My baby days are officially over. I came to that conclusion at Christmas when I was visiting with a dear friend whose 15-month-old daughter was sporting a cool-looking crystal-like necklace.
I went on and on about how cute her little girl looked wearing the amber-colored jewelry and how it coordinated so well with the adorable dress she was wearing and blah, blah, blah.
My gushing was abruptly cut short by my friend, who explained that her daughter’s bling had little to do with her being a mini fashionista, and everything to do with alleviating teething pain.
“Haven’t you ever seen an amber teething necklace?” she asked.
The truth is I had never even heard of an amber teething necklace before my friend questioned my recognition of baby products.
According to my friend, the Baltic amber contained in the beads is a type of natural analgesic, which supposedly can be absorbed through the skin to relieve pain associated with teething and other illnesses.
I Googled “amber teething necklace” and found millions of matches, including hundreds of parenting forums that are filled with mothers who swear that the necklaces work. Of course, there are quite a few message boards that claim the opposite. Other random skeptics question the idea that succinic acid is powerful enough to be absorbed through your baby’s skin, into her bloodstream and travel directly to the source of the pain to alleviate it. Then, you’ve got the “health experts” who maintain that the beads pose a danger to babies as they can become choking hazards if they come undone.
Effectiveness aside, my friend and I got a good laugh out of my ignorance.
“Do you think I am a hippie mom?” my pal asked in between giggles.
Apparently, she’s been accused of being such by others who think the amber teething necklace is a bit crunchy.
Of course, my pal also composts, breastfeeds, makes baby food from scratch and will not have her daughter come within 100 yards of a disposable diaper. I’d say the amber teething necklace is the organic cherry on top of a mountain of hippie mom moves, but what’s wrong with being a hippie mom?
Have you tried using an amber teething necklace on your fussy teether? Did it work?
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