baby rocks.

I finally gave in and decided I’m going to take the plunge and buy one of these. 

Last night was rough. Little buns slept so horribly, it was really hard to even get comfortable all night because of how contorted I had to be, and the constant sucking… I definitely can’t imagine what it must feel like to have all these sharp bones push their way through such a tender part of your body, so I feel just awful complaining about a lack of comfort in bed when he’s going through so much discomfort in his mouth; it’s not even in the same world. So of course I want to do everything I can to relieve his pain. I’ve known about these necklaces since before I had C, but I was always pretty skeptical of them. I mean, I trust the hippies and all, but this seemed really out there. Plus, I didn’t know how I felt about a necklace on a baby boy.

If you aren’t familiar, these are Amber Teething Necklaces. They come from the Baltic Sea, usually from Lithuania. Most people think they’re mineral stones, but they’re actually a fossilized tree resin that contains about 3-8% of succinic acid, which has been proven to be a powerful antioxidant that helps to cool things like fight free radicals and disruptions of the cardiac rhythm, stimulate neural system recovery, bolster the immune system, compensate for energy drain in the body and brain, essentially helping you relax, and improve blood circulation and ease muscle pain. Since the acid is mostly located in the outer layer of the amber, when it’s against the skin and warms up, it releases its oils, which seep into the skin, creating a natural relief for teething pain for babies because of its anti-inflamitory qualities. 

Some people swear by them and some think they’re a total joke, but I think it has more to do with how each body responds to the oils. I mean, every person is different and has different sensitivities and tolerance levels to things. I think because of that for some it really works and for some it really doesn’t. For around $20 I think it’s worth a shot. My friend just got one and already loves it. If there’s a chance it may help ease my baby’s pain, I’m doing it.

TIPS

• You can buy them on a number of websites dedicated solely to Baltic Amber, holistic baby sites or local all natural baby shops, and even Amazon, but check Etsy out for the best deals. I’m buying a lot of 4 for $32 for my Bradley girls and their babes (usually $20+ each at other said places). 
• Buy the UNpolished raw amber, they are more potent and more effective than the polished ones. Then if you want that more polished look, you can rub it with olive oil to give it some luster.
• Look for softly rounded amber, NOT “chips”. You want them to lay flat for maximum skin contact (and comfort!).
• Make sure you purchase 100% genuine Baltic Amber and NOT copal or any other cheap replica. [Here are 5 tests you can do to help you determine if it’s real or fake]
• Make sure to take proper care of it! It’s fairly soft, so treat its delicacy as so. Don’t bathe your baby in it, store it separately from other jewelry, and keep it away from direct light and heat or extreme temperature shifts (which can crack it).

If you have an amber teething necklace for your baby, has it been working? If you don’t have one, do you think you’d try it?