My baby started teething much earlier than all the baby books had said she would. By the first week of the second month, it was undeniable. She had stopped sleeping longer than 15 minutes at a time, she was drooling everywhere, and her gums were so inflamed that she just wanted to chew on everything.

I had no idea what I should do, and everything that had already been suggested to me had failed miserably. I decided to ask an online group that I was apart of because I was desperate, and surely a group full of thousands of moms across the world would have some suggestion that would work for us.

Unfortunately, most of the advice being given was from moms who tried the same things as I did. Teething tablets, teething toys, alternating Motrin and Tylenol. I was beginning to think that my baby was broken, or maybe I was the one who was broken, and we would just live in this never ending loop of desperation and tears for the rest of our lives. She would grow to resent me for not being able to soothe her teething woes, I just knew it.

Once I pulled myself out of that self loathing episode, I became determined to find something that would alleviate some of her discomforts. I googled “alternative teething remedies” and happened upon a crunchy mom blog who talked about Baltic amber teething necklaces. I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as a “crunchy mom”, but I was definitely willing to try her suggestion if she said it worked!

Baltic amber gets its name from the region it’s found in.  Amber is made from the sap of conifer trees that are located near the Baltic sea. The sap is collected and then the resin is separated from the sap and formed into amber stones. The sap found in this region has the highest traces of succinic acid found on the market today.

Succinic acid is the healing component in amber that relieves your headaches, muscle and joint aches, and other ailments caused by inflammation. It’s also renowned for its antioxidant properties, making it the perfect natural vitamin.

Baltic amber works best when it’s worn against skin because your body is able to heat the stone, allowing for the medicinal resins to be pulled through the surface and absorbed into your bloodstream. Once absorbed, it’s as if you took an anti-inflammatory or multivitamin.

I took a look at the website http://balticwonder.com and found that teething necklaces come in a variety of colors, from your light variants like lemonade and honey to your darker colors like cognac and cherry. The color doesn’t mean much unless you’re purchasing a polished bead, in which you would want to buy your necklace in a lighter shade due to the higher traces of succinic acid. The porous surface of the raw bead makes it easier for the oils to seep through it’s surface, and so if you’re buying polished, you would want a stronger bead.

I put the necklace on my daughter soon after it arrived. Within two nights, we had already noticed a difference in her attitude. She was far less cranky and she was sleeping for longer stretches. It also seemed as if her appetite had gone back to normal, whereas before she seemed annoyed by food. I took a look inside her mouth and noticed that her gum inflammation had decreased significantly. I was so thankful!

We kept wearing the necklace and hoped that the improvements would stick around, and they did! We survived the teething maniac phase, all thanks to one mom’s alternative teething remedies! If you’re like I was and overly exhausted, desperate, and looking for something you haven’t tried yet, order yourself a Baltic amber necklace and see what it can do for your family!