Blog
Go Green!
Believe it or not, babies start their teething process around their second month of life. Right about that time you may notice your baby rub her / his gums (fist in the mouth) and you may see them form saliva bubbles as well.
The actual teeth usually appear at 6-7 months of age for girls and 7-8 months for the boys, however every child is different and the timing varies widely, so you may see babies cut their first tooth as early as 2-4 months or as late as 15 months of age.
The two bottom front teeth (lower central incisors) are usually the first to appear, followed by the two top front teeth (upper central incisors) but even this is not a rule.
Classic signs and symptoms of teething are: drooling, chewing on solid objects, irritability or crankiness, sore or tender gums, lower grade fever (less than 101) and mushier stool due to the drool ingestion.
Drooling, crankiness and tears can make teething an ordeal for parents and babies. Here are my suggestions for easing the pain from teething and calming down.
Cooling washcloth
Rub your baby’s gums with cool moistened and clean washcloth. The pressure and the the cold sensation can ease your baby’s discomfort. I am not a big fan of teething rings, they are hard to gums and may contain BPA particles. And, for some reason, most babies prefer washcloth over the teething rings and fancy gadgets !?
You may moist the washcloth and leave it in the fridge to chill before using, since cold sensation will soothe aching gums.
Breastfeeding
While sucking may aggravate teething pain for some babies (sometimes leading to a nursing strike), others may want to nurse more often for the sheer comfort of it. Breast milk contains endorphins which are more natural and powerful painkillers.
Teething does not need to mean the end of breastfeeding; if your baby seems tempted to bite during nursing, try rubbing a clean finger over her gums before beginning and ending the session once she seems full, but not yet bored.
Homeopathic remedies
Camila homeopathic medicine by Boiron. It calms babies down and since it is homeopathic (does not have any ACTIVE ingredients, it is safe to use at any time with no chances of overdose)
Having only chamomile dilution, it makes it safe and superior to any other over the counter teething tablets or gels.
Essential oils
Essential oils are getting more popular and with teething most frequently I use these two: Roman Chamomile and Lavender. Make sure you do not apply them directly to your child’s skin since they are very potent and may irritate the skin.
Recipe: mix 1 drop of each oil in 2 Tbsp of coconut oil and rub a small amount on the outer side of the cheek along the gum line.
Baltic amber teething necklace
Its mechanism is not known for sure, but I will tell you in my experience with teething patients – they just work, for majority of the kids. Here is the link for the necklace
Baltic amber, it is thought, radiates soothing energy and absorbs negative energy , hence allows body to heal itself (similar to homeopathic principle for mechanism of work) . This also helps calm nerves.
I also found in my research: when beads made of Baltic amber are worn against baby’s skin, body heat may trigger the release of a minute amount of oil that contains succinic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the body which has an analgesic effect on swollen, sore gums.
Tips
Be on the top of the drool: Excessive drooling is part of the teething process and to prevent skin irritation from it, keep a clean cloth handy to dry your baby’s chin.
Consider applying a moisturizer such as a water-based natural cream or lotion. Check this website for the updated cosmetics database.
I do not recommend using commercial liquid pain reducers (Acetaminophen/ Ibuprofen) for teething.