To wonder why perfectly intelligent people keep suggesting amber teething aids to me, am I missing something?

[TinySleepThief]

I have a teething 4 month old. It's crap but there isn't much I can do about it other than dose him up with Calpol, use teething powder/gel and continue in my attempts to get him to use any form of teether.

However in general conversations 3 separate people so far this week have suggested buying a teething necklace, bracelet or anklet all of whom I thought to be quite intelligent. 2 of whom also don't have children but have heard from a friend of a friend that they work miracles.

I just don't understand why they think it would help, there's no science behind it at all and honestly they just look dangerous.

So now I'm genuinely wondering am I missing some new research which isn't just anecdotal? Or am I right to wonder why is it that rationale intelligent people seem to think that bloody amber will help when everything else I've tried so far has failed?

Laudanum's a tincture, ie a substance mixed with (a good deal of) alcohol. So,

"venerated for centuries by the wisdom of the ancients this plant based product is sourced in the remote, pollution free valleys of Afghanistan . Harvested by hand under clear blue skies the opium in our product is guaranteed pure, contains no animal products, is suitable for vegans and those with dietary restrictions . ......."

... It is lovingly hand-mixed with the finest alcohol grown in our barley fields in the pure air of Scotland, carefully treated by our artisan malters and roasters, brewed to our exacting standards and distilled in the Scottish glens in our family's legacy copper stills to a purity unsurpassed by inferior blends.

Accompanied by photos of heather-covered moors with mountains in the background and a couple of chaps in well-worn moleskin trousers and collarless shirts with rolled-up sleeves and braces, holding some sort of farming implement.

@Pinkblueberry
You've just reminded me we used to poor cool boiled water on a muslin not wring it out too much and freeze it. DS loved having a good chew on that

You've just reminded me we used to poor cool boiled water on a muslin not wring it out too much and freeze it.

This is an amazing idea!! He struggles to grasp teething toys but he has no trouble grabbing a muslin. Thank you so much I am going to try this tonight.

We tried a million different teethers (no amber nooses though) and the only one that DS got on with was a matchstick monkey. It seemed just the right size and shape for his fingers to hold and wasn't too heavy. Might be worth a go if you have tried it already OP, I got ours in Tesco

A friend insisted on buying my baby one when his sleep was terrible due to teething.. She swore by it, that it had been a miracle for her baby, I got a little bit excited and hopeful as she talked me into it.. Sorry to say it made no difference whatsoever Try teething granules, helped a little bit..

Similar to @bruffin - My 6 month old baby had a slight temperature one day and I wondered what was up; later that day I noticed the tell-tale rash around his mouth which indicated that he was teething. Turns out it was his first 4 teeth all at once breaking through the skin. He didn't seem bothered, and hasn't complained about any of his teeth, just had the temperature change and the mouth rash thing (which my first always had too).

So, anecdotally, a baby can also give zero fucks about teething even without the magical powers of dried old tree sap.

My oldest used to enjoy chewing on a dab of teething gel put on a toothbrush.

ThatLibraryMiss the head of science at my comp was a diviner on the side and had us all mapping the drains around the school.

I'd say teething granules 'work' because you're giving the baby a sugar hit, there's no active ingredient.

It’s like toilet paper hoarding. If enough do it then the most rational people do it too in fears of missing out. Then due to total coincidence the baby might calm down (obviously teeth eventually erupt or start hurting less) and they’re convinced it works