Natural Herbal Help for Teething Babies
Sad, cranky sleepless babies that refuse to be set down can hurt any mama heart and drive you crazy at the same time. When the issue is teething and it feels like there is nothing you can do it’s even worse!
When I noticed my one year old getting fussy, clingy, and gnawing on his hand, I grabbed my phone to check out my blog. I was hoping to rediscover some brilliant herbal advice from my past self for my sad uncomfortable little buddy.
There was nothing there! As soon as I got a break, I delved into the problem of soothing teething babies naturally and am happy to offer these completely natural solutions and save you some of my frustration.
The Goal
The first thing to remember? “The goal is support.” (Herbs for Children’s Health) Teething is not something that needs to be healed or fixed; it is a natural part of growing up and our job as caretakers is to help our babies’ bodies cope with the discomfort. Thus don’t reach right for the OTC painkillers, try some of these natural remedies first and I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Before I offer some herbal remedies, I wanted to suggest that you use them to make a cold herbal oil infusion to help soothe your teething baby. As mamanatural.com notes, simply simmer the herbs in a carrier oil (coconut, olive, etc.) for 4-6 hours, strain out the herbs, and store the oil in the fridge so it is cool when you need to apply it to the baby’s gums. Rubbing the oil on the gums gives the added benefit of applying pressure. Just be careful of your fingers if they already have teeth!
Natural Remedies
Catnip
Catnip is the first herb to consider. Catnip is a classic, comforting herb for teething. It can be offered to your baby in many different ways including as a tea, in a homemade fruit juice popsicle, and in a frozen washcloth that has been soaked in a Catnip infusion (also gives them something to chew on!). These might be a little messy, but if your child enjoys cold, they have the added benefit of being a fun distraction from the pain. You could make the popsicle or frozen teething cloth a fun part of bath time or keep them contained in their high chair while reading a book, playing music, etc. I also include catnip in my gripe water tea.
Rose Hip
Rose Hip is another herb that has many benefits for a teething baby. (HCH) It is anti-inflammatory to sooth those poor puffy gums. Rose hip is also an excellent source of vitamin C to boost the baby’s immune system, which can be stressed by teething. I found suggestions to give it as a syrup every few hours, but I would probably infuse a carrier oil to apply.
Hyland’s Teething & Colic Tablets
A store bought option can include Hylands homeopathic Teething or Colic tablets. I include both because multiple sources have noted that depending on the symptoms, some babies respond better to the colic tablets than the teething tablets. I have used the teething tablets with my children and have found that they do make a positive difference when used regularly.
Chamomile
Chamomile, the gold standard of calming herbs, can’t be overlooked! It can be offered as a tea like catnip, included in a popsicle, or as a frozen teething washcloth. I gave my younger daughter chamomile as a homeopathic remedy. A few drops of chamomilla 30C in a little baby spoon given every few hours did a world of good! She even recognized this and would get excited when she saw her special red spoon!
Clove Oil
Clove oil is another option for dealing with tooth pain in tooth pain for children over 2 up to adults. Many sources, included Wellness Mama suggested using a drop of clove essential oil mixed with a tablespoon of carrier oil every 4-6 hours to numb the gums and provide relief from tooth pain. I am hesitant to use essential oils on my children, but will be experimenting with this the next time my husband or I have tooth pain.
Help the Mama too!
As I noted in the beginning, the goal is support! In that spirit, I also want to suggest a soothing herbal tea for you since our children’s teething can be so draining. Mixing catnip, lemon balm, and passionflower in either a hot or cold tea ( probably cold or lukewarm by the time you get to it!) can be a welcome, relaxing treat. Here is how to make a tea and a few other post that might help;
- How to make a tea infusion
- 9 Strategies to live well when you are exhausted
- Face your fears to use your herbs
Bonus Strategies to Sooth Teething Babies
I also want to mention a few other strategies that can help with teething that are not exclusively herbal. I got SO annoyed by all the posts that were supposedly helping you sooth a teething baby naturally, but were really pushing specific products. So, my other strategies include . . .
- Wearing your baby. Teething babies are clingy babies. I reach for my woven wrap or soft structured carrier any time my tiny humans need some extra snuggles. This soothes them, lets them comfort themselves by chewing on the carrier, and gives your arms a break.
- Letting them chew. Whether it is a frozen banana if they are older, their favorite toy, your finger, the bottle, etc. let them comfort and distract themselves by chewing if it seems to soothe them.
- Just step it up. The “it” is whatever they enjoy in the first place. This could be a warm bath for one baby, an extra long nursing session for another baby, a gentle massage, etc. Right now, laying flat on the rug and letting my one year old crawl all over me and take snuggle breaks as needed is the magic cure for just about anything! Each of my kids have been very different in what they find comforting. The point is to make them your priority, put other things on the back burner, and be willing to step up the time that you spend comforting them. (extra long baths, more & longer nursing sessions, lots of time spent swinging them, etc.)
I hope some of this information has been helpful. . . Please leave a comment about how you soothe your teething baby, share with your other friends in the trenches, and embrace the season of life you are in regardless of how hard it is now!
Here are some other posts you might like to check out too!
- Using Herbs for babies and kids
- Benefits of including your children in your herbal adventures
- How to make time to enjoy hobbies
- Increase your energy with herbs