Teething: Home remedies

Not all babies experience discomfort when teething and some only go through a short, niggly period. Others really struggle though, at least with the front- and eye teeth. However, those who sprout front- and eye teeth easily, often struggle with cutting molars. Give extra dollops of comfort at this time, as all babies respond positively to comfort when feeling under the weather. Wipe your baby's face dry often if he's drooling a lot, to help prevent rashes.

No matter the type and severity of symptoms, there's help at hand:

Remedies
Homeopathic teething remedies containing Chamomilla 6X are very useful to treat most teething symptoms, especially if your baby is very fretful and has loose stools. If your baby teethes very slowly and with great difficulty, the tissue salt remedy calc phos should be given to ease the process. Rescue remedy should be taken by both the mom and her baby to help break the inevitable tension-pain cycle around teething time.

Freeze away the pain!
Offer your baby an ice lolly to suck on if he is old enough (freeze organic rooibos baby tea or diluted, fresh fruit juices) to reduce swelling and, consequently, pain. Freeze a clean flannel cloth or cool a suitable teething ring in the fridge for your baby to hold against the gums to reduce swelling and pain – frozen teething rings are mostly too hard and further hurt the gums. Apply calendula cream to the rash around the mouth and chin areas.

Pressure the pain away
Offer a teething ring to gnaw on as this provides counter-pressure which helps relieve pain – remember not to hang anything around your baby's neck, as this could strangle him. Rub the gums with a clean finger, applying counter-pressure for pain relief.

Be patient about the return to a full diet while your baby is teething, although the remedies advised generally improve appetite too, as babies start to feel better. Say 'no' if your baby bites down on your breast, unlatch him with a finger turned in the corner of his mouth and don't re-latch for five minutes. If your baby thinks of doing it again, he will probably look at you carefully beforehand and won't just take a sudden bite – you'll have time to warn him.

By Sister Lilian

Caring for new teeth


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