Ode to the Amber Bead

When it comes to teething baby, I’m fairly sure I’d lop my own arm off at this point if it would ensure he got a full head of teeth in pain free. For all of our sakes, not just his – its been the bones of two months of solid teething and we haven’t even seen white buds yet. He hadn’t quite accomplished properly sleeping when it started and its just driven him back into the “Ah sure Mammy loves company at 1,3,4 and 6am” brigade. Mammy does indeed, but she’d appreciate if that company didn’t scream in her ear and would suffice for sleepy cuddles.

A few weeks back, I did my reading up on Amber beads and after numerous people online and in real life recommended them, I ordered the amber anklet. Threw it on under a sock, so it wouldn’t fall off, and he couldn’t get at it.

The change was incredible. He instantly became a more placid, better sleeping, happy child. We assumed fluke, but were thrilled that he’d turned a corner.

A week later, we realised it was no such fluke and that these beads are pure magic. The damn things went missing. Cue the tantrum of the century, screams for hours, until he tired himself out enough, and a disturbed nights sleep. Thankfully, we realised the next day that they’d just fallen into the Vortex of the side of the couch, and peace was restored to the apartment.

A happy little family we were. He was still teething, as demonstrated by the rather large quantity of drool emanating from him at all times, and his need to gnaw on his fists eternally. However there were no screams, very little crying, and he seemed happy out to continue with his quest to eat off his own hands in the search of a tooth.

Until. Last week, we went into town. We went around for the day shopping and when we got home, I discovered the anklet was gone. Searched the house, the nappy bag, the clothes he was wearing. No joy. Checked in the shops where I’d changed him earlier in the day, in case it had been handed in. No joy. Cue montage of despair and discovering what teething really is like.

I’m not a major fan of giving drugs to a baby that small. But the Nurofen is the only thing which works, so I give it sparingly. (Interestingly enough, on their latest advert where it states that nothing bar Nurofen works for the child’s teething, the child seems to be wearing an amber necklace..) He hasn’t slept properly in about a week, but I guess I could blame his injections or the four month sleep regression on that too. It may be a coincidence but he just seems different without the magic beads.

I’ve got more ordered but theres been a delay. Instead, I’ve spent the last three nights with my boy cuddled between us in the bed, after realising its easier than traipsing to and from the cot with him every half hour and taking 25 minutes to settle him. He falls asleep almost instantly on the bed. When he wakes up, he’s pulling at his ears and his jaws are red. It’s comfort he’s after, in the place of the magic beads taking his pain away. And if I could lop off that arm to take away the pain, I would.

Here’s hoping they arrive tomorrow. I miss my placid boy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm49WtLQR-A

(Said Nurofen Ad)