3 Natural Teething Remedies That Work!

natural teething remediesUgh. TEETHING. Your happy baby turns into a crabby, drooling, night-waking mess – which subsequently turns YOU into a crabby, drooling, night-waking mess. Desperate for anything that might bring relief, even the crunchiest of mamas {ahem, me} sometimes question our methods. We don’t want our children to suffer needlessly, but we don’t want to over-burden their small bodies with multiple doses of Tylenol for days on end. Weeks on end. Months on end. I mean, HOW LONG does it take for a molar to break through???

My daughter began teething later than most – her first tooth popped out shortly after her first birthday, and I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE. Not until she bit me with it! She began drooling at 6 months. Her gums would swell and turn red but nothing ever came of it. Frustrated at her need for constant pain management but not comfortable with the idea of shooting a steady stream of ibuprofen into her mouth, I went in search of alternative teething remedies. That, my friends, is how she managed to cut her first tooth totally under the radar – without drooling, crying, and night-waking. Without Orajel or Tylenol. Without the help of the 15 different teethers and frozen toys I bought for her enjoyment.

It. Was. Glorious.

If you’re struggling to find the magic combination that works for your little one – or if you don’t even know where to start – don’t be afraid to try one of these natural teething remedies:

Homeopathic Teething Tablets – We can debate ad nauseam the science behind homeopathy, but the truth is that even Walgreen’s and CVS have teething tablets on their shelves. It is also true that a teething baby has no idea what you’re putting in her mouth and cannot produce a placebo effect. Do they work for everyone? I don’t know of a single medication that does! But they were effective for us and were well worth the $7 price tag. When my babies start to show the signs of teething – irritability, drooling, maybe a red, raised patch on their gums, I put a tablet under their tongues and wait. The tablets are slightly sweet and dissolve right away – in fact, that’s why I only give one at first. They always ask for more! Teething tablets seem to take the edge off, and a lot of moms report a return to sleeping and an abatement of fussiness.

Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces – These are my biggest guns; my most trusted guns. And once I put a necklace on my kid, it stays on until s/he is 3 years old {I do purchase new necklaces annually}. The idea of an amber teething necklace weirded me out at first. I was super-skeptical, even though I am one of the crunchier mamas in my circle, and thought it was just New Age healing crystal voodoo! A little bit of digging revealed that amber contains succinic acid, which, when released from the beads by the warmth of your skin, has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. Many adults report amber necklaces help with arthritis and migraines! A good necklace will have a pop clasp and knots between each bead for safety – make sure the length is short enough that the child cannot put the beads in his/her mouth – they’re not for chewing. Within an hour of putting my first necklace on my first child, her drooling {which had been so bad that she wore a bib!} stopped. By that evening, she was back to her usual sleeping-through-the-night self, and never needed Tylenol or the homeopathic tablets again. Five months later her first tooth came though without a single symptom! I was impressed. My 21-month-old son now wears a necklace, and though he needs the help of tablets on occasion, the difference I notice in him is his demeanor. Last month I forgot to put his necklace on after a bath, and the next morning I was perplexed by his constant whining and complete lack of coping skills. His sister started calling him “Crab Cakes”, and he asked to nurse ALL. DAY. LONG. When his sissy found the necklace in her toy box, she put it back on, and by afternoon he was once again our Sweet Baby James.

NOTE: With the surge in popularity, there are many sellers peddling fake amber necklaces! I suggest first and foremost to read the reviews of a company before purchasing. Yes, there will be some that say the necklaces don’t work – but look at the majority of the reviews. Are the customers happy? That’s a good sign. Prices vary, but a genuine necklace can be found from $18-$24, a small price to pay for lasting relief! Once you have your merch in hand, put a bead up to something that is good and hot. Does it smell like pine? Then the succinic has been released & you are the proud owner of a genuine amber teething necklace. Does it smell like burning plastic? Or nothing at all? Then yours is likely a man-made fabrication {plastic or glass are most common} 🙁

Essential OilsI know, right? ENOUGH WITH THE OILS, ALREADY. But here’s the thing…I didn’t know about them when my daughter was teething, so I didn’t use them. By the time my son came around, they were The Answer To Everything. I misplaced my son’s amber necklace and couldn’t find it, even after a few days of ardent searching {I’m 99% positive he threw it in the trash – that’s his favorite hobby}. I ordered a new one, but he was working on a molar! I gave him some Motrin, and went in search of anything else that might help. I didn’t try a specific teething blend {those do exist} but looked up “teething essential oils” on Pinterest and found one that I had on hand. I didn’t put it on his gums {I’m not comfortable with that – some mamas are} but diluted it with coconut oil and applied it to his jawline. While it didn’t reduce his inflammation too much, it did calm him down & paired with some teething tablets, we were able to wait out our Amazon Prime 2-day shipping for the new necklace without reaching for the Motrin again. Whew.

Erin Bartel
Erin is a marketing consultant in Wichita KS. She spends her days helping local businesses and non-profits navigate the ever-changing waters of digital marketing and homeschooling her kids. She and her daughter also own Sassy Squid Ink, an imprint designing notebooks, journals, and sketchbooks. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of 2, Erin's hobbies include bribing herself to exercise, traveling with (and without) her family, and trying to remember where she hid the chocolate.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hello,
    Any chance you would be able/willing to share which amber necklace you purchased from Amazon? If not, do you have an suggestions on where to get a “real” one locally?

    Thanks!

    • Absolutely! The company I have used is Hazelaid (http://hazelaid.com/collections/adult-baltic-amber) – they sell on their own site and through Amazon. I chose a darker necklace for my son (pictured), because it seemed more masculine, but there are MANY colors available!

      Here locally, I’ve also seen amber teething necklaces at Sweet Cheeks (on Douglas in the Delano District), but I’m not sure which brand they sell.

      Hope that helps!

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