Happy Baby is teething. No matter what your race or ethnicity, every mother can relate to teething troubles with her infants. I’ve read many articles that say something along the lines of “most babies begin to teethe around 4 months of age and cut their first tooth around 6 months of age”. This is another instance where my kids don’t follow the textbook.
Happy Baby is currently 9.5 months and the first signs of his two bottom front teeth (central incisors) are just visible slightly through his gums. They’re right there. Just a couple more days and they should be sprouted. However, he’s shown “teething” signs since he was around 4 months old. Drooling. Chewing. Gnawing. Nighttime fussiness. Daytime fussiness.
There are lots of articles out there on how to deal with teething pain. Many parents will tell you to coat the baby’s gums with some orajel, or some numbing topical gel that is similar. Some may even tell you to rub some whiskey on their gums (Ummm…no thanks!) Some moms and dads will opt for more homeopathic remedies. I read about baltic amber necklaces being used to help soothe the pain from teething and thought I would give it a try. In the back of my mind I was kind of doubtful that it would work, but I was trying to stay open-minded. After a couple of nights of Happy Baby waking every hour during the night to feed and fussy, I finally put the necklace on him. That night, he slept for 6 hours. Success!! He hasn’t gone a night without it since, and has been sleeping normally (for him) for the past 5 weeks. For those of you who aren’t familiar with baltic amber, here’s a little info taken from Amber-Teething-Necklaces.com
“Wearing baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. A natural analgesic, amber will help calm a baby without resorting to drugs. Used for centuries in Europe, amber’s natural anti-inflamitory (sic) and pain relieving properties are perfect to soothe teething babies. Amber is fossilized resin, which warms against the skin, releasing it’s theraputic (sic) properties safely and naturally.”
Amber Teething Necklace
Obviously, I highly recommend it. I purchased Happy Baby’s teething necklace from a local shop called Hosie Naturals. I’m not sure who her supplier is, but you can find these necklaces all over the place on the web. There’s alot of buzz about the ones offered at Inspired By Finn. I’m planning to order from them and try out their adult bracelets, anklets and necklaces as well!
At any rate, teething is just another phase of babyhood and it won’t last forever. In the blink of an eye we will be enduring visits from the tooth fairy, then likely some trips to the orthodontist.
