Like Mama ~ Like Daughter: My Amber Experiment

When I was pregnant, I heard about some people using amber necklaces and anklets on their babies to help with teething pain. My older sister had wanted to try it with her son, but by the time she ordered it, it was shipped, and she put it on him, he was done teething and only wore it because he liked it. Therefore, I had no real proof of whether it worked or not.

When my daughter was about three and a half months old she started drooling and slobbering a lot. Soon after that started, she began to get very fussy and cranky from time to time. But, at that age, I thought it was just a phase. Then, toward the end of our beach trip (at 4 months old), she started to fall apart. Once we got home, however, she settled back down to her normal, kinda fussy, drooly self. Not long after that (about a week), my sister gave me a small amber bracelet to try. Sadly it didn't fit well and fell off every chance it got. So I stopped using it after about one day. Later that week, a package arrived. Inside was a tiny amber necklace that could also double as an anklet. I put in on her ankle right away. However, I had already decided that it couldn't really work. So I didn't pay it much attention.

A week went by, then two and I noticed that Bunny seemed less fussy (maybe she had finally grown out of the cranky stage). Another week went by with my happy baby, and I finally started to wonder if the amber had some thing to do with this change in her mood. then, one night, while Bunny was sleeping, I was experiencing leg and ankle cramps (as I often do), when on a whim I slipped the amber baby necklace over my foot and onto my ankle. Now I could disprove this ridiculous theory once and for all. I walked back into the living room, where my husband was waiting on me to start our date night movie (we have our date nights in our house once Bunny is asleep). I held my head held high in victory. Then all at once, I realized that my ankle didn't hurt any more. I sat in amazement as my pain was relieved. First my ankle, then my calf, then my whole leg. The pain was gone. The longer I wore it, the better I felt, and by the end of the movie previews there was no pain in either of my legs. My annoyance at the fact that I was wrong turned into excitement over this amazing pain reliever. I had to know how it worked. So I googled it. It turns out that amber contains succinic acid which, when brought out by the warmth of skin, can relieve inflammation and pain such as arthritis, cramps, and teething. I wish that I had started using amber earlier. It could have made the earlier months of my daughter's life even cozier and calmer than they already were.