I get a lot of questions about Gabe's necklace. Say "boy" and "necklace" in the same sentence and unless you're from the Jersey Shore, you'll likely receive some weird looks. Unless wearing necklaces is normal in your culture or community. Please tell me if it is! But yes, my little man of 9 months wears an amber necklace and has since he was two or three months old, when I decided to take the amber teething necklace plunge.
Why Amber?
Baltic Amber, which is sourced in eastern Europe near the Baltic Sea, has some amazing natural properties. It's an
immune booster. It naturally
reduces teething pain. Baltic amber can
calm a baby without resorting to drugs. It contains
anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties, and is considered a
natural analgesic.
Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special (
Source).
So how does it work?
"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." (Source)
Baltic amber necklaces are also helpful for headaches, other dental pain, TMJ, and joint pain.
There are usually a few common culprits that can keep a baby up at night or not sleeping well: it may be poor sleeping habits, a growth spurt, illness, or teething pain. Wearing an amber necklace can really help with that!
So, you just wear a necklace, and your teething nightmares are gone??
Wellll, maybe! It depends on the child, and it depends on the type of amber.
"
It is scientifically accepted that the darkest colored amber generally contains less succinic acid than lighter colors. The more cloudy or opaque amber is, the more succinic acid it contains (and usually the more cloudy amber is the nearer to the color white it becomes)," according to InspiredByFinn.com's website.
Our testimonial
I originally had a different necklace for Gabe to wear, but I began to notice a rash around his neck. He wasn't drooling (because the amber also helps with all the drooling! another positive side effect), but he did spit up sometimes and I thought the rash may have come from spit up lingering in his little chubby neck folds, exacerbated by the necklace. Turns out, the concentration of succinic acid in that particular necklace was a wee bit too much, which I learned by speaking to customer service at InspiredByFinn.com, so I ordered Gabe a different variety and voila, no joke, the rash went away, and we continued along.
But, he did cut his first two bottom teeth, and I had no idea they were busting through. No sleepless nights, no incessant finicky whining, no...nothing. Just two little white buds that popped through his gums one morning.
The amber teething necklaces are not a panacea, though. While I've never experienced an epidural, I would liken it to what I imagine it might feel like. The pain is numbed, but you still know stuff is going on, and you can sense change or movement. There are days or nights when I get the sense he is just uncomfortable, but thankfully those nights seem fewer and farther between, and he recently cut 4 teeth on TOP. So, we've already had 6 of those teefers break through and he's pretty much been his happy contented self all long!
Where can you buy these?
I'm not being asked to promote these necklaces, so I have no personal incentive if you buy, but I personally purchased from
InspiredByFinn.com but know there are other reputable companies out there as well. Just make sure it is authentic Baltic Amber. It will do you and your baby no good if they are sporting a cute necklace made out of PLASTIC! It must be amber!
Free Tip: Keep tabs on babysteals.com if you want to order; they often run deals on amber teething necklaces (or hazelwood) and you can get the necklaces for almost 50% off. Or if you find a legitimate website, google "Coupon codes + [name of website]" and you might be able to buy it for even less! #doublewin
Have you used amber teething necklaces? What has been your experience with teething? What's worked, what's not?
