Demanding 12 month old, not sure if it's just teething?

[SupernovaHeights]

Hello, I've posted a couple of times under another name but not for ages. I'm just desperate for a bit of general advice really!

Bit of general - DD has just turned 1 and has always been quite demanding (writing that sounds bad, but it is the truth). She cries a lot and seems to moan on and off most of the day. She does have happy moments and smiles a lot too though. I'm trying my best to keep her calm and happy but nothing seems to work. She is also very clingy and sometimes won't even sit with DP or DS. She does go to nursery so it's not like she's with me constantly.

I think it could just be down to teething as she has roughly half of her teeth already. Has anyone tried amber teething necklaces? I was unsure at first but I'm desperate to help her out and if it might work I'm thinking it is worth a go?

Any advice on the teething necklaces or other reasons she seems so upset will be gratefully received!!

Hiya, DD is 14 months and has worn her amber necklace constantly since 8 months. She even sleeps with it on and doesn't notice it at all. I couldn't tell you 100% that I believe in it, but my attitude was that I might as well give it a go - what harm can it do? And 6 months later she's still wearing it. In my opinion it does calm her down, but then again so do the crystals I think. Generally she's a very happy, relaxed little soul and we've got tooth no. 7 cutting through now - not without some grizzliness - but I'd be loathe to take it off now in case she turns into a horror.

Thanks for replying

I think I might give it a go, I'm at the point of trying anything now! And if it isn't teething I'll just go and rock in the corner I think.

Where did you get yours from? I've read about imitation ones and want to be careful not to spend too much but get a good one.

Ours was from a little hippie-type village shop as we were visiting my mum's down in the country - in our mid-teething despair that was the only place we could find, but yes, it's worth researching. I think the quality of amber is important. We paid £12 I think. A lot of mums absolutely swear by them - something to do with the amber massaging the nerve endings in the neck and up into jaw, and of course amber is supposed to be healing in itself - like I say, jury's still out as far as I'm concerned but you might as well give it a go. Good luck!

I'm in the same situation as you Supernova! Am afraid I don't really have any advice but my DS (11 months) is such a grump at the moment. He's always been quite challenging. I thought we'd turned a corner once he started to crawl around 9 months but recently it's got much worse again and it feels like he's crying or just sort of moaning such a lot at the moment. It's actually getting me down quite a lot at the moment and I'm finding it quite hard to get through the days.

I had been wondering about the amber necklaces - I am usually completely against 'alternative' medicine but am just so desperate I might try anything. Where do you get them from?

Sorry I've not been much help but just wanted you to know you're not alone!

Thanks for replying NearlyOne. I'm sure it is just a phase, although I've been saying that for various reasons about DS whos nearly 5 so what do I know

Have you tried talking to your HV about it? The only things that help DD are being out in the pushchair and sometimes just carrying her on my hip and walking around. Wish I had magic answers for a moany baby, just wish they could tell us what was wrong!

I've had a bit of a google and there seems to be a main shop and then various others. A baby at nursery wears one so I'm going to try and grab his parents when DD goes back next week. Hopefully they will proclaim it a miracle!!

The amber necklaces are really popular on the continent. They are meant to be made from amber from a particular place and "work" because the contain something like aspirin (how the chemical is meant to get into the bloodstream, who knows?). Thing is, I've never got used to seeing babies with necklaces around their necks and cringe when I do. I just can't understand why people don't just give calpol or baby ibuprofen if they want a painkiller.

The amber chemical is absorbed through the skin, that's why it's important to leave it on as much as possible. DS has his and they have made a huge difference! I do think part of it can be just a phase, DS is 13 months and was very whingey until a few weeks ago. I only got the teething beads as a last resort, don't like giving calpol too often. We put them on in the morning, then bedtime they go around his ankle under the sleepsuit as I don't like the idea of a necklace overnight!

Another suggestion, have u tried putting her in a sling? No matter how moaney DS is, if I carry him in the sling he either perks up or dozes off! A Mei Tai is fab for a 1 year old (DS is 91st centile, I'm not strong but can carry him comfortably for about 45 mind in it) and priceless during a 'clingy' phase!

Surely an analgestic, no matter how "natural" in origin - to be absorbed throught the skin, travel around in the blood and act on painful gums - has to be pretty concentrated. And is in place all day long. At least with calpol there are no side-effects, you can use it in combination with gum gel and you know how much your baby is getting. And I only tend to use it just before DS goes to bed.

Actually, probably this has turned into a bit of a mission for me as EVERYONE where I live suggests this and it drives me mad.

A nice balanced page for thinking about here

I am on the side of giving pain relief (I have a 12mo DD too). If I was in pain I'd take some paracetamol so I don't think its fair to not give the baby any. However often I run through everything before assuming its teething (Sleep, a drink, a snack, a cuddle, want to go outside, want to play a game).

Often if my DD has a few bad nights she develops a sleep debt and is hard work until it is paid off. Could a few days of making sure she sleeps as much as possible make a difference? Often calpol before naps helps them sleep then too if you suspect teething. Last week my DD hardly slept during the day (kept sitting up crying) and so was impossible to console at times until we'd kept strictly to our routine for 2 or 3 days.

Could just be her age. My DS was shocking at this age. I actually found he was the hardest work between about 9 months and 13 months. Whingey, clingy, whiney etc etc. Once he started walking at 13 months he has been much better. He is now 17 months and is so much happier. He can communicate now as well as he talks a lot and knows a lot of words so he can ask for milk, to be picked up, for us to put Playschool on the tv etc etc. I honestly cannot tell you how much easier it has got, particularly in the last month. He is also much more able to entertain himself, particularly out in the backyard. This was something he could never ever do before.

So ride it through is my advice and it will hopefully get better soon.

Thanks everyone - I do give calpol when she seems quite bad but I feel like she would constantly be dosed up if I just relied on that. She hates gel and won't gnaw on a teething ring/toy as much as I pester her. I can remember this phase with DS but there is no let up this time.

Over the last few days most of the rest of her teeth seem to have appeared so I think the necklace might be a case of too little too late even if it does work! Hopefully the end is in sight now for teething.

Fingers crossed it's just a phase, ready for the next phase!