AMBER BEADS

Hold the phone. I have a revelation. I’m usually one for SCIENCE. Proven science, in a lab, by actual scientists. I’m not into consulting Dr Google or reading someone’s opinion who has little to no expert qualifications and/or life experience to back it up. If I did consult Dr Google I’d be sure I have some sort of viral, fungal infection in my lower larynx that would be my ultimate demise before I’m 40.

So, science. Proven science. It’s why I vaccinate myself and my family, I use Panadol, and although I don’t jump at the chance, on the odd occasion for the right reasons I will use antibiotics.

I’m giving you this background on my thinking to simply establish myself as a skeptic. A skeptic until proven otherwise.

The last few weeks my 6 month old has cut 2 teeth and certainly has more on the way. He’s also had a cold, and after a visit to A & E we were told he also has a viral infection. Trifecta. Awesome. So my science tells me to alternate between Panadol and Nurofen until the virus passes blah blah blah etc etc. Awesome.

He’s been chewing on Sophie’s ears and his own hands like they’re gravy dipped pork chops and making an absolute meal of his rusks but is still miserable most of the time. He’s also gone from sleeping from 8:30 at night until 7am to waking every couple of hours and last Saturday night barely sleeping at all, which was tremendous seeing as though we had his Christening the following day.

A few people have mentioned to me that I should give those Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces a go and until now I’ve just said “Oh yeah, I’ll see.” With no intention of trying it because, science. This week, I’d had enough. Running on little sleep getting grumpier and grumpier as the days go on and just feeling that absolute helplessness that I can only assume every mother feels when their child is sick, sore and miserable.

I went in to see my private baby consultants at TTN Baby Warehouse and got chatting to Sarah about said necklaces, and she informs me that they do work for some, but not for all. In fact, she wears one to ease headaches and has had an overall well being benefit and under no circumstances will she take it off.

Ok. Sarah is a logical person. She knows whats up. So if she has proof in her own ache free noggin, then that’s good enough for me.

Of course, these things are so popular that they didn’t have any stock but as soon as they came in Sarah was straight on the phone to tell me about it. Hoorah. Let’s test this “non­science hippy shizz” out. Amber beads that help babies. Pfft. Whatever.

I honestly wished I had’ve taken a time lapse video of this little red headed kid. The poor thing has spent the past week with a mouth like Niagra Falls to the point where I couldn’t keep the bibs up to him. Every half hour he’d saturate another one to the point where I would just strip him off at night time so he could dribble as much as he wanted and I could catch up on the washing. If it was safe I probably would’ve put him on a drip sheet to save the carpet and my sanity.

I put this necklace on his little neck and thought, “Righto science, prove to me that science is always right.”

Well, science was no where to be found. Within 20 minutes Niagra Falls had gone into drought. I even said to the Daddy of the house, come over here and look at this. Science loving, hippy­shizz loathing Daddy raised his eyebrows, smiled and proclaimed, “Oh wow. Look at that. He’s bone dry!”

Yes. Dry. Science!!! He’s dry!!

So Daddy consults Dr. Google about the “science” behind these Amber Necklaces and sees that they might also help with nose, throat and ear inflammation and could give our little ginger nut more energy. GREAT. Just what I need. More energy in who is usually already a high energy little boy, granted, I hadn’t seen that for a while and I was starting to miss it. Within an hour, his smiles and chattiness were back, whilst still being dry! What the…? Given the safety warnings and Dr Google’s proclamation of more energy I thought it best not to leave it on him whilst he slept, which was a good thing…. I think. He still woke a few times during the night, but ended up going a full six hours after the last. Whoo! Mumma gets 6 hours too! Happy Mumma.

Day 2: I put the necklace back on him after his breakfast of ever appetising Farax and apple puree. YUM. Niagara Falls was back, as were the red puffy dry cheeks and he was chowing down on those hands like they had been dipped in lard and coated in sugar.

Once again, I forgot to put the video camera on him but… how do I put this. Oh my glob! I took the breakfast bib off him and DID NOT REQUIRE ANOTHER ONE!!!!

After a couple of hours, and a NAP, his cheeks are clear, the dribble rash is gone and this kid is back to his high energy, chatterbox, bouncing little bundle of absolute joy.

I honestly can not believe it.

Science. You have failed me. Hippy­shizz, you win this time.

Now I normally don’t blog about “products” in the hope that the companies in charge of their production and distribution will send me free stuff, and this is certainly not one of those blogs. It’s just such an incredible turn around, that I had to tell you. I had to let the sleep deprived, drowning in laundry, sick of giving her child painkillers grumpy worried Mum’s that this worked for us. It may not work for everyone, but I honestly can not believe how well this little strand of orange type beads that aren’t terribly stylish have worked for us.

So whether you’re a skeptical science believer, or believe in how crystals, beads, aura’s and what not work with the human body, if you’ve tried everything else and your child hates nurofen, then try them. It might just be the answer you’re looking for.