Baby started teething? How do you handle teething pain?

[Cynthia Mosher]

Mothering sponsor Boiron shared an informative article about teething earlier this month, which you can read here.  It has some great information about the FDA concerns regarding products with benzocaine, how to recognize teething signs, and how to care for new baby teeth when they do come in.

We'd like to get your questions, input and advice that would be helpful for parents dealing with teething. We're also reaching out to our Facebook fans and Twitter followers with a link to this question to invite them to share their input too. Hopefully we can create a wonderful resource for our community of parents to benefit from. If you have a baby teething now or with teeth coming in soon, what are your most pressing questions about teething?  If you've been through teething with your little one, what advice do you have for others? 

[LilyTiger]

I'm interested in any information on the use of belladonna in homeopathic remedies for teething pain.  It's been a source of confusion for me, and I'd like some information on what scientific evidence is out there on whether belladonna is safe for infants (or anyone). 

[Cynthia Mosher]

Good question LilyTiger. I've actually been asking questions about homeopathic remediess myself in planning a home remedies kit. Hopefully some of our members with a bit more knowledge on the topic will enlighten us. :)

[~Adorkable~]

Helpful Trick:

i wanted to pass on a updated version of a old trick i had heard. folks told me to roll up a washcloth, get it wet and freeze it for my kids to chew on while teething. but it was too big for their little mouths, no matter how thing the cloth. but one day i just took it and folded it in quarters and get it really nice an wet and laid it out on a plate and froze it, and it was great! good surface and thin enough to fit in the mouth, it has been used many many times now. i make a few at a time that fit on a plate, and once they are frozen hard, i can pop them off the plate and stack them till i need them. be careful though , they will dry out in the freezer if left in too long, more than a few weeks. putting them in  sealed container fixes that if you want.

[skycheattraffic]

This is more for toddlers getting molars but my DD absolutely loved chewing on ice cubes when they were coming in.

[Cynthia Mosher]

Love the idea Adorkable! I used to try the frozen cloth with mine and had the same problem. Definitely noting this tip. Thanks!

skycheattraffic, I always worry about a little one choking on an ice cube. Maybe your ice cubes are really small? 

[skycheattraffic]

The beauty of ice is how quickly it melts in one's mouth. She's been stealing ice out of my drink since about 9 months. Of course it is always under close supervision and if choking happened, I'd deal with it the same way I'd handle food choking.

[Cynthia Mosher]

Makes sense. I guess I worry about our ice maker ice cubes that have sharp edges. But I've read other tips that also suggest ice cubes so hopefully there are no concerns.  

I've also heard of breast milk ice pops, which sounds like a good idea too. 

[summamumma]

ice in a mesh feeder solves choking worries!
 

[sageowl]

DS hated cold stuff, so couldn't use any of those moves.Te

Teething rings were largely useless.

Hyland's Teething tablets worked best of all the things we've tried (unfortunately the worst of the teething coincided with the massive recall they had a few years ago, so we had to do without for quite a stretch). 

Calmilla worked okay, but sometimes made DS excitable. 

Used Tylenol when things got really bad. 

Never had much luck with things like Orajel, didn't seem to help, and now with the new info about it coming out, it's just as well...

[Cynthia Mosher]

Originally Posted by summamumma 

ice in a mesh feeder solves choking worries!
 

Nice idea!   

[mjdb33]

I have heard of mothers making breast milk popsicles for their babes while they are teething. I plan on trying this with my first child due in just a couple of months. 

[newmainer]

With regards to Belladonna and other remedies made from known toxic sources, it is important to understand how the remedies are made. They are high diluted, leaving none of the original material behind, only the molecular impression of the substance. So you get all of the benefit, and none of the toxicity. In fact, some of our most potent and deep remedies are the most toxic substances- like arsenicum, snake venoms, etc....

Scientifically,  a lot of research is being done and it falls under the category of 'nanopharmacology.' What we are learning is that while in the past we have referred to the 'energy' of a remedy, with the technology of today, we are able to actually see more clearly what is left behind, and everything is on the nano-level. Dr. Luc de Montagnier is a French nobel prize scientist who conducted experiments with bacteria where he was able to culture bacteria from water that had been strained of all measureable, physical traces of the bacteria. 

So when you are giving your child belladonna, it is not the actual plant. And, like a D string will vibrate when you play the D note on another string, you are matching the vibrational pattern of illness in the child. 

2 days ago there were headlines about Ibuprofen causing long term kidney damage in children. In 2010, over 40 different OTC medicines were recalled, including children's Tylenol, etc... Homeopathic remedies will never be recalled, and they do not contain any harmful substances. You know exactly what you are giving your child, and can rest assurred that the remedies have been used safely and effectively for 200 years. 

can you tell i love homeopathy  

Check out the website 'Homeopathy Plus.' It's out of Australia and they do a great round up in their newsletters of research. 

[dawn m.]

In response to teething pain, I have been using essential oils for my family for a while now and have found lavender to be quite helpful. My 15 month old son has no less than 4 teeth coming in right now, several of which are molars, and I just take a drop of the lavender and run it along each side of his jaw and in no time the pain subsides, it also has a nice calming affect on him, especially at nap time and bedtime when he doesn't want to sleep because his little mouth hurts.

[tatangel19]

We are huge fans of Hylands' teething tablets, and the cold rings that you pop in the fridge.

[lampeter]

I'm intrigued by the lavender oil idea. I never know what to do about the nighttime pain.

During the day, ice works wonders.

Idea #1, for the younger crowd: Find someone who doesn't mind eating Ring Pops. Yes, those. Avert your eyes, because lollipops are gross, and have them give you the little plastic ring bases. (Or melt away the sugar in warm water. Whatever.) Insert the plastic bases in your ice cube tray and freeze, thus making ice popsicles you can wear on your finger. Then baby can move your hand towards/away from his mouth.

Idea #2, for the solid foods crowd: Little bits of frozen bananas or watermelon are awesome for easing pain during those awful molars. Plus they may be the only things the kid will eat other than breastmilk when he's in serious molar pain.

[Vik32]

I literally tried everything when my DS was teething, I never thought it would be such a painful process. 

He was up every 20 minutes for several nights in a row. I was sleeping next to his crib. 

I tried the homeopathic powders then the medicated things, anything so that we (including baby) could get a better night's sleep - nothing worked.

So probably best not to pump a 6 month old full of medication, it's a phase they need to go through...

[Hockeymom18]

Originally Posted by summamumma 

ice in a mesh feeder solves choking worries!
 

That is what we did with DS!  It worked wonderfully!  Once DS (2 mo) starts to have teething issues it will be our go-to! 

[samhope]

Like a previous poster said, homeopathic remedies are the energetic essense of a substance and not the substance. My 18mo is a belladonna baby. Chamomilia does nothing for her. So grateful to have something that works so well for her. We also have her wear an amber teething necklace.

[Kamiro]

Great ideas on this thread. We have found that Belladonna works great for baby. Sometimes I'll make a cup of chamomile tea and drink it myself and give her a little also...It helps :)