Teething: Are there natural remedies to help my baby?

Photo by sdominick, istock

Q. Are there any natural remedies I can try for my teething eight-month-old baby?

A: Sometimes a frozen washcloth to gum will do the trick. Cold fruit and veggies such as frozen blueberries or peas can also help. (The mouth’s temperature is warm enough to melt the frozen blueberries and peas, so there is no risk of choking.) A more labour-intensive remedy is catnip tea sweetened with agave nectar, then cooled and made into Popsicles. (Catnip, which is from the mint family, is soothing.) Babies may breastfeed more often and very intensely for the 12 hours before a tooth erupts because the warm pressure of the breast on the gum helps ease the pain.