Your baby's adorable toothless smile will transform into a tooth-filled grin in his first few years of life. While some babies cross this developmental bridge without tears, others find the teething experience downright miserable. If your baby is irritable, drooling, refusing food, and having trouble sleeping, help relieve his discomfort with a few popular natural remedies.
Nursing
Babies who breastfeed not only get nutrition from nursing, they also derive emotional comfort from bonding and may even find physical relief in being able to gum on breast tissue. However, the counter-pressure from breast tissue may encourage some babies to bite with their new teeth. If your breastfeeding baby begins to bite, try massaging her gums with your finger prior to feeding her in order to relieve some discomfort. If she continues to bite, slip your finger between your nipple and her mouth when she stops latching and is about to use her teeth. Tell her firmly, "Don't bite," but try not to react strongly---even if it hurts a lot---or else she may begin to fear breastfeeding.
Chilled Items
Chewing down on cold objects such as frozen baby washcloths, refrigerated teething rings, refrigerated pacifiers, and chilled metal spoons can be mildly numbing and feel soothing to your baby's inflamed gums. Cold foods such as refrigerated applesauce can also be soothing to babies who have already begun to eat solids. However, be careful about giving your baby items that are frozen or potentially too cold; extreme temperatures can also be a source of discomfort for your baby.
Teething Biscuits
Babies who have started to eat solids may also find relief in chewing on a teething biscuit. Teething biscuits aren't usually significant sources of nutrition, but some contain vitamins and minerals. Test out teething biscuits before you give one to your baby by gumming, nibbling and sucking on one. If a biscuit breaks off into solid bits that could cause your baby to choke, don't give it to your baby. If it readily dissolves with moisture---a common trait of most stale bagels and zwieback toast---then it may be a handy tool to relieve teething discomfort for your baby.
Homeopathic Teething Tablets
Popular homeopathic teething tablets such as Hyland's soft-dissolving tablets contain natural ingredients that are thought to help relieve irritability, discomfort, and restlessness associated with teething. According to the Hyland's website, the tablets contain no harmful ingredients and they don't have numbing agents which could potentially numb the gag reflex if swallowed. Consult a pediatrician if you are interested in using homeopathic tablets as opposed to over-the-counter gels or baby aspirin.
