No parent wants to see their baby in pain. Unfortunately, babies cut teeth, and when they do it hurts them. This can lead to them being clingy and miserable. Since babies can teeth for weeks and months at a time, you don’t want to be giving them constant pain killers for that time period. Not only can their bodies build an immunity to those pain killers, but it can also negatively affect their organs. Here we are going to look into natural ways to help ease pain caused by teething.
Gum massage
Using your clean finger, you can apply counter pressure to baby’s gums which can help relieve the pain from teething. Babies like to chew on everything, and will enjoy being able to have your finger in the exact spot their gums hurt. Be careful, though, baby’s teeth will be sharp when they finally poke through!
Cold spoon
A spoon run under cold water of placed in the fridge for a little while can be a great toy for a teething baby. Make sure to never put the spoon in the freezer, this can make the spoon stick to baby’s tongue.
Washcloth
A cold, damp washcloth can be a great teething toy for babies. Wet a clean cloth with cold water, you can either give it to baby like that or place it in a clean sandwich bag and refrigerate for the short while. Always supervise baby when he is playing with a washcloth. Babies can fit the washcloth in their mouth and it can be a choking hazard.
Teething jewelry
If a baby is always trying to chew on your jewelry, you can start wearing some of the teething jewelry being made for moms. Made of a high cooking grade silicone, there are a variety of options to help all moms find one that fits their style. This can help baby have something to chew on while you are carrying a baby and you won’t need to worry about baby dropping the teether on the ground if you are out walking.
Teethers
Teethers come in a wide variety. Some options include silicone, wooden, stuffed, rubber and plastic soothers. They come in an array of shapes and sizes. Some are filled with gel, meant to be placed in the fridge and chewed on while cool. Others have a vibrating feature that is activated when baby chews on it. When using teethers make sure there are loose parts to the teether that can be a choking hazard.
Cold Fruit
Cold fruit is a great treat for teething babies, you can introduce your baby to different flavors and textures while soothing their sore gums. There are specially made mesh bags that allow you to give your baby fruits without worrying about choking. Another option for the mesh bag is an ice cube. Since the ice isn’t touching baby’s tongue directly there is no risk of freezing and baby can enjoy the cold.
Distractions
Sometimes all a distraction from the pain is enough to help baby forget about it for a while. This can be a walk outside, a bath or a new game or toy.
Food
If you have already introduced solids to your baby’s diet they can also help soothe her gums. Cold foods like applesauce or yogurt will be soothing because they are cold. There are also teething cookies you can make or buy for baby. These options will help soothe baby’s gums while also filling them up.
Soft spout sippy cup
Some babies will comfort feed while they are teething. Others will refuse to accept a bottle. A soft spout sippy cup can be a great way to get your baby to drink when they are refusing to because of gum pain.
There are many options that don’t require us to reach for medicinal pain killers each time our baby cries out in pain from teething. It can take some trial and error, but you can find natural ways to help ease your baby’s pain naturally.
