Top Teething Remedies for Baby
Teething is no fun. Some babies seem to sail through it, but some really struggle and when babies struggle Mom struggles and then everybody is having a bad time! Having the right remedies on hand is a huge help and this is my quick guide to 6 excellent homeopathic remedies for the teething baby! But first, how do you know if baby is teething?
Signs of Teething
Usually teething starts around 6 months old, but every baby is different. Most pronounced symptoms are irritability, chewing on toys or fingers, and drooling. Babies may also eat less, sleep poorly, and can have a slight increase in body temperature (around 99.5F) and possibly a mild cough. When a tooth is about to come through there is often a bump on the gums that you can see or feel with the pad of your finger, and the gums might get red or purplish there. The first teeth to erupt are usually the bottom front teeth, followed by the top front teeth.
Teething does NOT cause a high fever, runny nose, diarrhea, or rash. These are symptoms of illness.
Mood & Behavior - Coffea, Chamomilla, and Pulsatilla
Coffea ~ When you KNOW that baby is tired and she just will not go to sleep. That’s when you use Coffea. Most times we’ve already been up too long when the lightbulb goes off for me and I finally realize this isn’t normal & she needs a little extra help. (I’m writing in the feminine because my 11 month old is a girl, but I can attest through caring for my son [now 5 years old] and many patients that these work equally well for boys.) Usually within minutes of giving this remedy the fussy, overly-tired teether is able to drift off, and then so too can you!
Chamomilla ~ The hallmarks for this remedy are a very fussy baby that wants things & then throws them away as soon as they get them. Or in our case today, drops them on the floor. This has so far included bananas, spoons, even a whisk, though we did save most of the smoothie. Once my brain had gathered enough evidence to say, “hey, there’s a pattern here!” I pulled down our homeopathic kit & Chamomilla saved the day. My little Miss Fuss Fuss changed back into her normal happy self & joyfully sat on Grandma’s lap while I went to work. A few hours later when the fussing resumed I dosed again. Another hallmark that indicates this remedy is one red cheek while the other is normal.
Pulsatilla ~ This is a BIG one and it is characterized by clingy sadness. This baby is SAD, she is crying, and she wants to cuddle or be held! For me, it hits home about the 3rd or 5th time that I try to set baby down to do something requiring 2 hands and she just is NOT having it. When I start to feel frustrated I go, “ooooh, okay, let’s try this,” and we get some Pulsatilla.
Pain Types
Because baby can’t tell us exactly what she’s feeling I usually give all three of these together if one of the above doesn’t do the trick. (Or you can blend all of these remedies from the get go.)
Arnica ~ This is probably the most used homeopathic remedy of all time & that’s because the indications are very easy to recognize. Anything that would produce a bruise or results in a bruised sensation is likely to benefit from Arnica. I keep it in my diaper bag and give it any time one of my littles hits their head or whacks a body part on something hard. In the realm of teething, we’re thinking about that bruised achy feeling as the gums inflame.
Ledum ~ This remedy is for puncture wounds of any kind and is often used for bites and stings. In the case of teething, we use it because the tooth punctures through the gums.
Hypericum ~ One of my favorite herbs of all time, the homeopathic preparation has a keynote of nerve pain. Whether tingling, burning, shooting, or zapping, any nerve pain is reason enough to try Hypericum, and it is therefore often used with tooth pain.
Dosing
When purchasing these homeopathic remedies you’ll look for a 30c potency. This is carried in most outlets that offer homeopathics (many vitamin shops and health food stores have a selection). If they are out of 30c, a 6c or 12c will also do nicely. If you don’t have a place to get these locally, you can order them from my Fullscript account here (this will send me a small percentage of the sale).
To administer them to baby you will use a different method depending on whether baby is food-safe or not. If she is too young to eat solids efficiently you need to use the water method.
Place a small amount of potable water (~1oz) in a small glass container.
Place 1 pellet of each desired remedy into the water (it’s okay if you get more than 1 in there).
Swish or agitate the water for a minimum of 10 seconds as the pellets begin to dissolve, you don’t have to wait for them to dissolve fully.
Give a few drops of the water to baby - a clean eye dropper works well, but a spoon, teething toy, or finger dipped into the water works fine too!
Keep the medicated water available for the next 12-24 hrs to repeat doses as needed. You can’t overdose this way, so if she’s fussing again a few minutes later repeat, and repeat.
If baby IS food-safe, meaning you trust her not to choke on small bites of solid food, you can dose directly by giving 1 pellet of the appropriate remedy by mouth and just let her suck on it. You have to judge based on baby’s eating ability and how distressed she is at the time of administration how many pellets are safe to give at once. My daughter now handles bites the size of a blueberry like a champ, and I trust her with 2 pellets easily, and sometimes 3 pellets if she’s not too upset when I give it. If baby is doing a hard cry they’re more likely to suck in a deep breath and inhale the pellet by accident.
What if these don’t help?
For most healthy babies these remedies do a lot so soothe the discomfort of teething. Homeopathy is a beautiful and intricate tool, and if there is something else going on it may be that baby needs either a more specific remedy, in which case you can consult a dedicated homeopath (I have an excellent homeopath I refer such cases to), or needs other health support (like food sensitivity evaluation, probiotics, changes to mom’s diet or formula, etc.). I love supporting babies and families with natural medicine through my Naturopathic practice, and do remote as well as in-person care. You can learn more about working with me through my practice here and sign up for my email list to hear about my upcoming classes.