Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces

Teething is a horrible part of babyhood.  Freddy teethed terribly with teeth that took absolutely ages to come through.  The resulting sleepless nights and sudden screaming were so hard for us both.  I don't like to continually dose my children up with medicines and much prefer alternative remedies where possible.

When I heard out about Amber Teething Necklaces I didn't have a clue what they were.  But after some research I discovered that Baltic Amber has natural analgesic properties which will lessen inflammation,  relieve pain and reduce drooling.  Natural oils are released from the resin with body heat and they help to keep babies calmer and more relaxed throughout teething.  Amber releases its therapeutic properties naturally and safely.  It has been used for centuries in Europe and is also recommended for allergies and eczema.

Wild Sheep sells baby products that are free from harsh chemicals and offer natural and organic alternatives for mums and babies.  This includes a range of gorgeous Baltic Amber Teething necklaces.  They sent one for Freddy to use.  Although most of his teeth are through, I think that the therapeutic properties of Amber are well worth exploring to enhance Freddy's general wellbeing.

The necklace arrived in a pretty organza bag with an information leaflet, it really would make a lovely, thoughtful gift for mum and baby.  Each necklace is unique with amber beads each separately knotted with cotton silk thread for safety.  The plastic screw fastener stops baby from tugging the necklace off but is still safe.  The natural colours vary from the yellow Lemon to the dark red Cherry.  

Freddy received a lovely lemon coloured Baltic Amber Teething Necklace from Wild Sheep.  It is lovely, well made and makes him look like a surfer dude (which is a look I love!)  He is happy to wear it and it is nice to think that the therapeutic properties of amber can be beneficial to him.

I think it is well worth investing in a Baltic Amber Teething Necklace for your baby before the nightmare of teething begins.  Even if you are not convinced by the claims, trying one won't do any harm. If it can reduce your baby's need for over the counter medicines and help pain relief in a natural way then I think it is a real must have item.

Priced at £12.99-£13.99 they are suitable for babies from 3-4 months old.  At the very least they are a gorgeous piece of unique jewellery, at the best they are a natural solution to relieve the symptoms of teething.

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Vanilla Bean Teething Bling

I can't begin to tell you how many times I have wrestled inappropriate items of jewellery from my son's hands and mouth.  He is fascinated by jewellery, and loves to explore things, but it obviously is not safe to let him chew on any old necklace or bracelet.

When I heard about "Teething Bling"  I was intrigued...jewellery that is "designed for babies, worn by mum".  It sounded like a fabulous idea!  Teething Bling was invented in Maryland by two stay at home mums. They created a range of jewellery that looks great but is safe for babies to play with.  The pendants and bangles are made from silicone and contain no harmful chemicals.  The pendants have a break away clasp for added safety. After rigorous testing in the US and Europe, their product was awarded the CE safety mark and went on sale in 2008. 

I was offered the chance to test out one of the Teething Bling Pendants with Freddy.  I was sent the beautiful Vanilla Bean Pendant which is delicately scented with a sweet vanilla fragrance.  It arrived beautifully packaged in a pink organza bag.  I immediately thought that it would make a wonderful, original and thoughtful gift for any new mum.

The pendant itself was lovely, a 2" donut shape on a silky black cord.  It looked like it was made of stone, not silicone. I was impressed with the design and it was definitely the sort of necklace I would wear.  I don't like fussy jewellery, this was stylish and classy.   It smelled delicious too!

Freddy is now a toddler and is cutting molars.  I wondered what he would make of this pendant.  He was instantly interested and loved handling it and chewing it.  He enjoyed biting down on it with his gums. I still breastfeed my son and sometimes get pinched and scratched by his exploring little hands as he feeds.  This necklace was a fantastic distraction.  He happily fiddled with it, turning it round in his fingers and exploring the shape and texture.  He really loves it....as I'm typing this, Freddy is sat cuddled up with me on the sofa and he is delicately touching the pendant and poking his fingers through the hole!  I honestly wish I'd discovered Teething Bling when Freddy was cutting his first teeth.  He really suffered with his teething and I think this would have been a Godsend, providing something for him to chew on as I comforted him with a cuddle.  I love this product, and even at Freddy's age and stage, it is brilliant.

Smart Mum  has over 20 different colours of pendants and bangles available on the website, available individually or as mix and match gift sets.  They also sell giftcards so the lucky recipient can choose their own combination!

Priced at £12.95 for a pendant,  £8.95-9.95 for a bangle and £19.95 for a gift set, they are great value for money.  Mum can look stylish and baby is safe and happy!

Feeling My Age

I have had babies in every reproductive decade of my life. There have been age related pros and cons to each one.  I've muddled through and loved every minute of being a mum to each and everyone of my five children relishing the challenges thrown in my direction. From newborn to teens and with every possible combination of ages in between...it's been a blast!

As  a family we are mellow and laid back and life is pretty easy.  I'm blessed with a husband who insists that we are a team, and ergo he does at least half of the household chores, as well as being the sole breadwinner.  Team McD works perfectly and life is sweet. I am a very spoilt kept woman!

But these last two weeks have been trying.  When uninvited microscopic visitors took up residence in my home, they inflicted untold damage to my usual calm and relaxed existence. The sickness bug swept through my family one by one.  We'd only just shaken off a bout of colds, and here we were again...heading to Poorlyville, Arizona.

I won't go into the details...but needless to say, it weren't pretty.  I'm one of those people who gags at the mention of sick, so I'm as much use as a bicycle is to a fish.  Another job for Ian is puke mopper uppper.  I just can't do it...I'm pathetic, gagging and retching, eyes watering...useless.  So armed with disinfectant, cloth, carrier bags and a strong stomach, Ian took over the role of nursemaid.

During this time, Freddy was also trying to cut some molars and seemed to wake up at 4am everynight to tell us all about it.  His inconsolable crying is only calmed by being rocked stood up.  How he knows when you try to slip back onto the bed is beyond me.  As the first buttock touched down on the mattress the gyroscopic cuddle detector instantly woke him up again.  We don't ever leave him crying so this is high maintenance parenting at its most intense.  When he wasn't demanding vertical cuddles he'd be feeding non-stop.  He is showing no signs at all of any desire to self wean, in fact his nocturnal boob fest is getting more intense.  And when he is not latched on and ferociously consuming his own body weight in my home made gold top, he is clambouring on my head with a foot in his Daddy's face.  I hope the teeth come through soon and he will be back in his cot by the side of our bed, letting us all enjoy some peaceful slumber.

At 19 I was full of energy to cope with all-nighters, juggling a new baby with nights out clubbing.  In my 20's I felt empowered and able to take on the world, confident in my role as a parent and young enough to bounce back from whatever life threw at me.  In my 30's I felt an old hat at the parenting lark.  Now in my 40's, although I am more secure, comfortable and happy than I ever have been before, the body just doesn't recover quite as well. The sleepless nights are taking their toll.  The aftermath of being ill myself, followed by the children being poorly has left me totally exhausted.  Everything is an effort.  I feel like I haven't slept in a month.  I can't stop yawning.  I feel like I've got another cold coming...my immune system has given up on me.  So although the germs have kindly vacated the premises, the aftermath of a week or so of disturbed sleep has turned me and Ian into mere husks of our former selves.  We resemble extras from Thriller...but with less energy.  The Zombie Apocalypse is playing out in our house...it is like Dawn of the Dead.  We are dragging our sorry arses around, groaning and moaning and feeling sorry for ourselves.  Thank goodness it is nearly the weekend.  The children who have bounced back so beautifully can look after us, while we stay in bed and allow our ageing bodies to recouperate!

Dentinox...Relief for Babies

I have a baby who suffers terribly from teething.  I've never known a baby like him.  His gums swell, the tooth breaks the surface but then the gum closes over again!  It's weird!  By 18 months he still hadn't managed to get all front 8 teeth even though they had been visible for about 9 months.  Tooth number 8 has finally broken through along with 4 molars but they are growing so slowly.  He doesn't just pop out his pearly whites at all.  So he really suffers.  Bright red cheeks and grizzly days with him pointing into his mouth accusingly and saying "teeth"  are common events.  Even the amber teething necklace that he wears is getting  a bit fed up!  Poor Freddy.

When Dentinox offered a possible source of relief, I was only too happy to give it a try.  I was sent a package containing a range of their products to try out with Freddy.

I was really pleased to try out the Teething Toothpaste, which I'd never heard of before, and of course the Teething Gel.  He's still got a long way to go before he gets his full set of milk teeth...so he really needs some help!

The Teething Toothpaste is slightly sweet tasting.  Freddy found the taste pleasant enough.  When his gums are sore he really objects to having a toothbrush probed around his mouth and it can occasionally be a bit of a battle.  The Dentinox Teething Toothpaste comes with a fingerbrush for gently massaging the gums.  It was quite a novelty for Freddy who enjoyed having his teeth and gums rubbed with it. It offers us an alternative which avoids any distress to him.  This product is definitely another weapon in our arsenal against the dreaded teething.

The Teething Gel is wonderful.  It tastes quite nice and provides a mildly numbing sensation against pain.  It's mild and gentle and sugar free.  Freddy happily let me apply it...even popping his own finger out in the hope I'd give him an extra squeeze of gel to put on for himself.  It offered a distraction as well as a way of relieving pain and also preventing infection.  I keep one tube in my handbag and one on the bedside table to cover my bases, and it really seems to help him.

Although he has never suffered from the really thick cradle cap that some poor babies get, Freddy does still have some patches on his scalp.  So I decided to give the Cradle Cap Shampoo a try.  It was lovely.  It smelt really fresh and I gently massaged it into his scalp, then used a comb to removed the scaly patches that had lifted off.  It was brilliant.  In the past I had used oil on his scalp, but that really is a messy method.  This shampoo is mild enough for regular use.  His hair was very shiny and bouncy after we dried it....I might try it myself!

Thankfully, he has never suffered from colic, so I haven't tried the drops.  They are however alcohol free, suitable from birth and give baby relief by dispersing trapped air.  Dentinox is definitely a brand synonymous with helping babies through difficult phases in their development.  With  40 years experience in the baby medicine market, they are like a tried and trusted friend to help us out when common ailments upset our precious little ones!

Dentinox is readily available in most supermarkets, Boots and pharmacies.

Nuby Twisty Bugz Review

In addition to reviewing Nuby's drinking beakers, which we loved, ( Read about it here) Freddy also had the opportunity to try the award winning Twisty Bugz Teething Toy.  It won the Gold Award at the Mother and Baby Awards 2010 for best toy for ages 6-12 months.  Freddy is at the top of the age recommendation for this, but is still cutting teeth so he enjoys chomping down on toys, and this lovely multi-sensory toy is just so cute...how could he resist!  


The beautifully colourful toy has four colourful characters that twist around a central ball.  The ball itself twists along its centre with a satisfying clicking noise. It has different textured surfaces to explore and chew on, and it also rattles when shaken.  Being that little bit older, Freddy was fascinated with the faces on the ladybird, bee and fly.  He enjoyed exploring how each of them could be twisted and turned individually, and also how they moved around the central ball.  He loved the different sounds he could make.

Cute Ladybird!

Colourful and fascinating!

This is a lovely, well designed and colourful toy.  I'd highly recommend it for younger babies as a toy with longer lasting appeal that will still be played with long after the traditional teething ring has fallen out of favour!

To aid teething, the rattle can be refrigerated and the gel filled wings will provide cool relief for baby, while teething nubs provide texture to massage and stimulate gums.

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