Since getting involved (even reading) in the natural parenting / hippie community online, you start to see lots of babies wearing Baltic amber necklaces.
All the hippie kids are sportin' the amber!
So... why? My go-to site that seems to have the most information about Baltic amber is Amber Artisans. They even have an Amber Education Room full of articles about amber and its benefits / uses, history, how to identify it, etc.
In case you're not familiar with the idea, these are not made for chewing! The idea is that body heat causes the stones to release healing oils, though there is a newer theory about the electromagnetic properties of amber. The point is, though, it absolutely reduces inflammation! Amber is not only an anti-inflammatory, it is also an analgesic. So it is a wonderfully natural option for babies as well as adults.
This was right after we received his necklace.
And so my friend, Hybrid Rasta Mama sent me a necklace for Spencer. I was thrilled to have it! He started teething at 2 months and while most of the time it wasn't bad, when he had a bad day... he had to be entertained non-stop.
Then Sasha wanted one, so my friend found another for me! Sasha's necklace is absolutely beautiful! It starts with light stones at the clasp, then works around to darker and darker stones as it gets to the center. Anyway, that isn't the point I'm trying to make.
I absolutely noticed a difference when I put the amber on Spencer! Now only his worst teething days require any special attention at all! And one more really amazing thing: reduced drooling. I have friends that have to keep a burp cloth or a bib over their shoulder or even keep their babies in bibs all the time because they just drool all the time, right? Not Spencer!
People are always so surprised, too! He started teething at 2 months and didn't actually cut his first tooth until just after his first birthday! But he never drools! Actually, the only time you see any slobber at all is when he is actively chewing on something that is hanging out of his mouth.
You might see some CYA information that warns these teething necklaces are meant for children over 3 years old. Um... how many 3-year-olds do you know that need help with teething pain?? You'll also be warned to supervise your children while they are wearing the necklaces and not to let them sleep in them...
Well who would I be if I weren't such a rebel?! I have no idea. My husband insisted Spencer not sleep in the necklace at first. So each night I'd just take it off of him and put it on me. It was handy. After a while, though... and a few times of forgetting... well, Spencer sleeps with me. He is basically supervised even in his sleep. So, before long, he was wearing it 24/7. Your mileage may vary, you do what you feel is safe for you & yours! At his current stage, nights are the hardest for him, so I'd hate to take the amber away from him at night.
So... where to buy? Amber Artisans has some articles about that (and they sell amber, of course!). Personally, I really like to support Etsy peeps. You want to look for necklaces that have knots between every single bead. I haven't ever found ones that were done different than that. Still, this way if the necklace were to break, only 1 stone falls. One shop I can recommend is Amber for Sale. I'm sure she has something you'll like!
We get compliments on the necklaces everywhere we go! I love the health benefits. I actually think the rest of us (the taller people in the household) could seriously benefit from wearing them, too!
Does your baby wear Baltic amber?
