Baltic Amber

I've used amber necklaces for all three boys to help with teething pain. "Do they actually work?" is the first thing people ask when I tell them what it is. No, it's not for chewing on. The necklaces contain succinct acid, which is said to prove pain relief upon absorption into the body. As the wearer warms the necklace, it's supposed to work. They say the lighter the color and raw versus unpolished are most effective but those preferences people usually make on their personal fashion likes.

The first thing I answer to those asking about the effectiveness is, "well even if they don't work they are cute and there is always a chance they do help!" That being said I do think they help. With Nolan I removed it after a bath and forgot to put it back on and both Tim and I noticed his increased crankiness.

I recommend removing it for all bath and water play. I didn't with the first necklace I owned (not the item being reviewed below) and it started to mildew under the beads. It's also not recommended for children/infants to sleep with any necklace on. Nighttime is when you need it most though so I place it on an ankle under PJs. That isn't as effective since the necklace isn't close to the source of the pain but it's better than nothing.

I received the Baltic Amber Teething Necklace off Amazon to review. Since Oliver has his hands in his mouth constantly these days it was perfect timing.

The necklace fits Oliver, my tiny (<3 3="" 6="" a="" almost="" be="" but="" carter="" comparison="" could="" doesn="" fine.="" for="" he="" i="" in="" it="" length="" month="" not="" old="" on="" p="" pretty="" put="" s="" shorter="" since="" supervised="" t="" tad="" too.="" wear="" well.="" when="" yet="">

I like that by being available on Amazon with Prime shipping it's much more readily available to those who might not explore non-traditional remedies. Teething tablets and amber necklaces get us through those crazy times when baby is getting teeth. Oliver hasn't had one break through yet but I know it's close!!

Teething Help

Look at all my teeth!

Nolan popped his first tooth at 6 months and has been steadily teething ever since. His teeth are pretty slow moving and for him, the worst pain seems to be from the time they first slice through until they're fully out. We used cold wash cloths, wooden toys, and teething tablets for the first eight front teeth. Now, however, we are working on molars.

I have to imagine molars pushing through the gums feels a little like being cut over and over again. Right now his two top molars are through the gums partially. What this means is each tooth has popped out on the inside and outside of the gum. The center of tooth is still covered by a thick strip of flesh!! Poor baby has to somehow make this flesh disappear before the tooth will be all the way out.

The bottom molars are starting in but haven't broken through the skin yet. Teething for Nolan includes high temperatures (104 last time!!), sleepless nights, and overall crankiness. With molars he isn't really chewing on much besides his fingers and none of our remedies are helping. Ibuprofen was seriously the only thing getting him more than an hour of sleep at a time.

I've read about Amber teething necklaces before but was a bit skeptical. According to Inspired by Finn, "when baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin's warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin." Apparently the succinic acid acts as a natural analgesic. The teething necklaces aren't meant to be chewed upon. They are simply worn by the toddlers.

While perusing a friend's blog, I spotted a teething necklace on her adorable son. I was excited to get some real life feedback. Sort of like me, she was a bit skeptical but had used it through some of his teething episodes. Much to my surprise she had an extra necklace and kindly offered it to me. Nol has been wearing his necklace for 36hrs now. 

I'm not sure if it is a miracle cure or not but at least he looks adorable in it even when he is fresh out of the crib after naptime as seen below!! I'll be sure to update on any results we get.