Why I wanted to try an Amber Necklace
I had never really thought of what “style” of parenting I would use for my children. I knew I would breast feed my baby and I wanted to cloth diaper, as I am environmentally conscious and wanted to reduce the environmental impact of having a baby. It turns out those characteristics generally classify you as a “natural parent”. Once I discovered the whole world of natural parenting, I was instantly addicted. It fit so well with our lifestyle and how we wanted to raise our children. From breast feeding, to cloth diapering, to baby wearing everything clicked into place for us after my son Ayden was born.
As Ayden neared the four month mark friends started warning me about the next looming stage…. Teething. They regaled stories of sleepless nights, horrible diaper rashes and inconsolable crying babies. “Have the Tylenol and Orajel ready” they said. Now I work in healthcare, so I am not against medication when needed but I also don’t believe in giving medication to babies (or anyone for that matter) if there is another natural way to treat the ailment. So I talked to a couple of other “natural mommies” that I know and all of them highly recommended getting an Amber necklace to help with teething pain.
I am really excited to see how the Amber necklace helps Ayden as he goes through the teething process. I will keep you posted. Wish us luck, and not too many sleepless nights!!!
First week of using the Amber Necklace
There are so many choices when it comes to colours and styles of amber teething necklaces. I selected mixed amber necklace and was so impressed by how beautiful it was when it arrived. The beads were stunning and overall the necklace looked very durable. The clasp is very secure (plastic screw closure) and easy to put on a wiggly baby. When I put the necklace on Ayden I thought he might try to grab it and pull it off (try to keep a hat on this kid), but he didn’t really even notice. I was worried that it would not be comfortable underneath all of his chins (yes Ayden is a chunky monkey), but again he has had no complaints and never any red marks.
Amber necklaces are not to chew on, but rather work via contact with the skin. The necklace fits tight enough that it cannot go above his chin, and lays nicely under Ayden’s clothes and bibs. It looks so cute, and we have received many compliments since he started to wear it.
But of course the biggest question of all is… Does it actually work? And the answer is YES!!!! I was truly amazed at how well the amber necklace seemed to take the edge off Ayden’s teething pain. Prior to getting the necklace Ayden’s hands were his favorite teether, to the point where his thumbs were getting red and raw. After a couple of hours wearing the necklace I could see a difference in how often he was biting down on his hands and toys. If I forgot to put the necklace on him in the morning, I could tell by 10:00 as he was chewing on everything in sight, and overall not a happy baby. Within an hour of putting it back on him he was calm and able to play with his toys without each and everyone going into his mouth. I think the best testament to the amber necklace is that we have not had to break open the Tylenol (or any other medication), had no inconsolable crying or any sleepless nights while Ayden got his first 2 teeth.
