As any parent knows, teething can be an absolute nightmare. Both of my sons have dribbled from an early age, although at 7 months they are only just beginning to cut their first teeth.

When visiting my brother one day, I noticed that his son was wearing a necklace. He explained that it was a teething necklace and that his son was cutting his molars. The necklace was recommended by a friend of his from New Zealand, where they have apparently been used for years. Once his son started wearing it, he went from waking four times a night, to sleeping through once again and his teeth didn't cause him any more problems.

I thought that at £6.99, anything was worth a try! I bought them for my boys and they have worn them ever since. From a few hours after I put them on, I noticed a change in their behaviour. For want of a better word, they were much more chilled. Yesterday I noticed that one of my older twin's bottom teeth is just breaking the surface, but he has shown none of the usual teething signs. It's hard to say whether that is how he would have been without the necklace, but I'm not going to take it off and find out!

Teething necklaces are made from amber, a naturally occuring resin which has pain relieving properties. The necklaces are made from strong thread and are knotted between each bead so that if it broke only one bead would escape. The beads are too small to be a choking hazard and the necklaces are too short to be chewed. In fact, neither of the boys has ever shown any sign of knowing that they have got anything around their neck! They fasten with a secure screw clasp.

If you research these necklaces, you will probably come across a site which says that they are not suitable for children under three- seems a bit daft to me to market something as a teething necklace and not recommend it for the age group that needs it! As I said, my children have worn these since they were tiny and my nephew from about 12 months. They all wear them constantly including in the bath and at night and they seem to be doing some good. They look cute too!