Wear it, don't chew it!

Have you heard the buzz about Baltic amber teething necklaces? To tell you the truth, when I first heard about them, I thought they were something teething babies were supposed to munch on. I was wrong.

Teething necklaces are to be worn, not chewed. As a matter of fact, you should never allow your child to put the amber in his mouth. So how do they relieve the discomfort of those little molars poking through? It is all about the Baltic amber, with its abundance of Succinic Acid, known for its pain relieving properties.

So who came up with this new trend? Well, actually, there's nothing new about it. For centuries, Baltic amber has been used to treat a variety of disorders. While it looks like a colored stone, it is actually fossilized tree resin. When placed directly against the warmth of the skin, the oils are released, providing healing and relief to common ailments.

My daughter just ordered matching necklaces for her son and herself, much to the chagrin of her husband, who was not too keen on Lincoln sporting a beaded necklace! But when those teeth start coming in and the baby is not overly bothered by them, he might change his tune.

Here's the thing with the teething necklaces -- they must be worn directly against the skin in order to reap the therapeutic benefits. The more hours they are worn, the more pain relief they will provide. So it is best to keep them on your baby or toddler as much as possible. Of course, you do not want to put him or her to bed wearing the necklace, so make sure you take it off before laying your little one down in the crib. If you really want to keep the benefit going, simply wrap the necklace around your child's ankle a couple of times and cover it up with a sock when you put him to bed. You also want to remove the necklace before bathing your child.

The bottom line is the analgesic properties of Baltic amber work to ease the pain of teething, which I think is such a cool thing. No need for medication with all its possible side effects. What could be better than that?

While amber is found in many places, researchers have found that the Baltic amber contains the most Succinic Acid, so it naturally provides the most benefits.

I like the look of the darker amber, but for the best pain relief, you want to choose the lightest colors. If your baby drools a bit too much on the necklace, simply clean it with warm water and a cloth, avoiding any kinds of soaps, detergents or oils. You don't want the amber to end up coated with some type of residue, after all.

When I first learned about the teething necklaces a few months ago, I immediately ordered one for Laura, and I have to admit, she looks adorable in it! I bought it from Green Baby Clothing Company, a wonderful Canadian company that sells the most adorable children's clothing that is guaranteed to be safe for your children to wear.

This is one of the wonderful teething necklaces available on the GBCC site.

So, before you reach for the Orajel, why not hop over to the GBCC website and check out their Baltic amber teething necklaces. Stylish, affordable and effective...what more could you want? Well, maybe one for yourself. In that case, check out Inspired by Finn. They carry children's and adult's necklaces, bracelets and more. Well worth a look. You can also click on the Adult link on the GBCC site for a variety of sizes for amber necklaces for the grown ups, too!

If you visit either of these sites and decide to make a purchase, let them know Green Grandma sent you.

Keeping it green and healthy,

Hana