Moms of teething babies and toddlers – I feel your pain. My toddler has almost finished getting his baby teeth, all that’s left are his two-year molars. And if they’re anything like his canines cutting through, then it’s not going to be fun for anyone.
This illustrated guide to the 5 stages of teething had me in tears of laughter, because it’s so freaking true.
My heart breaks when I see my son crying from teething pain, and all I want to do is provide him some relief. I think he’s handling teething like a little champion, but I still know that it’s pretty painful which is why I like to make things a little easier for him!
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of using essential oils for everything from colds and congestion to teething pain. If your baby (and probably you!) are suffering through teething pain right now, you’re probably on the lookout for some relief.
There are various home remedies to soothe teething pain, and some of them are not-so-great (hello, rubbing whiskey on the gums >.< NOT recommended!)
Essential oils are one of the ways I help to provide a little comfort to my son when he’s teething.
I’ve done a lot of research on the safety of essential oils around babies (I highly recommend this book on the topic of essential oil safety.) Personally, I would never use essential oils around infants under 6 months of age, and I only use selected essential oils around my son, who is 21 months.
I never use essential oils directly on the skin without a carrier oil, and I never ingest oils.
Baby Teething Symptoms
One of the difficult things about teething is that it’s not a “one size fits all” thing. Baby teething symptoms vary from baby to baby – some babies (and parents) might experience no teething symptoms at all, while others might be in pain for months.
There are, however, a variety of common baby teething symptoms:
- Excessive drooling
- Irritability
- Bulging, swollen gums
- Pulling at ears
- Trying to chew everything in sight
- Trouble sleeping
- Rejecting food
- White lump just below the gum (that’s the tooth trying to poke through!)
If your baby has a few of these symptoms, there’s a good chance that teething is underway.
Common Teething Myths
You might’ve heard parents say that there child is suffering from a fever or diarrhea, and they put this down to teething. It’s a commonly held belief, but according The American Academy of Pediatrics, there is no clinical evidence to show that teething causes fever or diarrhea.
From my experience, when my son was teething he was definitely a little warmer than normal, but he never spiked a fever.
Clove Oil for Teething
If you’ve ever had a toothache and googled the best essential oils, you’ve probably come across some recommendation to use clove oil. Clove oil is an excellent toothache remedy FOR ADULTS.
Clove oil for a teething baby? NO. Clove oil is NOT safe for a teething baby.
Clove oil is considered to be a hot oil. This means that clove oil can cause mucous membrane irritation and skin sensitization. In fact, clove oil should not even be used by adults who have sensitive, diseased or damaged skin, let alone on the highly sensitive skin of a baby.
For more information on essential oil safety, I recommend this book by Robert Tisserand, an essential oil expert.
Essential Oil Massage Blends for Teething Pain
There are a number of essential oils that can help ease the pain associated with teething. These can either be diffused to help promote a calm, relaxing environment or they can be added to a carrier oil and gently massaged along the jawline.
IMPORTANT – Infants and children should NEVER ingest essential oils. Do not rub essential oils on your child’s gums or anywhere in their mouth.
- 1 drop of roman chamomile essential oil
- 1 drop of lavender essential oil
- 1 drop of ginger essential oil
- 2-3 tablespoons of carrier oil (I like sweet almond oil)
Gently massage along the jawline to provide teething relief.
Another recipe I like includes the use of copaiba oil for teething relief.
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
- 1 drop of copaiba essential oil
- 2-3 tablespoons of carrier oil
Gentle massage along the jawline.
Essential Oil Diffuser Blending For Teething Pain Relief
The blend I like to diffuse to help my son’s teething pain is:
- 3 drops of lavender
- 3 drops of roman chamomile
Essential Oils for Baby Cough and Congestion
In addition to using essential oils to help with baby teething pain, I also use them to help ease baby coughs and congestion. You can read my blend here.
Where I Buy My Essential Oils
I buy almost all of my essential oils through a company called Plant Therapy. There are so many essential oil companies these days, and it can be difficult to know who to buy from. I wanted to find a company that was reasonably priced with high-quality, pure, unadulterated oils, and Plant Therapy fit that bill. I highly recommend them.
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