Posts Tagged ‘amber necklace’

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Teething Jewelry

Tuesday, September 13th, 2016

teething jewelry

Teething. One little word, so many feels from anyone who’s parented an infant. The drool, the rashes, the fussiness. It’s a tough time for babies and for parents.

There are lots of things parents do to help their little ones. My mother-in-law gave my babies frozen chunks of melon. I remember my mom giving my siblings water-filled plastic rings that she put in the freezer to chew on. My sons have all worn/are wearing amber necklaces and we experimented with teething tablets and mesh feeding bags as well. But the newest thing I’ve been seeing for teething relief in the past few years is teething jewelry.

Teething jewelry is made of wood or silicone beads fashioned into a necklace or bracelet that is worn by a parent. Ta-da! Portable teethers that can’t get lost. Super smart idea!

The first ones I remember seeing were a pendant worn on a string, with the silicone colored to roughly resemble natural stones. Now though, you can get just about anything in just about any color, thanks to the flexibility of silicone material and creativity of designers.

Plusses to teething jewelry are, like I mentioned before, how convenient it is to be wearing a teether. Whether it’s at home or on the go, it’s really nice to have something always on hand. When you are wearing it, your baby can’t chuck it out of the carrier or stroller. You can also choose to attach it to the carrier or stroller.

Also, there are a ton of fun colors and designs available. It’s possible now to wear chewable jewelry and not look like you’re wearing, well, a chew toy. The price point is pretty affordable as well, which could allow you to have a couple different options to wear each day (I almost wrote “match,” but I wasn’t sure what matches spit-up covered busted t-shirts and leggings).

Downsides: Well, like anything, kids are fickle. Not every kiddo is going to like or get relief from chewing silicone teethers. It’s probably best to start with one inexpensive item and see how your child likes it before buying more. Also, I’m not personally a germaphobe, but I could see how some people may not like the potential germ-collecting possibilities of some pieces, particularly bracelets (though all teethers may make germaphobes a bit squeamish as well). The jewelry is very easy to clean with warm, soapy water, low maintenance (yay!).

Meaghan Howard is a stay-at-home mom to three boys (and desperately hoping that they don’t burn the house down someday). She and her family are enjoying living an ex-pat life overseas.

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Teething Remedies

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

IMG_2299Ah, the joys of teething. Buckets of drool, cranky babies, and sometimes rashes or low-grade fevers to go with it. Babies can start showing signs of teething months before the first pearly white pops too, leaving you and your little one frustrated to say the least.

There are lots of ways you can help your little one through the joys of teething. First, dealing with the drool: a drool bib or frequent shirt changes help your child stay comfortable and rash free on her chest. You may also see her chin develop a small rash; keeping that area as dry as possible (so hard when it’s nonstop, right?) should minimize this. Finally, the large volumes of drool can also affect your baby’s bottom. Some babies get diaper rashes during teething from swallowing all of the extra drool. Using a barrier cream like CJs and frequent changes and/or air time should curb this.

Your baby will probably be extra chompy while he’s teething, too. Having some appropriate teething toys at home and in the diaper bag is a good idea. My boys both loved chomping on their Sophies, but a small assortment of teething toys is nice in the beginning to see what your baby prefers.

A lot of moms (and babies) love chewable jewelry. These are bracelets or necklaces for mom to wear made for babies to chew on. The beauty of these is you always have it with you and they are almost impossible for your baby to drop since you’re wearing it.

My mother-in-law swears by frozen fruit for teething. She cubed up some cantaloupe during a visit once and tossed it in the freezer. My miserable little man couldn’t get enough. I think between the cold and the chewing it was teething baby paradise. You will want to directly supervise if you go this route and use large chunks (to avoid choking). You can also find little mesh bags to put the fruit in to minimize the risk even further.

Finally, there are some good ways to minimize their pain during this tough time. Baltic amber or hazelwood necklaces are well loved by many moms and babies. These are worn (not chewed) and their contact with the skin can help with the pain. Heads up, our pediatrician always advised us to take our sons’ necklaces off whenever they slept. Some babies get relief from homeopathic teething tablets as well.

Meaghan Howard is a mom to two little boys, ages 3 and 6. She’s currently enjoying the expat life in Japan.

 

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Your Baby has Teeth!

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

Your baby has teethWhen my first was born, I thought we’d have months and months until teething began and we had to think about nursing and teeth. I was wrong.

My son started teething around 2 months and broke the first tooth at 3 months old. The rest followed in quick succession, coming in three or four teeth at a time. We were teething pretty much non-stop until getting the 2-year molars at 15 months.

This is on the early side for most babies, but we repeated this pattern pretty much identically with each of my other two children. More often, teeth come in at a more leisurely pace.

Such early teething caused some issues with our nursing relationship. My son was so young, nursing was his only real comfort. But he was fussy and his gums hurt. He began to bite down on my nipple when nursing, or ground his gums back and forth. This was not a pleasant experience for me.

I remembered from The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding that it is important to not screech or scream when this happens as it can be a shock to the baby too, who is not doing this to cause me pain but out of his pain and a desire to have me make it better. They suggest pulling baby into your breast instead to cause them to break suction to breathe. Then, firmly but nicely tell your baby that it hurts or not to bite mommy.

This took a few times before my baby learned not to bite, but it didn’t take long even as young as he was. My local La Leche League group talks often of “nursing manners.” It is so true. He learned that my nipples were there for comfort and milk but not to be used as teethers.

I got an amber teething necklace for him at around two and a half months and that seemed to make a huge difference in his comfort. As he got older, and could vocalize more, he asked for it as he got his first set of adult molars at 6 years old.

Babies truly do understand so much more than we give them credit for. They are designed to be a symbiotic pair with their mothers. But setting boundaries and working calmly to find a way through the difficult times is key to a positive and happy breastfeeding relationship.

TaiLeah Madill is mama to three and lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She is passionate about volunteering with her local babywearing group and helping other families enjoy the benefits of wearing their little ones. 

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How Our Amber Jewelry is Made

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014

 

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Here at Mom’s Milk Boutique, we source only 100 percent Baltic Amber to sell in our store–we know you are counting on it! Baltic amber is effective for pain relief, strengthening your immune system, restoring natural energy, and relief of chronic inflammation. So how is it made?

-007First, our production team personally selects the best raw materials. Each piece that we buy is checked for quality and inspected by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania so that we can be certified by the Ministry as selling genuine Baltic Amber.

After each piece is inspected for quality and the best materials are selected, our trained workers hand-cut it into the desired shapes. Next, the darker colors are strengthened in a machine, and the amber is then sorted and separated.

-013To clean the amber, we use a process called wet polishing, in which quartz sand is used to polish the amber and remove any dirt. The longer it says in the wet polish stage, the more round and shiny the amber becomes. Then, the amber is dry-polished with special wood or ceramic beads.

Then, all the amber is washed to remove the residues from the wet and dry polishing stages. No chemicals are used, and all the amber is washed by hand. After the amber dries, it’s sorted by color: cherry, dark cherry, green/earth, lemon, honey, cognac, and milky/butter.  -019

Once the beads are sorted, our master craftsmen drill the holes in the beads. Drilling is an important step in the process, since holes must be drilled straight through the beads to make them strong and long-lasting.

Finally, the beads are threaded and knotted by hand. The quality of an amber necklace can be determined by the gaps between the beads and the knots. A quality necklace will have small knots and small gaps between the knot and bead. The clasp goes on last.

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We inspect each and every piece of amber jewelry for quality to ensure that the beads are not cracked or broken and that they are all the right shape, color and weight; that the gaps between the knots and beads are small, and that the clasps are secured the right way.

Each and every necklace is unique and has a different look. There are no two necklaces the same. They beautiful necklaces are created for children and for adults.

The completed necklaces are just stunning…..

multi-necklace

 

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Teething Relief Options

Thursday, January 9th, 2014

Teething Relief Options

As your baby reaches the 3-6 month age range, that sweet, gummy grin begins to turn into…a toothy grin.  It’s exciting to see that first tooth in baby’s mouth, but the angst baby can go through to get to that point can be difficult.  As a new mom, I was clueless about teething.  All I knew was that I needed to do something quick to ease my little girl’s discomfort.  Here are a few things you can do to get through those first teeth.

Teething Rings and Toys:  There are many different products out there to help baby get their chew on while working on their first teeth.  My daughter loved Sophie the Giraffe.  The hooves and ears were constantly in her mouth.  Another great toy you can buy baby is a teething ring that you put in the refrigerator.  The cold sensation can help ease an aching gum quickly.  Babies at this age love to explore with their mouths, so they will be delighted to stick these helpers right in.

Cold Washcloth:  This is a simple fix.  Take a wet washcloth and stick it into the freezer for a few minutes.  Pull it out.  It should be crunchy feeling.  Let baby go to town!  I did this frequently with my daughter.  It can get a little messy, but baby will have fun and feel better.

Your Own Clean Fingers:  A quick way to relieve teething pain is to take your own clean finger and gently rub and massage baby’s gums.  Gentle pressure will be soothing to baby, although some babies may protest at first.

Teething Relief Options

Amber Necklaces: Many moms find that amber necklaces can cut down on the drooling, irritability and painassociated with teething. Amber necklaces are placed somewhere on baby (usually the neck or ankle) and help pain in the long-term—they aren’t quick-fixes. Baby doesn’t chew on these to relief pain; instead, the residue rubs off on their skin and produces a soothing effect.

Topical Medications:  If baby is still in pain, some pediatricians will recommend Tylenol before bed or every few hours to ease discomfort.  There are other products like Hyland’s Teething Tablets that can be given to aid in the pain.  With any medication, be sure to consult a health professional and do your research.  Products containing benzocaine such as baby orajel have been controversial on their safety for babies.

So as baby begins to sprout those pearly whites, find some ways to make the process a little more comfortable for them.  Toys, teethers, fruits, veggies, and even medications can all help.  If your baby is like my daughter, the worst part is getting the tooth to pop through the gum.  After that, it’s smooth sailing.  Hang in there momma.  You can do this!

Karyn Meyerhoff is a mom of one, Johanna.  While teething has not been a bad adventure thus far, the one year molars have been the worst.  She prefers cold items, toys, and lots of snuggles to help Johanna feel better.

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