As an herbalist, I love utilizing my herbs to support the health of my girls. Felicity (currently 21 months) is going through some major teething.
As a natural Mama focused on holistic health, I don't turn to typical allopathic remedies, especially for natural bodily/growing processes like teething. Instead, I turn to my favorite remedies of all time... my wonderfully healing herbs in my herbal apothecary!
Here are my top 3 favorite ways to support babies and toddlers through herbal remedies. I've included simple recipes below, some of of which contains 'culinary herbs' you'd find in most kitchens!
1. Mineral - Rich Teething Tea
This teething tea not only helps calm inflamed gums, wards off against viral offenders that can arise while teething, and fight bacteria in the mouth, it is also mineral - rich with silica, calcium, magnesium and other minerals to support and re - mineralize bones and teeth!
This herbal tea can be given several weeks or months before teething begins to support the body by the time teething is ready to begin.
Mineral - Rich Teething Tea Recipe:
2 TBLS. Lemon Balm
2 TLBS. Catnip
2 TLBS. Nettle
3 TBLS. Chamomile
1 TEAS. Rose Hips
1 TBLS. Red Raspberry Leaf
1 TBLS. PEPPERMINT
To make the tea: Prepare recipe above and store in a glass air - tight container. Use 1 TLBS per cup of boiling water. Use a tea strainer or strain with fin mesh colander. Feel free to adjust to suit your needs, taste and age of child. This recipe may make enough to get you through a teething episode to keep on hand and scoop into a cup of hot water as needed!
Other ways your baby or toddler could consume this tea:
You could also make this tea into homemade popsicles, or into popsicle bites, with my favorite silicone molds. Or even make it into iced tea if it's hot out and your little one wants something cold in his/her mouth! My kiddos currently love popsicle bites and iced tea the most right now!
Here's a break - down of why I include these herbs in my Mineral - Rich Teething Tea:
Lemon Balm is highly anti - viral, so it's supportive to underlying pathogens that might arise while the immune system is working on teething. It's highly mineral - rich with so many wonderful trace minerals that growing bodies need. It's also a nervine herb, calming the nervous system.
Catnip might be stimulating to kitties, but it's calming to kiddies. (Pun, anyone?) Catnip gently calms a fever, helps relieve acute pain, is soothing to the nervous system,
Nettle is my favorite over - all herb for kids, as it is a nutrient power house of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients! It's also anti - inflammatory and an excellent pain reliever.
Chamomile is a perfect, gentle anti - inflammatory for babies, kids and adults. It's so calming to the nervous system, anti - bacterial, mildly sedative (read: calming), and wound - healing (hello, new tooth popping through those gums)!
Rose Hip has high amounts of a bio-available and bio - identical form of vitamin C, boosts the immune system, and contains a wide array of minerals.
Red Raspberry Leaf is a rich source of vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, bioflavonoids and antioxidants.
Peppermint is calming to the nerves and tummy, is soothing, and has a cooling affect on inflamed gums.
If you're not able to get all of these herbs and can only make a tea with some of the herbs listed - that's good too! Whatever you can do to support your little one's teething process in a natural way is fantastic!
2. Clove Coconut Oil Rub
Cloves are anti - inflammatory and have a natural numbing affect, so this remedy (below) is helpful when they're in acute pain or needing relief to sleep.
If your little one is teething while also drooling A LOT, then cloves may help cut back the drool a tad, as it has a bit of a natural astringent quality.
Also, cloves are naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Since we carry so much bacteria in our mouths, cloves make a great addition to mouth hygiene and remedies. Caring for the bacterial and viral load that could possibly be unknowingly present in your baby or toddler's body by including anti - bacterial and anti - viral herbs like clove (along with the antimicrobial herbs mentioned in the tea recipe above) will help your little one aptly bring those pearly whites into a mouth with a healthy environment.
Clove Coconut Oil Rub Recipe:
1 TBLS Organic Coconut Oil
1/8 - 1/4 TSP Organic Ground Cloves
Start with 1/8 teaspoon cloves, then test on your own gums and add more if necessary. Babies 6 months - 1 year may only need the lesser amount of cloves, whereas toddlers may need a bit more, and depending on the freshness of your cloves, that could be a factor as to how "numbing" it is or not. Next, mix together. It should have a very mild numbing affect on an adult. Then, rub a small amount on the baby or toddler's affected gums.
A note on using clove essential oil as an alternative to ground cloves: While there's a time and place to use essential oils on the body, they are so highly concentrated that it's not always a safe idea, especially when it comes to small humans. Unless diluted an extremely high amount of essential oil to carrier oil (like coconut oil), then I personally would not use essential oils in the mouth of my baby and toddler. I always, always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil when I apply ANY essential oil to the skin (no matter the age). As an herbalist, I love using essential oils, but do so safely.
3. Celery Juice
Did you know that celery is an herb!? Celery is powerfully anti - inflammatory, highly anti - microbial, anti-viral, anti- bacterial, anti-inflammatory, packed full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, ultra-hydrating, re-mineralizes the body (including teeth), contains a unique form of vitamin C we all desperately need, and offers enzymes and co-enzymes to neutralize stomach acid. These are only a handful of the benefits of celery.
We all know how babies can get loose stools when teething. Celery juice can support the liver, which supports bile production and thus balance the gut. (True no matter what age you are!)
Also, a note on fever with teething babies and how celery juice can help. Often, a baby will get a low - grade fever while teething. It's a common belief that teething causes a fever, but that's not the case.
When a baby is teething, most of his/her immune system is going towards bringing that new tooth in, and therefore the remaining amount of the immune system is left to fight viruses/bacteria/other toxins.
If a baby gets a low - grade fever from teething, that's a sign that there's a low-grade viral or bacterial issue that the body is continually working on AND now that the immune system is working mostly towards the process of bringing in new teeth, that allows other pathogens to have a hay - day. (Like the old adage: "When the cat's away, the mice will play.")
SO... again, celery juice will assist in that because it's SO anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, immune boosting, vitamin - C rich, mineral salt rich, and ultra-hydrating, it'll not only benefit the process of teething, but of irradiating the under-lying viral/bacterial infection as well.
(*Side-note tip for babies with acid reflux: celery juice helps heal acid reflux! If interested in more info or have questions: email me or DM me on Instagram!)
How to prepare Celery as a remedy for teething babies and toddlers:
Juice plain celery in juicer and give straight to baby/toddler. Guidelines for dosage: 1 oz. for babies under 1 year old. up to 4 ounces for toddlers.
OR
Juice both celery and apple.
OR
Freeze celery for baby to gnaw on with inflamed gums. (Keep a close eye on for choking hazards of course.)
OR
Make celery juice popsicles or popsicle-bites with these silicone molds I bought from amazon and use ALL. THE. TIME. I use these molds for smoothie popsicles, homemade chocolates, herbal popsicle bites, and more!
Don't have a juicer? No problem! You can make celery or celery/apple juice with a blender! Simply blend thoroughly, strain through nut milk bag or fine mesh colander and enjoy!
There you have it! Three herbal remedies (with multiple ways to administer) you can use to support your teething baby and toddler! Have a question or comment about this post? Email me or DM me on Instagram and I'll get back with you soon!
Way to support your teething baby or toddler with natural remedies, Mama (or Dada, or other caregiver)! The investment of love, time, energy, researching, trying new recipes and remedies, questioning what's best for YOUR child, and ultimately doing what you believe to be the best in your heart and soul... is the BEST investment you can make in terms of your child's health. This investment you make now will affect his/her entire life! Well done, you!
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Have a beautiful day, sweet friends! 🌿♥️
Cryssy
Health Reclaimer ( a gentle reminder): Good, balanced health is your own personal responsibility. The final decision whenever you’re considering any form of care, treatment or remedy, whether it’s discussed on the internet or prescribed by a doctor, is always yours.
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