Have you noticed that your little one is drooling a lot, chewing on things, seems irritable or cranky, or has sore or tender gums? You’ve likely got a teething baby on your hands!

Understanding teething

There is no specific timeline when it comes to teething, as all babies are different. That being said, many parents notice their babies start teething at or around 6 months of age. Generally, the bottom lower teeth (aka lower central incisors) are the first to make an appearance, followed shortly thereafter by the top two front teeth (aka the upper central incisors).

Teething can be handled at home, though you should contact your doctor if your baby develops a fever or if other symptoms pop up. (As this would mean teething might not be the culprit, and an illness could be to blame instead.)

Natural teething remedies

There are a number of things you can do to help relieve the pain your little one experiences as he or she teeths. Our favorite options are, of course, the natural ones which will help you both sleep easier through the night. We recommend getting started with the following three teething remedies.

Cold

Applying something cold (or frozen) to your baby’s gums can help numb them and reduce swelling while also making the pain subside for a bit. Try partially freezing a washcloth that your baby can chew on or giving your baby chilled fruit during meal times. The latter is especially helpful if teething has decreased appetite.

Pressure

The counter-pressure of chewing on objects (such as furniture or even loved ones) is often an indication of teething. Babies do chew on things because the pressure of doing so helps alleviate some of the pain they are experience. If you are going to give your baby a teething toy as an alternative, we recommend looking at how or from what they are made. Toys made from natural rubber and food-grade paint are among the best options.

Topical

Another common teething remedy involves applying something topically to your baby’s gums to help with the pain. Coconut oil has natural anti-inflammatory properties which can help relieve pain and inflammation caused by teething. As coconut oil is perfectly safe for babies to ingest, it’s more than safe to apply to your baby’s gums. Simply place a small amount of coconut oil onto your finger and then tab it onto your little one’s gums. Or, if that doesn’t work for you, you can apply a small amount of coconut oil to your baby’s teething toys so that he or she can “self apply” while chewing on a toy to apply pressure and relieve pain.

Pure Baby for teething

While any Skinny Coconut Oil is safe to give to your baby, we recommend using Pure Baby, a pure coconut oil alternative to baby oil that was designed with babies and moms in mind. The best part? Once your baby has finished teething, you can use what remains of your Pure Baby in any number of ways!