Babies are in minor pain and discomfort when they are teething. I have seen parents use a popular chemical teething gel that not only numbs the gums, but when the baby swallows it, it numbs the mouth and throat too. Try some on yourself and see just how awful of a feeling it is. Why would you put your baby through that? Here are some chemical and alcohol free baby teething remedies that you should try first.
Let your baby chew on something hard like a baby biscuit. You can find these at any store. I am not sure how much of a natural teething remedy these are, but they are better than chemicals and alcohol. The biscuit puts pressure on the gums which helps ease the pain. One of the ways you can tell if a baby is teething is they chew on their hands all the time, so it makes sense that the pressure is what they need.
You can buy teething rings that when frozen, will help ease the pain in the gums. Having a few of these in the freezer at all times is a good idea. In an emergency, you could wet a washcloth with cold water and with your finger; press it to the painful area. Baby will probably bite down on your finger so be prepared.
Giving your baby a Popsicle, the kinds in the tube form will give your baby something cold to chew on if you don’t have anything else. Don’t open it, just let the baby chew on it. Stay away from ice cubes, they are choking hazards.
You could also try giving your baby very cold pieces of fruit, if they can chew them. The cold will help numb the gums as your baby eats. I have heard of parents giving babies apple slices, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that because the baby could choke if he/she swallowed a big chunk. Small pieces of cold watermelon or even bananas are a safer choice.
Keeping your baby occupied and distracted will help as well. If your baby is really fussy, go for a ride in the car, or on your bike. Take a stroll around the park. Another awesome idea is to carry your baby around in a pack on your chest. There is nothing more soothing than mom’s body when it comes to easing pain.
If you have a fussy baby, I hope you will try some of these teething remedies in place of chemicals and products that contain alcohol. Nothing is going to take the pain away completely so why not use safer methods on your precious little one.
