It’s almost time to check one more baby milestone off the list: teething!
Our son isn’t quite there yet, but I’m planning ahead so I can be ready when his first few pearly whites start peeking through.
In preparation, I’ve compiled 11 natural teething remedies, including an easy herbal rub-on — a soothing chamomile and catnip herbal infusion! I also asked Traditional Cooking School members for their tried-and-true advice!
11 Natural Teething Remedies That Really Work
I plan on using any and all of these remedies, depending on how hard teething is for our son!
#1 — Easy Herbal Rub-On: Soothing Chamomile & Catnip Herbal Infusion
Why use chamomile and catnip? Chamomile relaxes and eases stress, is anti-inflammatory, and even antibacterial (source). Catnip has similar benefits — it calms and is anti-inflammatory (source).
- 1/8 cup chamomile
- 1/8 cup catnip
- extra virgin olive oil
Combine chamomile and catnip in a pint-sized jar. Then fill to about 1/2 full with extra virgin olive oil.
Cover the jar and place it in the insert pot of your Instant Pot. Add water until it comes to the level of the oil in the jar. Cover the Instant Pot. Use the Slow Cook function and adjust time to 3 hours. When it’s done, remove the jar.
Strain the herbs out by pouring the oil/herb mixture through cheesecloth-lined colander over a big bowl. After the first amount of oil drips out, wrap the herbs up in the cheesecloth and squeeze to get even more of the oil out. Discard the herbs.
Pour the infused oil into a pint-sized jar and cap until needed. Store in a cool, dry place.
Before use, rub a small amount of infused oil on to baby’s wrist to check for any sensitivity. If no irritation occurs, use a clean finger to massage a bit of oil on to baby’s sore gums.
Also see –> How To Make (And Use) An Herbal Infusion for a Crock Pot or dehydrator method if you don’t have an Instant Pot.
#2 — A Cold Metal Spoon
Traditional Cooking School member Courtney R. recommends putting a spoon in the fridge to make it cold and soothing. Be sure not to freeze the spoon, though, because the metal will stick to baby’s warm tongue or gums!
#3 — A Frozen Wet Rag
A frozen wet rag is perfect for babies to gnaw on. This is the go-to for Traditional Cooking School members Courtney R. and Dora G.! You can even soak the rag in chamomile tea (or Traditional Cooking School member Halima F. recommends this herbal Sleep EZ Tea) and then freeze it for more relief.
Along these lines, my great-aunt gave our son one of these handmade organic cotton (stuffed with wool) bears. They’re a toy but double as teething relief, too, because you can soak and freeze them just like you would a rag.
#4 — Wooden Teething Toy
These handcrafted wooden teething toys — made without paint or dye — are super cute. Even better, they are made from sustainably-harvested North American hardwoods like maple, cherry, and walnut.
#5 — A Carrot
If you don’t want to buy a wooden teething toy, why not chill a carrot in the fridge for your baby instead? Traditional Cooking School member Natalie S. says:
I haven’t used anything besides letting him gnaw on a carrot. He doesn’t have the jaw strength to bite through it, so I haven’t worried about [him] choking on a chunk of it. From 4 months to 18 months, he has loved chewing on carrots.
#6 — Healthy Teething Biscuits
This healthy teething biscuit recipe from Mama Natural seems like it would do the trick!
#7 — Breast Milk Ice Cubes
Freeze breast milk into ice cubes, and then put an ice cube in a little cotton bag for baby to enjoy! This could get messy, so if you don’t want milk everywhere, try water ice cubes instead.
Or… if you have a teething toddler, you can make breast milk popsicles! This suggestion comes from Traditional Cooking School member Kristine S.
Speaking of breast milk, Traditional Cooking School member Dora G. also notes that many babies like to nurse more frequently when they’re teething. I already nurse on demand, and love it, so I’m happy about that. 😉
#8 — The Rescue Remedy
I just recently came across the Bach Flower Remedies, which are wildflowers infused into spring water for their gentle ability to heal and soothe. Perfect for teething babies! The Rescue Remedy is the one most commonly used for teething (source), and addresses any sort of stress or crisis, whereas individual flower remedies address specific problems. Flower remedies are safe for the entire family, although you can buy alcohol-free versions if you’d like.
I’m looking forward to trying this one, for sure!
#9 — Homeopathics
Similar to the Bach Flower Remedies, homeopathics like Boiron’s Camilia Teething Relief offer a highly diluted yet effective way to soothe fussy, hurting babies! Traditional Cooking School member Serena W. used homeopathics for her children, too.
#10 — An Amber Teething Necklace
No natural teething remedy discussion would be complete without mention of amber teething necklaces! There’s some debate as to whether or not they work, but the theory is this: As the amber is warmed by baby’s body heat, it releases an oil containing a natural anti-inflammatory (succinic acid).
These necklaces have worked for many parents, including Traditional Cooking School member Courtney R.!
Of course, the necklace should be removed when baby goes to sleep.
If you’re not into giving your baby a necklace, you can always wear a teething necklace for them to play with instead!
#11 — Their Fingers
Last but not least, Traditional Cooking School member Morgen K. points out that babies already have exactly what they need for teething pain: their fingers!
In all my years and fourteen mouths of teething, I never used anything aside from the little fingers they stuck in their own mouths. I feel like they are intuitive that way. The messy diapers are a clue that the teeth are coming in and I would use extra zinc for that but really, nothing but nature on that one.
I do love her perspective. 🙂
What natural teething remedies do you use? Do you have any teething tips or stories to share? I’d love to hear!
Disclaimer: Herbs are powerful medicine. I’m not a doctor. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You are responsible for your own health and for the use of any remedies, treatments, or medications you use at home.
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In Mexico we use the following; get a raw beet. Cut off the stem and the base so you can stand it up. With a spoon cut out of the top some of the flesh so that you create a
“Pool” in which you can put some sugar.. let stsnd for an hour and use the syrup that forms on the baby’s gums. This will also releive the diarrhea the baby suffers whith the extra salivation from teething. Saludos!!
Gracias amor,tú sabes si lo puedo hacer con un niño de dos meses?
Thanks for sharing these great ideas Haniya! We have 6 children and our youngest is now teething. She loves her fingers (and other people’s fingers) and cloth. All of our children loved chewing on fingers and cloth. Carrots have been helpful as well, but younger babies tend to drop them a lot and they can gag on them if they push them in too far. We tried an amber necklace for the first time with our youngest and can’t tell if it’s helping or not, other than when she pulls it up to chew on it sometimes. Thanks again and blessings to you and your little one!
– Carrie
Our just-turned two year old has been wearing an amber necklace from the time he was about 2 months old! He really had a hard time with teething, but the necklace made a huge difference. Make sure to wash it frequently, though, as oils build up on it and cause it not to work as well. When his teething was really bad, we would also put a little bit of frankincense and copaiba oil diluted with olive oil on his gums to give some relief.
I have used the chamomile catnip infusion with a drop or two of clove oil added to it. You dont want it too strong but clove definitely helps cut the pain. Also my mom always used lobelia extract that was made with vinegar.. I like the chamomile infusion with clove oil for mine
I feel bad for babies when they are teething because there is nothing they can do about it.