Have you ever wondered which teething remedies work best and which ones are just quackery? I have, but honestly there have been times where I would have tried anything, ANYTHING . . . even a placebo effect would have been welcome! Fortunately I’ve made some great finds along the way, which I’m sharing with you today.
Teething Necklaces
Skeptical? Many people are, but these are the real deal. Teething necklaces made from amber resin contain succinic acid, a natural painkiller that is released when warm skin touches the beads.
When you’re shopping around keep in mind that some say amber which is light in color contains the most succinic acid. Also, necklaces are not “supposed” to be worn at night, but obviously that’s when babies are usually most uncomfortable when teething. Most moms DO leave them on all the time (except bathtime) and just make sure that the necklace fits snugly so that it’s not likely to get caught on anything. It would be irresponsible for me to tell you what to do, but I’m sure you know what’s best for your little one. 
Micah has this one from Inspired by Finn, but I like the more rugged look of this one and this one, too!
Chiropractic Adjustments
This helps by reducing cortisol levels and increasing white blood cell counts, which reduces stress and promotes healing for inflamed gums.
Gum-omile Oil
This is an almond-based blend made by Herbs for Kids. It contains clove oil and willow bark extract, which are natural analgesics, and chamomile extract to help calm cranky babies. This stuff works WAAAAY better than the Hylands ever did for us and my only regret is that we didn’t discover it sooner (Katie had most of her teeth). Really helped with the molars, though!
Update: You can make your own teething oil at home. It’s cheap and easy! Here’s the recipe.
Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder
We put ice in ours and let our kids slurp happily at the dinner table, in the car . . . just about anywhere, really! I guess it really is the little things. You can check them out here.
Celery and Carrots
Celery is said to have an analgesic effect and both can be frozen to boost their soothing powers. Note: Many moms use this on babies that don’t have any teeth visible because they think it’s unlikely the baby will be able to bite off any pieces and possibly choke. Others use them with babies that have teeth and supervise carefully. Please exercise caution.
Sophie
We ♥ Sophie the Giraffe around here. Made with all-natural rubber and delightfully squeaky, Sophie is very patient when Micah knaws on her nose . . . and her legs. And the fact that he squeezes her like a tube of toothpaste hasn’t been a problem so far, either.
Did I miss something? Tell me your favorite teething remedy below!
about the author: Heather
Thanks to you the amber necklaces and the gum-omile are our favs! We do still use hyland’s teething tablets and hyland’s calming tablets sometimes too. Our little man hates cold stuff and he refuses to hold and chew on anything besides his pacifier so all those options were out for us. I’m going to have to find out more about that cute little Sophie though!! Thanks so much for helping us get some sleep with your amazing tips!!!
Julie – I am so glad they are working for you! Thank you for letting me know!
ok, you know I’m down with all of those, BUT where the heck are you getting your gumomile? Lily spilled our bottle all over the living room rug one day [smelled like cloves for DAYS!] and I was actually REALLY wanting some for ME while I cute my last two wisdom teeth. So lame. I know.
Love your comic ;]
Mae
Mae´s last [type] ..But I Dont Want Anyone Else To Look At My Hoo-Ha!
I know, it’s so hard to find around here! We eventually found ours at the Sunflower Shoppe in Grapevine. Call ahead and make sure they have it in stock . . .actually call a few times because the first person you talk to will probably tell you they don’t when they really do.
I got the Gum-Omile from Amazon.com
Thanks for a chuckle. Teeth are big on my mind right now. I am getting bit lately, but I think it is because his decay is causing discomfort.
Great post on remedies!
Hannah R´s last [type] ..And the winner is
So sorry to hear that, Hannah. I’d love to hear what Dr. C says when you get a chance to talk to him!
Saw your comment and just wanted to offer hugs…we’ve BTDT with tooth decay (despite our best efforts at prevention and natural treatment) and it is no fun.
Brynna´s last [type] ..Scripture Memory for Children
My comment on Peaceful Parenting? Small world! And thank you. To say we were careful with what she ate would be the understatement of year, but my poor girl’s smile . . . oh it makes me sad!
Thanks for the info! My sweet Audrey is gnawing on everything in sight right now!
Already? Wasn’t she born, like, YESTERDAY?? How do they grow up so fast?
We have tried camilia by Boiron. It seems to help.
Thanks! I have heard of it but haven’t given it a try. Maybe I should!
We like the boiron camillia too!!!
great teething tips!
Oh we are in the same exact boat. Oh how quickly I forget… Thanks for the remedies, most of which I already do, but I didn’t know about the Gum-omile Oil. Hylands seem to work pretty well for us. I say that, but that’s after many attempts. Poor babies!
Oh and Gibson is the first one that has bit me, not fun. Not fun at all!
Can’t say enough good stuff about Gum-omile!!!
I’m so sorry, urg! I didn’t send a reply right away cuz I thought you were asking for your TCBN talk… Can you tell I am so out of it lately, sheesh?! Great post, and love love the comic.
I know what you mean. If I weren’t so out of it I would have realized it was a totally outlandish request in the first place!! (Sick people need sleep, not work!)
Thanks! Congrats on your new baby!
Cute post!
I have never known if amber necklaces have really helped my kiddos or not, as they’ve been pretty easy teethers. I bought one for myself and wore it every day for a while (was hoping it might help with headaches) and the difference I noticed was headaches when I’d take it OFF. So that was interesting!
Brynna´s last [type] ..Scripture Memory for Children
I found out about these different teething remedies a little late into the game. The things we did have for her when she was younger were the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeders and the Hyland teething gel and tablets.
I bought a Amber necklace for the last two 2-year molars that were taking forever to come in (which was odd b/c the other two molars came in less than a week – I was shocked!) and it seemed to help. I wish I knew about the Gum-omile Oil because that would have been nice for the days she complained about her teeth hurting.
Why do you take the teething necklace off during a bath? (my 1 year old has worn it since 3 months old and I have never taken it off, well one time to clean out the puke
)
Figured I’d chime in here since Mommypotamus hasnt yet – I think the reason to take it off during a bath (which I do for my DD as well) is because the water interferes with the amber and its ability to release the oils onto the skin.
Haha! Alexis is correct on this one — just like washing your hands too often can dry out your skin, exposing these necklaces to soap and water draws out the healing oils into the bathwater.
Push on their gums until the keep pop through. Just kidding. My kids always liked chewing on crushed ice.
When my oldest was 18 months old, he cut 8 teeth in one month, also the month that my youngest was born. Talk about lots of fun!
Oh my, Rebekkah, that sounds rough. I love the baltic amber! My daughter cut all of her molars without my even knowing that she was teething.
Pure vanilla extract!
(NOT imitation) It works great because it soothes their gums with the alcohol & the vanilla helps their upset tummy from swallowing so much drool. We also use the teething necklace 24/7 I let him chew on my knuckle a lot (none have come through yet) 
[...] and happy babies into inconsolable puddles of misery. Though we eventually found relief with these tried-and-true teething remedies, my success with chamomile-based homeopathics like Hylands teething tablets was zilch. Sound [...]
Ive been making momsicles. Basically a frozen breast milk pop. You could also take already frozen Breastmilk and put it in the mesh feeder you mentioned above.
That’s a great idea, Heidi!
. . . and here are a few things I discovered after they were already past the teething stage that I wish I’d known! http://www.mommypotamus.com/homeopathy-101-remedies-for-teething-separation-anxiety-and-more/
Thanks for your great post on teething. I wanted to tell you the teething “toy” we discovered today. My son was miserable all day; gnawing on his mesh feeder, torturing Sophie, amber necklace around his neck he still was having a hard time. As I ate my turkey dinner tonight I took one look at my boy and it suddenly came to me. I gave him a big ol’ turkey bone to chew on and he LOVED it!
GREAT IDEA! I have heard of that before but totally forgot about it. Thank you!
http://www.mommypotamus.com/homeopathy-101-remedies-for-teething-separation-anxiety-and-more/
[...] Below is the recipe I use, which was adapted from a product I recommended in this post on natural remedies for teething. Personally, I like this one more because it’s willow bark-free. Not familiar with willow [...]
[...] Below is the recipe I use, which was adapted from a product I recommended in this post on natural remedies for teething. Personally, I like this one more because it’s willow [...]
The milksicles really work for my DD. She was not a fan of cold things until we tried that and it seems to ease the pain a little. We have also taken a baby washcloth (the thin ones that roll easy), soaked it with water, rolled it up, tied a knot in it, and froze it. She gnaws on the washcloth and seems to love the texture! Thanks for the other tips… I’ll have to try the teething oil and the Amber necklaces.
[...] Below is the recipe I use, which was adapted from a product I recommended in this post on natural remedies for teething. Personally, I like this one more because it’s willow [...]