Covered in this article:
1. Teething symptoms and timeline.
2. Homeopathic remedies for teething.
3. An easy Chamomile Teething Pop recipe.
While teething is a natural process it can often be very distressful and exhausting for both baby and parents.
Some babies will sail through teething with little or no difficulty while others will struggle with every painful tooth eruption, which can be accompanied by a myriad of other symptoms.
For anyone who has listened to their baby screaming in pain, homeopathy is a welcomed effective relief against the pain and discomfort of teething while also addressing your child’s vitality, mood and sleep.
Symptoms of Teething
Symptoms of teething can include red, swollen cheeks and gums, increased drooling, biting, refusing to eat, irritability, crying and sleeplessness. Prolonged stress of teething may challenge the immune system leading to other common symptoms such as lowered resistance to infection, a constant stuffy or runny nose, digestive disturbances and a general knowing your baby is feeling out of sorts.
Teething Milestones
Babies generally cut their first teeth between 4 to 6 months. This process continues in intervals until age 2 or 3 when all 20 milk teeth are through.
The first teeth to appear are the lower center teeth, followed by the upper front pair at around 7 months.
By the end of the first year 6-8 teeth are through, with canine teeth appearing between 15-18 months followed by the back molars.
The eruption of a tooth also follows a pattern, with the peak of discomfort occurring around day 5, as depicted in the diagram below.
Homeopathic Teething Remedies
Homeopathy is a form of holistic medicine used by over 200 million people worldwide to treat both acute and chronic conditions.
When using homeopathic medicines two principals of action need to be considered. Firstly, homeopathic remedies work on the principal of like-curing-like: a substance that is known to create symptoms in an individual also has the ability to stimulate a resolution in the same individual, when taken in small amounts.
Which brings us to the second principal: we always reach for the lowest dose possible to stimulates a bodily response. The lowest and optimal dose will trigger the immune system to do its innate work, shortening healing time and discomfort.
This is why homeopathic medicines have been used for centuries to treat people of all ages, including infants and toddlers, gently and effectively.
Homeopathic medicines are easy to find at health food stores and even some pharmacies. Always reach for the lowest dose available on the shelf (6c-30c), and remember, if symptoms persist or worsen contact your homeopath and pediatrician.
Clinically, I have found the following homeopathic remedies to be the most useful in easing discomfort and supporting a child while a new tooth is emerging.
1.Chamomilla
The child needing chamomilla is very fussy and demanding, cries angrily with pain and is difficult to comfort. Chamomilla babies usually demand one thing, perhaps a favorite toy or a cup of water, and then angrily throw it away only to demand something else. They may have a red spot on one or both cheeks. They cannot sleep from the pain and may scream all night long. Their stools are often affected: they have very stinky green stools or diarrhea.
2.Pulsatilla
The child needing Pulsatilla is the opposite of Chamomilla in that they often illicit a more sympathetic, gentle response. When teething they are whiny, weepy and clingy. They can be comforted by slow gentle rocking and being held- in fact it is when you place the child down that they being to cry again. Symptoms are changeable whether it is their mood, stools or runny nose, they will jump from one bothersome symptom to another making the parent feel overwhelmed. They appear comforted from a cold teething ring and being out in the fresh air.
3. Belladonna
The child needing Belladonna may have red, swollen cheeks and/or gums. They are hot to the touch and may have a fever. They are usually thirst-less which may present as a refusal to feed. They are angry, agitated and may startle suddenly in their sleep. Eyes are often glazed over. The fever in belladonna is robust and vital- a sign the immune system is working! However, if the fever persists it is always a good idea to give your pediatrician a call and keep her in the loop. Homeopathic remedies are also useful alongside conventional approaches (analgesics) to support your child's immune system, so do not hesitate to use both when needed.
Chamomile Teething Pops
Like it's homeopathic counterpart, chamomile in its herbal form (imagine your relaxing cup of chamomile tea) has been used for centuries to ease a fussy baby, relieve pain, relax a colicy tummy and induce sleep. Medicinally chamomile has specific anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antispasmodic (muscle relaxant), and sedative properties.
Early on in my career as a homeopath I had the honour of being a regular guest speaker at an Ontario Early Years Center in Toronto's west end. This group would accommodate parents and babies 0-12 months and teething was a popular topic!
I can say with confidence these Chamomile Teething Pops have been tried and tested thanks to these new parents who always graciously shared their success stories with the recipe at our meetings.
Make these pops to sooth a cranky baby, whether teething, colicky, restless or sleepless.
Ingredients
1 organic chamomile tea bag steeping in 1 cup of boiling water
1/3 cup breast-milk or canned coconut milk
2/3 cups frozen berries
Your choice of popsicle molds, for younger toddlers I recommend these.
Directions:
1. Steep one chamomile bag (or 1 teaspoon of loose chamomile flowers) in 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and let steep for 20 mins or let cool and keep overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Remove bag and add steeped tea in a blender with milk and frozen berries.
3. Assemble your ice cub trays, Munchkin Click Lock™ Fresh Food Freezer Pops or any other pop molds of choice.
4. Let it set in the freezer for 6-8 hrs or overnight for best results.
**note: chamomile is a member of the ragweed family. If you suspect a ragweed allergy in your child, proceed with caution.
