Natural Teethers for Natural Babies

I probably spend too much time cruising the internet- I like to think that most of it is research based... but I also totally dig internet shopping. And I love getting mail, which is a dangerous combination. During my internet travels, I stumbled upon several different types of nursing necklaces. A nursing necklace is worn by the Mama (or Papa!) and is used to entertain and refocus distractible babies during nursing, bottle nursing, diaper changes, baby wearing etc... Some were made of silicone, some beaded, some wooden. I ended up purchasing a wooden one because (and this might be the Lorax in me) I honestly feel really good about wood- things that grow from the ground can do no wrong! I like the fact that it is natural, chemical free, sustainable and ascetically pleasing. Rowan is a huge fan- he loves tugging on it, chewing it, and playing with it while he nurses. It's nice because when he starts to pull my hair/pinch/bite me, I can redirect him to the necklace.

I tend to have a chronic case of "I could totally make that!!!" when I see something completely awesome . I have become such a huge fan of this necklace that we decided to try our hand at making our own- with great success! We decided to use maple wood because it has a nice feel to it. I was able to get some locally sourced maple at Hammond Lumber. We've made a few tiny ones for nursing necklaces and are going to make some larger rings that would just serve as teethers. This is my first woodworking project and I love it! I love the smell of the wood as it is being cut and sanded. Sanding with an electric sander is also very cool- it's time consuming but the hum of the sander and the turning of the teether as I sand it kind of creates a meditative atmosphere.

I've also learned that beeswax makes an excellent natural protectant/sealer so I might give that a go. I am thinking about adding them to our Etsy line up soon : ) I'm also thinking about making some beaded nursing necklaces too (these are NOT for teething, just for playing with while Mama or Papa wears it). I want to get some locally made glass beads- I'm going to approach some glass artists that we know but if you are reading this and know someone let me know : )