teething tools.

It's no secret that I'm into natural medicine and believe that we have been given so many tools to help deal with our symptoms. Yes, I believe there is a place for conventional medicine but I think we use it too freely and often unnecessarily. I started writing this post when our little girl only had 3 teeth (she now has 7) and we have treated her teething naturally and plan to continue doing so. Here's how:

amber teething necklace

Our little girl has worn hers since she was 8 weeks old and her teeth have come in with no dramas.. ok, this last one was a drama... but 6 out of 7 is pretty amazing! She's almost had no excess saliva which is a win! It's worn around her neck (or you can get bracelets or anklets) and the natural properties of amber work by being grounding and anti-inflammatory (it's not to be chewed!). To be honest, I don't know if it works or if she's just a "good teether" but it's not doing her any harm so I'm not taking it off!

something to chew on

Chewing on something hard is soothing and the pressure against her gums is relieving. She has a wooden ring that she likes to bite down on and I often wear necklaces, designed for her to chew on (for her teeth and just cause she likes eating things!). She also likes buttons on my cardigans and my fingers ;)
Something cold is also helpful: celery, rusks (check out my homemade recipe here) and I keep a rubber ring in the freezer for her to chew on! I've also heard good things about a cold or frozen face washer but am yet to try... because I'm not that well prepared with a washer in the freezer.

brauer teething gel

My number one go-to is this gel! It always settles her down. I think she likes the pressure of me rubbing the gel on, but I choose this over Bonjela, not only because of the ingredient list but because it is an anti-inflammatory where Bonjela just numbs the gum. I prefer to get to the root cause rather than just mask the symptoms.

essential oils
I have a blend of essential oils designed specifically for teething. I rub it on her jawline and let it work its magic. Essential oils are pretty amazing!

breastmilk
Did you know that breastmilk is a natural anaesthetic? It's pretty amazing! When she's teething, I let her feed as often as she wants (ok, I let her do that when she's not teething too!) and she receives comfort and pain relief. Except when her last tooth came in, she refused all milk and food during the day, but I trust her and that she knows what her body needs.



How do you deal with teething? We have another 13 to get so any other tips would be amazing!