Natural Alternatives to Orajel

Teething sucks, doesn't it? It's tempting to reach for the Orajel, but it's not necessarily the best option. For one, Orajel can cause numbing of not just the gums, but other areas of the mouth as well (like the tongue, throat, etc), which can lead to babies choking. There's also a rare condition caused by the main ingredient (benzocaine) called methemoglobinemia (it's the reason most pediatricians no longer recommend it).

Second, it isn't natural. I always try to give Carter the natural option first, unless obviously he has a high fever; and if he needed medication for a serious reason then I'd go the medical route as well. But as far as teething went (we're done for now! yay!), I saved Tylenol for the nights that I wanted to rock in a corner and cry, and usually went these options on the less severe days:

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Camilia was my personal favorite. It comes in little tinctures of liquid drops and they are individually packaged which is nice and easy. The Hyland's teething gel worked great as well. The Humphrey's teething tablets I saved until he was a little older because I was nervous he would choke, but you can melt them on a spoon in a little bit of water to give to younger babies. Lots of people like the Hyland's tablets, but we couldn't use them because they contain lactose, so that's why they aren't pictured here. We avoid dairy like the plague in this house now (thanks, allergies).

Homeopathic remedies (like all of those pictures above) work differently in different people, so sometimes you have to try out a couple to see what works best for your baby.

Need some ideas for other teething remedies? Baltic amber teething necklaces are another favorite of mine. Frozen washcloths seem to be a big hit with lots of babies and keeping teething rings/toys in the refrigerator is a genius idea as well.

Here's some evidence of Carter rocking his teething necklace a few months ago:

Share your teething remedies.  Have you tried any of these? How'd they work for you?

Baltic Amber Teething Necklace

So after a horrible night with C last night (I suspect due to more teething) I've decided I need to get him a Baltic Amber teething necklace. We've been using Hyland's teething gel, but it only works for about 15 minutes and then he's screaming again. I've read lots of good things about the Inspired by Finn Baltic Amber teething necklaces. Also, every time they're on Baby Steals, they sell out in about two seconds, which says something!

From the reading I've done (lots of helpful info on the Inspired by Finn site) I've learned that raw amber, and light amber contain the highest amounts of succinic acid (the component that relieves pain associated with teething). Since I read that, I want to get this necklace for C, since it seems like it will be the most effective. And it's cute too! He's going to be one good looking baby (well he is already, but you know).

Oh, and let me add: Our trip to Maine was fun and guess what?? I was sitting there in the hotel room and decided to Google "cloth diaper kittery" and I found out there was a cloth diaper store RIGHT next to our hotel, like I'm talking within a super short walking distance. Can you believe it? On their website I saw that they had Ruby Moon detergent, which I've been wanting to try, and then guess what else? They were CLOSED! Ugh! I was so sad. I guess we'll have to go back to check it out. It was the Sweet Cheeks Cloth Diaper Co.