked up some sort of bug while she was sticking everything in her mouth. Probably nothing to worry about, but a visit to the doctor can set your mind at ease.

How to get some natural pain relief for teething babies

One of the best natural teething remedies is simply your attention. Talk to your bub, play with her, and give her a gentle massage to distract her from her pain and help her relax. There are also many fantastic non toxic options for teething remedies available in the market:

Apple Park Farm Buddies Organic Blankie – These non toxic polyester free organic cotton blankies can be soaked in water and kept in the fridge. The cold feels good on baby’s sore gums, and when she’s not teething she’ll have an adorable blankie to snuggle with.

Hevea Panda Teether – This 100% natural rubber teether's soft and has a textured surface to soothe baby’s gums. Its shape makes it easy for little hands to hold on to, and you can just boil to sterilise.

Want to know more about natural teething remedies? You can also read our Guide to Safe and Natural Teething Remedies for Baby.

Other image credits: Apple Park