Teething. Ugh. No one likes to see their baby in pain. Our three-month-old is already a biting, drooling maniac and oh so cranky with his blistering gums from teeth slowly making their way to the surface.
Ten years ago when our first baby was teething, the only natural teething alternative to Tylenol and OraGel I knew of was
Hyland's Teething Tablets. They worked wonders the first couple of times, then their magic seemed to wear off. Fast forward to a new decade and there are oodles of natural teething remedies to choose from. My friends who know of my crunchiness so well absolutely lavished us at Joseph's baby shower with natural teething options to try out. Here are a few items that have proven their worth with our babe:
Camden Rose Cherry Rattle
Who says the flashy plastic toys are the way to a baby's heart? This simple, non-toxic wooden rattle captivates our little guy and can change the face seen above to this fascinated expression in a matter of seconds (these two pictures were literally snapped less than a minute from each other).
When up against the body, amber is warmed and releases succinic acid, which is known to help immune system function and has calming and anti-inflammatory properties. I wasn't so sure about whether it would be effective or not, but after I put one on him, Joseph went from irritable to noticeably more calm in a matter of minutes. Amazing!
He may only be three months old, but this cotton terry cloth bunny has a calming effect on him every time. Another trick I learned is to soak and freeze a washcloth and allow the teething babe to gnaw on it. The cold, stiff cloth feels good on their little gums. This same concept can be used on the bunny.
This squeaky giraffe teether is made with natural rubber (not plastic) and was given it's color using food grade paint. Her limbs are easy handles for babies and contrasting colors keep them fascinated.
But here's the deal. Sometimes every gadget pushed at the poor teething tot can be met with further cries of exasperation. I don't know about you, but this seems to happen when I have a full day ahead of me with so much to take care of. That's when (after calming my own self down) I take a deep breath, remember this little person will be ten years old before I know it, let go of the day's chores for a bit, and give him a little cuddle. This always proves to be the most effective method in both result and cost. The best things in life are free (and usually inconvenient). He might even doze off in my arms and I find myself all the more peaceful as I lay him down for a nap and pick back up with the demands of the day.
