Nappy rash is for the most part as a result of long periods between changing.
When skin is left wet for extended periods, it becomes sensitive and easily irritated or broken from constant friction. A nappy is a warm, moist and isolated environment which is ideal for the formation of micro-organisms (bacteria), if the skin becomes damaged these microbes move in and cause infection.
Abrasion of fabric and wet skin are the most common arguments for using disposables over cloth, however there are support products for cloth nappies to prevent these perceived problems – nappy 1-way liners function in the same manner as a disposable, drawing the urine away from the skin and keeping baby dry.
A basic rule of thumb is to check your babies nappy once an hour – most parents do this naturally without conscious effort – only change when necessary though (this is generally at longer intervals than one hour, but as it is not a controlled routine the gap between changes would differ and checking increases awareness).
Nappies have a saturation point if nappy is not absorbent enough you can add a booster – this should be done to increase absorbency but not to stretch the time between changes.
Nappies containing faeces should be changed immediately.

cover free time

Be conservative when applying barrier cream.

Many mothers smear a thick layer of barrier cream over the babies skin in order to prevent nappy rash. In reality this can actually have the opposite effect as the cream blocks the porous nature of the nappy eliminating its breathable qualities.
If you change the nappy frequently and properly cleanse and dry the skin, barrier cream is not required (skin can be moisturized with pure aqueous cream or a thin layer of light barrier lotion) and the barrier cream only applied – if a rash is noticed – to the affected area!
Use a light bum balm if needed as prevention (we love the Mother Nature Bum Balm) and only apply thicker cream if there is a rash.

Use a nappy liner.

When using cloth nappies ‘conventionally’ (where you do not change the nappy with each wee), it is advised to use a 1-way liner, which allows the urine through into the absorbent layers but has a dry feel against baby’s skin.
Fleece is ideal for this purpose as it wicks the moisture away from the skin and remain soft and dry feeling against the skin.
Alternatively, you can use of the disposable liners available (choose one with have 1-way qualities).
This ‘dry feel’ means that baby’s skin remains relatively dry and so does not chafe, making for more comfortable extended wear.

nappy free time

Nappy products that are breathable.

A non-porous plastic outer cover prevents air-flow to the skin. This isolates the heat within the nappy, creates a bacteria-incubator (wet & hot) and exacerbates the growth of microbes. As such avoid the common plastic waterproofs and rather spend the little extra on those that are breathable – porous.
• Cloth Nappy covers:
there are various very effective options in nappy covers.
* Breathable & Water-resistant – Fleece and Wool;
* Breathable and Waterproof – PUL, a synthetic laminated fabric which is fully waterproof but porous (commonly used in top-quality waterproof sports wear).

Take preventative steps when washing the nappies.

- Use a mild pure-soap washing powder, not one that contains enzymes (concentrate versions contain enzymes).
- Rinse nappies well to remove all traces of soap, and/or use less powder than recommended (about ½ to 2/3’s) – this is sufficient to clean the nappies.
- Do not use sterilizing solutions or bleach as these are not necessary and residue of these chemicals can damage baby’s’ skin – if you are concerned about sterilizing rather add a drop or two of Tea-tree oil to your soaking / rinsing water as this has antibacterial and antifungal qualities and is gentle on babies skin. There are also some organic nappy soak products on the market.
- Hot wash nappies at 60ºC, this both sterilizes and will dilute the formation of ammonia in nappies (if nappy has a strong smell prior to washing). If you are washing daily a cold wash will suffice however if you are skipping days … the more days the hotter the wash.
- Line dry nappies – the sun also helps in neutralizing any remaining ammonia.

Let babies skin BREATHE.

When changing nappies don’ t hurry to cover them up again, give them a little time for their skin to air-dry.
There is no need to use a cover over the nappy all day, every day – especially around the house – though breathable each layer does make airflow a little limited. Some days just dress her in a nappy and t-shirt for a while when playing.
Let baby play bare-bummed occasionally, the fresh air, sunlight and freedom can only do them good!
Or let them sleep without a nappy in the day (just take care to lay them on a towel or flat nappy to protect the mattress / cushion (a fleece blanket under the towel will act in the same way as a cover protecting the bedding beneath).

These poor kids get to be the test guinea pigs to all our new products and ideas. I wonder what I will try out this time? I know we have a few new nappies to try and I am looking forward to a new kikio sling or wrap.

For the birth I am thinking of doing a hypnobirthing course, the idea of a more calm and less painful birth appeals to me. I know my 2nd was better than the first, you know what to expect but still think I could be more relaxed and centered. Oh well a few weeks/months to plan that yet.

Research commissioned by HUGGIES® reveals that nappy rash is still a big problem for little people – a massive 57% of all babies experience some form of nappy rash every two to three weeks.

Jean Golding, Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children did research which has shown that “the type of nappy used is not a significant factor in the incidence of nappy rash” (Getting to the Bottom of Nappy Rash, R. Philip, A. Hughs & J. Golding. British Journal of General Practice, August 1997; pp.493-497). The major causes of nappy rash were found to be infrequent nappy changing and ill heath of the child. “

Statistically the most common cause of nappy rash is infrequent nappy change, and a large part of this percentage is due to diarrhoea.

“In 70-80% of these cases, diarrhoea has been found to be the cause: liquid poo spreads over a wide area of the skin and is very irritating”

WHAT IS NAPPY RASH?

Nappy rash is a skin irritation on the nappy area of a baby. Can vary from a mild rash (that baby is unaware of) to an extremely painful raw rash of blisters or pustules. Though most rashes can be effectively and quickly remedied at home, there are cases where the rash is either repetitive or of such an extent that medical treatment is required.
There are 3 basic causes for nappy rash – strong urine, skin infections, chemical sensitivity

COMMON REASONS FOR NAPPY RASH:

(from most common to rare)
1. Nappy changes few and far between
2. Diarrhoea
3. Allergens and irritants (external factors – creams, wipes, detergents etc)
4. Allergies & intolerances (internal factors – mainly food related)
5. Teething
6. Common colds
7. Thrush

THE APPEARANCE OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RASHES

*An ordinary nappy rash is very red, but not bright red. Baby shows no real signs of discomfort apart from when they wee or poo they may react to the sting experienced. the skin between their folds is not red or affected. Rash disappears within a day or few days with normal treatment – airing, using zinc cream and frequent changing. If rash continues visit a doctor.

*A fungal infection is bright red. Redness will affect the skin in the folds as well and spots may spread further over the bum area. Baby will possibly become upset during nappy change and cry. If none of the ordinary remedies such as airing, frequent changing and zinc paste make a difference, contact a doctor.

*A bright red, very warm and swollen nappy rash may be caused by a bacterial infection. . Baby could be feverish or moody and a visit to the doctor will be required and possibly antibiotic treatment.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

*Firstly: Nappy rash is pretty common in babies, so much so that all babies will experience it at some stage. Consequently this is not a negative reflection on your parenting skills.

*Secondly: If or when your baby experiences nappy rash, it is advised to try isolating the cause and not simply treating the symptom. Nappy rash is both uncomfortable and painful to her and taking some basic steps in identifying the cause and finding a specific solution can help avoid future breakouts.

*Thirdly: Though urine does not specifically irritate the skin, if the skin becomes very wet it is more vulnerable to irritation. However when urine and faeces combine OR urine is left too long before changing – ammonia forms which causes a rash on the skin, the longer it is in contact with the skin, the more extreme the inflammation.

The appearance of the skin irritation may differ from one baby to the next (one occurrence to the next), however they all fall under the term nappy rash. Though the treatment for all forms of nappy rash is virtually the same, it is important to not only treat the rash, but to consider the cause and take steps towards future prevention.

HOW TO TREAT NAPPY RASH:

1. Gently cleanse the area by either bathing with warm water or wiping clean with warm water and cotton wool. Do not use any scented soaps or creams that will further aggravate the inflammation. Do not rub dry, rather press or pat. Rinse skin properly.

2. Avoid baby wipes as even those for sensitive skin may contain ingredients that further irritate the skin – rather give a bum bath in the basin with clean water in nappy changes.

3. Treat the inflamed area with a nappy rash cream (preferably one that contains zinc). These creams are specifically formulated for treating inflammation.

4. Leave baby nappyless for a period of time – ideally outside, a little sunshine on the tender area is both soothing and helps with healing.

5. Ensure you only use nappy products that are breathable (porous).

6. In the event of the rash being very extreme or appearing infected (red spots form yellow heads or blisters), consult your practitioner as you may then need an antibacterial ointment.

THINGS TO REMEMBER IF USING CLOTH
– especially if there is nappy rash

1. Take care to change nappies more often – as soon as baby is wet, dont try stretch the time per nappy (it works out to about the same number of changes a day anyway).

2. Washing the skin rather than using wipes is quick and easy and better hygiene for babies skin.

3. Ensure you wash your nappies in hot water for this time (in case the rash is thrush related, the hot water helps sterilize).

4. Always ensure you are rinsing ALL the soap residue out (if your nappies harden on drying they probably still contain soap).

5. Use a fleece liner against babies skin to prevent the sensitive rash skin being in contact with wetness. It is not necessary as a norm but is good practice if baby is susceptible to rash (this works in disposables too)

♥ 3 of One-Size-Fits-All nappy Trial Packs worth R280 each
Each pack consists of:
2 OSFA nappies
1 PUL cover (of our new fabric range)
1 booster
1 liner
(total product value is R333)

AND

♥ 1 Traditional Kikoi wrap (baby carrier) worth R360

To enter you need to:
Comment below,(let us know if you saw them at the show or not)
AND do one of the following (or already be listed on one or all):

* Like us on Facebook / Follow on Twitter or register on the Earth Babies website to qualify.
(remember to let us know in the comment what username to look out for, so we can make a match)

* Retweets of this post, Comment on the related Facebook post and Blog posts mentioning Earth Babies Teething Necklaces (remember we need to be aware of the post) get extra entries

winners name will be drawn 30 September 2010
*South Africa only

You may also like to enter our competitions for:
an Amber Necklace
A Newborn nappy gift pack
ALSO enter

Then at 00:30 my wife, Tanja, decided to take a bath to see if it would help take away the contractions which were now coming about every 5 min. I decided to lie in bed and time the contractions just from hearing her breathing. At 12:45 I was out the bed and talking to her as they had jumped to every 3 min and seemed to be taking her breath away. As we were having a home birth, I decided to make us some cheese on toast and see how she felt after 30min in the bath. Well at 01:00 she was definitely in labour and I remembered Sharon (our Midwife) telling us that the second baby would come very fast. This speed scared me a little as I really wasn’t up for delivering my own baby. One thing I remember clearly was that while Tanja was eating her toast, whenever a contraction came it would fold her over and she would need to go on all fours breathing heavily.
I called our Doula and Midwife and told them I think this is it and the contractions are coming fast and strong. Then I called my parents to come and fetch Seth as we had decided it would be best in case he woke up in the heat of the new baby’s birth and wanted our attention. Tanja’s contractions then jumped to every 2 min and I felt like this was spinning way to fast. I mean our first child took a good day to enter this world. So while we waited for everyone to arrive I started to setup the birthing pool and Tanja began creating her altar.
Now I was excited and nervous as this was definitely happening, and my hands didn’t want to screw together the nuts for the pool, no matter how sternly I spoke to them about working correctly. My folks arrived first and I went to wake Seth up, who was fast asleep now. He was extremely understanding, especially for a 2 year old, and even said YAY when I told him the baby was coming. I took him to Tanja and he kissed her goodbye and when I put him in his car seat he was very calm and said goodbye to me with no issues.
A few minutes after my parents had left Andrea arrived and pretty much took over and helped Tanja by rubbing her back. I remember when Tanja went to the bathroom, Andrea said to me that she doesn’t think we will be able to fill the pool in time and we needed plan B (the mattress). I got the mattress down and Tanja came through feeling sick. Luckily Andrea was on the ball and quickly gave Tanja a bucket which she decided to fill a little. One thing Tanja said to me was that this was coming to fast and felt very intense, nothing like she remembered with Seth.
Shortly after that Sharon arrived (I think to all our relief) and moved Tanja to the mattress and onto all fours. I sat down in front of Tanja and tried to help her through her contractions although I felt like her body had taken over and there wasn’t much I could do except just be there. Before I knew it Tanja was feeling the baby crown and we were looking at the head slowly pushing out. Sharon did tell Tanja that this baby needed her to push and not to push in her throat but in her bum. From that point on Tanja seemed to take each contraction with a powerful force, breathing deeply and doing long hard pushes with deep moaning. Then at 2:38 our baby was born straight into my wife’s arms and a rush of emotions hit me, most of it shock at how quickly this had happened. My wife said, “And she is a girl!” and I remember we both looked at each other with pure love pouring out over our beautiful daughter.
From then on it felt like time was slow and thick. I drifted into clamping and cutting the cord and then entering the birthing pool to enjoy a few moments of peace. It was truly amazing just sitting in the warm water, listening to our welcoming music we had prepared and staring into the eyes of our new child.
I would seriously urge parents to look into a home birth as it was calm, magical and totally felt how natural birth should be. Every time I look into my lounge I see the area my perfect daughter was born into this world and loving emotions fill my heart.

Read Tanja’s story about Neve’s birth
and
Here is Tanja’s birth story about Seth’s Birth … Birthstory Friday: Seth – 18 days overdue and 4,15kg!

At 11:30 Seth woke up crying. I hadn’t really fallen asleep but had been dozing and gradually noticing my back was aching quite a bit, as it did with my braxton hicks most nights. Settling Seth down took a little while and once he was quiet again I told Daryn I was going to get a hot water bottle to try soothe my back a little. I climbed back in bed and was lying there and starting to breathe through my BH, again as I did most nights, to help ease them and practise for the actual birth. At this point the baby was extremely active and I took that as a bad sign for labour as I’d read babies are usually suppose to quieten down during labour.
Daryn finally asked if I was ok because I seemed to be having quite a few Braxton hicks, and I said I was actually feeling pretty uncomfortable, and I thought I might as well have a bath so if they went away I could at least get some sleep that night. Daryn said he thought it was a good idea because he’d been checking and it seemed the BH were about 5 minutes apart. We weren’t too worried, as they’d been that close before to no avail, but decided to go ahead with the bath.
So at about 12:30 I climbed in the bath, where Sharon our midwife had told us to stay for an hour to see if it was real labour or not. I told Daryn not to bother getting out of bed as I was sure the contractions would stop. I tried to read my book in the bath but quickly gave up as I couldn’t seem to get past the same few lines before having to breathe through another contraction.
After a few Daryn came through and said they seemed to coming faster since I got into the bath, and he asked how I was feeling. I said they were quite intense, but I still didn’t think this was the real thing and it might take some time for the water to work. Daryn timed the next few and said they seemed pretty regular to him at every 3 minutes and he really thought he should at least call the doula. I agreed and so he called Andrea. She said she was going to come right over and we should call Sharon too. I finally agreed because at this point the contractions were starting to feel quite intense and I didn’t want to be in the bath any more. I also felt like I wouldn’t be able to handle Seth if he woke up upset again, so I asked Daryn to call his parents to come and fetch him.
Daryn spoke to Sharon and she asked him to try go farming to see if I was dilating at all. So I got out the bath, but Daryn didn’t really have enough time to check between contractions and there was no way I could stay on my back through one. So he called Sharon back and organised his parents while I started trying to do things.
I kept being interrupted by contractions though and I was having to get down on my hands and knees to get through them. Daryn later told me once I got out the bath they were coming every 2 minutes. I managed to get dressed, stick on our celebration music and start getting my altar ready while Daryn was busy setting up the birthing pool. At some point my In-laws arrived to fetch Seth and I was suddenly mortified at the thought of having them see me go through a contraction, so at the first moment I had between contractions I high tailed it back to our bedroom. Daryn then brought Seth to say goodbye to me and he was just a star, he said hurrah for having a baby and gave me a big kiss and hug goodbye.
After they left I went to the kitchen because I wanted to start baking the birthday cake and I managed to start tumble drying some towels I’d put in the wash that evening, but I was finding I didn’t even have enough time to move from one room to another between contractions any more even. I was also finding I was having to moan to get through the contractions. At this point I started feeling like a real sissy…I thought I was just at the beginning of my labour which could potentially still continue for 12 or more hours, and here I was already struggling to get through contractions, I had no idea how I was going to make it.
Andrea arrived around this time and started trying to help me and Daryn at the same time. I was still trying to complete my altar but kept having to climb on the couch to get through a contraction. Andrea started rubbing my lower back through contractions and it actually felt wonderful, it was a great help. I made my way down to the bathroom and Andrea was concerned in case I was going to have the baby there. I told her not to worry, I really did need the loo because in my mind there was no way I was ready to have a baby. When I was on the loo I had a blood stained show, and told Andrea because she’d been asking about it earlier, and for some reason I completely dismissed it even though we had learnt it was usually a sign of transition.
Andrea helped me light the candles on my altar while I had some more contractions on the couch, I was struggling to catch my breath between contractions, it felt like they were all coming too quickly now and suddenly I needed to vomit. I was hanging onto the bucket when Sharon arrived and commented that she took it I wouldn’t be making my appointment later that day.
She asked me to get on the mattress, which had been set up, between contractions so she could try see what was going on. She then told me to reach down and have a feel of the baby’s head, which was amazing, I could feel the hair on the top the head because it seems my water had broken some time, although we have no idea when.
I was on my hands and knees and Sharon started checking how the baby was. After trying to find the heartbeat she spoke to me and said the baby seemed to be stuck and wasn’t very happy, so I needed to reassure her and push as hard as I could to try help her. Strangely I felt very calm about it and with the next contraction I started pushing. The heartbeat picked up again and she got happier with each push.
I was doing 2 or 3 pushes with each contraction but it took me a couple reminders not to push in my face and throat. It was really strange, I can’t remember feeling the same sensations when I was birthing Seth, I could feel the baby moving down and slipping back up with each push. Suddenly there was a big movement and I felt the head move past my tailbone and start crowning. I could also feel the baby trying to move about. The sensations were very intense, but pushing did feel good. It took a couple more pushes and between pushes I reached down to feel my baby’s head. Suddenly the head was out, the body followed really quickly and I had my baby in my hands.
I couldn’t believe it; I was holding a tiny little girl. She was born at 2:38 am on the 16th Feb 2010, after about 2 and a half hours of labour!
Sharon had to suction her a little and we blew in her face a little and waited for her to come into her body. After I spent a little time with her we handed her over to her Dad so I could birth the placenta. It came really quickly and then Sharon asked if she could check me as I had torn a little while the baby was being born. The tear wasn’t bleeding and didn’t seem to bad, which was great.
After that we all got in the birthing pool together and let our little girl float in the water for a while. Andrea put on our welcome songs and then she and Sharon left us alone with our little girl, and we all gazed into each other’s eyes.
Sharon in the meantime spoke to my gynae who said there was no need for me to be admitted, I could just pop into his rooms early and he would do the stitches there and just charge us a normal consult.
Then Sharon and Andrea settled us all in bed together and said they would meet us in the morning at the gynae’s rooms. And they left…
It was all so quick I’m still processing it, and all completely opposite from Seth’s birth, from the length, to my progression, to the baby’s weight and gender!

Read Daryn’s story (a dad’s story) about Neve’s birth
and
Here is Tanja’s birth story about Seth’s Birth … Birthstory Friday: Seth – 18 days overdue and 4,15kg!

Having a newborn baby, especially your first but even subsequent babies, are a lot of adjustment and change one’s world completely. One thing you do not want to worry about is a nappies.

The problem with cloth nappies and the newborn stage is that unless you get a specific newborn nappy size any cloth nappies even One-size-fits-all nappies are going to be very bulky on a new baby.

For cloth nappies and newborn I think you have 3 options:

1. Buy a nappy specially made to fit the new born stage.

   If you are very concerned about the environment and do not want to use disposables at all but would like a nappy that fits for the newborn phases then I would buy a nappy made specifically for that age. We have the Earth Babies Newborn Nappies and the Stegi small which will see you through this stage. It is more costly to buy the newborn stage but if you have more than 1 child they last very well or can be give on to friends or sold in our preloved section. Be prepared that these nappies are not going to last all that long but it is like buying newborn or 0-3 clothes you know that they are not going to wear them for all that long but at least they will fit well. Depending on what size your baby was at birth you can get anything from 6-8 weeks out of your newborn nappies. If you are expecting a big baby it may not be worth getting newborn nappies.

1. Buy disposables for the first stage while you get used to having a new baby and while they grow a bit so they can fit their cloth nappies better. They can then use Earth Babies Medium, Mother Nature one size fits all, Earth Babies one size fits all, Stegi medium, Bio Baba medium. We now have some new eco disposables in stock so you can use disposables and be kind to the environment

2. Buy one size fits all nappies which are said to be birth to potty and just deal with them being a little big and bulky at first. It really does not last long and before you know it they fit really well. It is a bit like putting a newborn in 3-6 month clothes but the savings can be well worth enduring the extra bulky.

Hope this helps you decide what to do with your newborn and cloth nappies. I used cloth from the beginning for both of mine and will have them ready for the 3^rd one next year, they have also been used by a few friends too, so have certainly done there bit.

♥♥WIN  Newborn Trail Nappy Pack♥♥

In order to win it you need to comment below AND do one of the following (or already be listed on one or all):

Like us on Facebook / Follow on Twitter or register on the Earth Babies website to qualify.
(remember to let us know in the comment what username to look out for, so we can make a match)

Retweets of this post, Comment on the related Facebook post and Blog posts mentioning Earth Babies Cloth Nappies (remember we need to be aware of the post) get extra entries

South African Entries only
winners name will be drawn 25  September 2010

The prize consist of:

2 newborn Earth Babies Nappies,

1 booster,

1 reusable fleece liner

1 newborn waterproof, in one of our new waterproofs which you can choose from 7 new lovely colours ( Pink, Blue, Lavender, Sage, Butter, Seafoam and white)

and for the competition we are adding 5 newborn eco disposables for 2-4kg to try.

If you don’t have a new baby enter for a friend or as a baby shower gift

]]> http://blog.earthbabies.co.za/cloth-nappies-and-newborns-are-the-2-compatible/feed/ 3 http://blog.earthbabies.co.za/what-is-amber/ http://blog.earthbabies.co.za/what-is-amber/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:57:01 +0000 Barb http://blog.earthbabies.co.za/?p=945

What is Amber?
AMBER is fossilized resin (not tree sap) from certain kinds of trees (a few conifers and angiosperms). Most of the world’s amber ranges from 30-90 million years old. Semi-fossilized resin or sub-fossil amber is known as copal. It occurs in the southern regions of Northern Europe (Scandinavia and area close to the Baltic sea bed). Although it is not mineralized it is often referred to as a gemstone.

Baltic amber (known as succinite) is an organic substance known and sought after for its unique qualities. It is the only fossil resin containing 3 to 8% succinic acid, which is a multi-purpose therapeutic substance.

Resin was produced by the tree to protect itself from disease and injury caused by insects and fungi by sealing and healing the wounds of a tree (such as a broken branch). This was the origin of the belief that it holds healing energy (pre-scientific research)!

Originally the word Amber meant Baltic Amber (which accounts for 80% of the world’s amber and according to scientists is a fossil pine resin from that region that through oxidation attained a stable state). However according to the process of how amber is formed, other ‘amber’ varieties have since been traced in different parts of the world. Although more than 125 types of fossil resins are known in the world (Europe, America & some in Asia), these resins are not amber but its relatives and each have their own name.

In appearance, some amber is clear and others contain ‘debris’ within the bead – these foreign particles (insects, foliage, flora, seeds and feathers), referred to as the “fire” in the gem, are natural and these inclusions give each piece a unique personality.
The colour of amber varies quite dramatically – it can vary from crystal clear transparency to completely opaque with colours ranging from white, yellow, dark brown to less common ones such as red, green, bluish, grey and black amber – it can also occur in 2 or more colours intermixed.
Amber is one of the earliest gems used in jewellery and talismans. It’s energy is often referred to as being like liquid sunshine. It is always temperate to the touch (unlike stone which is cold) and is said to enhance the beauty of the wearer. Light and comfortable to wear, it is not an irritant to the skin.

Amber Teething Necklace

How does it work?
There have been many studies (still ongoing) on the beneficial characteristics of amber and there are three main philosophies:

The first being that when in contact with skin, body heat causes the amber to release microscopic amounts of healing oils (succinic acid) which are then absorbed via the skin into the bloodstream.
The anti-inflammatory and curative properties of amber are recognized by allopathic (conventional) medicine. Doctors and pharmacists have long been familiar with the healing properties of amber which include calmative, pain-relief, antispasmodic, expectorant, and fever relief functions.

A second more commonly known theory is based on the concept of energy (similar to the copper bracelets worn for arthritis).
Scientific findings have shown that amber is electromagnetically alive and carries a substantial charge of organic energy. Wearing amber produces negative ionization on the skin’s surface (this is its significant attribute, that it is electronegative) which in turn, has a positive affect on the human body. The negative ions assist in the prevention of illness. These health-promoting effects apply to babies, children and adults alike.

The third school of thought which has been derived through empirical observation (practical experience and not merely theory) is that the soothing and calming characteristics of amber is a combination of the factors listed in the first two theories.

How do I know if it is real Baltic Amber?
All amber stones sold through Earth Babies are authentic, natural Baltic amber.
They are not artificial, plastic, synthetic, reconstituted or substitute for amber. In every batch bought we randomly test 1 in every 10 received.

A simple home tests to see if amber is genuine
Amber when rubbed vigorously against or in a natural material such as silk, cotton or wool will become heavily charged with static electricity and will be able to attract/lift light particles such as small pieces of paper or hair. Copal (what is commonly confused as amber) does not become static when rubbed. Another indication through this process of rubbing (or heating) is that Amber may have a faint resinous fragrance while copal could actually begin to soften and become sticky.
Amber used to be called Electron by the ancient Greeks specifically because of this static electricity.

READ MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS & USES OF AMBER (such as teething necklaces)

Benefits of Amber:
♥ Acts as a mild natural analgesic (pain reliever).
♥ An excellent natural antibiotic.
♥ Soothes both emotional and physical – and can calm an irritable and niggly child.
♥ Boosts immune system and general wellness.
♥ Reduces inflammation of the gums, ears, stomach and throat.
♥ Useful in treating bacterial infections (and acne).
♥ Fights inflammation, infections & respiratory disease. (throat infections, bronchial disorders, joint pain, asthma, respiratory disease, stomach infections, rheumatism, earache.)
♥ Acts as a protective shield against radiation (x-rays, sun, technology)
♥ It helps post-operatively with tissue regeneration, scar tissue and helps to prevent secondary infections.
♥ Good for success, abundance, healing, vitality and joy (Enhances patience, love, strength, knowledge, correct choices, wisdom, calmness and healing).
♥ Balances, purifies and energizes body and mind (Great for absent-mindedness, depression, stress and nerves)
♥ Excellent detoxification – treats and aids the function of the abdomen, bladder, blood, eyes, kidney, stomach, spleen, tissue revitalization, throat, liver and gallbladder.

Features of the Earth Babies beads:
- Softly rounded, irregular, pure Baltic Amber beads
- Twist clasp closing (plastic)
- Strong thread, individually knotted between each bead.
- Length: 33 cm
- Bead size: 4×5x6mm to 10×7x5mm

EB mixed amber

Safety of teething necklaces:
One of the most common parental concerns with teething necklaces is whether it is a choking hazard.
The necklace is made from strong silk string and the claps it plastic – this means that though it is durable, if it gets caught on something & baby pulls away it would snap.
There is a knot after every bead so that if the necklace breaks only one bead will fall off.
Beads are non-toxic, light and small so if swallowed, it would pass through easily.

How should it be used:
Teething necklaces are not for baby to chew on and are not a teething toy – the benefit are from wearing amber in direct contact with the skin.
The necklace may be worn from two months and up (for as long as it fits).
Whether to remove or not is up to parent’s discretion. Some put it on and leave it on 24/7 for 2+ years others remove it for sleeping, bathing or if baby is unattended.
Amber summary:
- It is fossilized matter which has taken millions of years to form from tree resin.
- It comes in many colours and shade variations the most common are cognac, honey, lemon yellow, ivory and cream/yellow.
- Amber is an organic substance.
- Did you know? The biggest deposits are located below the Baltic sea and the easiest and oldest way to obtain Amber is by collecting it on the beach where the stones have been washed out by waves during storms.

WHAT IS AMBER? – READ MORE AND SEE DETAILS ON HOW TO WIN AN AMBER TEETHING NECKLACE

ALTT Creations is a family business, and each member contributes to the creation of each critter. There is the mommy ALTT, who is primary designer and creator; there is daddy ALTT, who is assistant designer, quality control, and critique; and last but not least there are 2 junior ALTTs who are quality control and critiques.

To win this beautiful characterful felted rattle specially created for our Earth Babies readers leave a comment below and tell us what you would name him.

name me and ♥ me

To view her critters & teddies visit her portfolio
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Lee-ann sells premade or custom orders contact her at alttcreations@hotmail.com

LOOK OUT FOR 2 COMPETITIONS STARTING THIS WEEK FOR NEW EARTH BABIES PRODUCTS

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