One Mum's Story: Meredith Marshall

My first husband died 4 years ago and I was left a widow at 33 with 3 boys to bring up on my own. As my late husband was involved in the jewellery industry I decided to work with the contacts I had in the industry and set up an on-line jewellery store. One of the products I was asked for on this site was amber. This inquiry then lead me on an extraordinary fact finding mission which taught me about the amazing therapeutic and healing properties of amber and in particular amber teething necklaces.

Whilst on this journey I met a wonderful man on an online dating site and we married 1 year after meeting. Since then we have had 2 boys – and now have a tribe of 5 boys. I remembered the teething process for my first 3 boys was horrific (they suffered terribly with every symptom – temperatures, nappy rash, drooling, red swollen cheeks... and the list goes on). I was keen to try the amber teething necklaces instead of over-the-counter pain killers. The results have been amazing. Our two year old had 8 teeth by 6 months and he didn't suffer like his brothers. Similarly, our now 7 month old is currently teething and he continues with no symptoms.

The demand for the amber teething necklaces has grown so I have created a niche website called amberbebe.com which provides mothers with a natural alternative for teething relief.

The other products available on amberbebe.com are amber breastfeeding bracelets and necklaces, so something for mum as well.

Amber - why? Amber provides many therapeutic benefits, one of which is natural pain relief. When amber is placed next to your skin, the warmth of your body releases healing oils, which are then absorbed through the skin into the blood stream. The active ingredient in Baltic amber is succinic acid, which was originally a resin produced by plants 40 – 50 million years ago. In nature the resin would have been used by the tree as a natural antibiotic against infection, viruses and physical attack. The tree would use the resin like a plaster or wound dressing. Now the resin has been fossilised, its healing properties have been captured in the resin which are released once the amber has been warmed. Nobel-prize winner Robert Koch (1886) was the pioneer of modern bacteriology proved that succinic acid has a very positive influence on the human body.

The Baltic Amber Breast Feeding Necklace is the ideal gift for mothers. In addition to the therapeutic aspects of having Baltic amber near the breast during feeding, which may help to reduce inflammation, tenderness and mastitis, the Baltic amber breastfeeding necklace is a simple and attractive way to maintain your child's attention. Baby learns to hold and play with the necklace during the feeding experience which helps him/her to relax and to feed longer. As baby grows they will begin to recognise the necklace and associate it with feeding and the comfort of mum. An Amber Breastfeeding Bracelet conveniently provides a babies feeding information to the mother on one wrist, eliminating the hassles of keeping a nursing journal and struggling to swap safety pins from side to side.

Baltic amber teething necklaces are made to be worn by teething children to provide them with natural pain relief from teething symptoms. The Baltic amber teething necklace has been designed to ensure the safety of your child by knotting before & after each bead, so in the event that the necklace does break (it will break if excessive force is applied) only one bead will come off and the remaining beads will stay intact. The clasp is made from an amber/plastic, with a plastic screw mechanism. The clasp is laboratory tested to release if excessive force is applied to the necklace, which ensures the highest safety. Unlike traditional clasps used on children’s necklaces (parrot clasp and ring) which do not release, they rely on the ring or necklace breaking to release. They are ideal for both boys and girls to wear

Every amber teething necklace has been hand-crafted by Baltic amber specialists with generations of experience who carefully polish and softly round the Baltic amber beads. Unlike cheaper amber 'chips', amberbebe.com uses rounded polished beads, which lay comfortably against baby's skin. This allows maximum skin contact and gives added comfort to your child.

The learning process of running my own business and being challenged to learn new skills, if you don't no one will do it for you, unless you are willing to pay for it. I like to learn the skill myself and then decide if I can manage the skill or am best outsourcing it. I also enjoy the creativity side of the business which constantly stretches my imagination and pushes me to think differently.

I find that running my own business with a family requires military precision and LONG hours after the kids go to bed and self sacarifies. My husband is the web/computer master, so when he returns home from his full-time work in the afternoon I usually have a mountain of work for him to focus on once we have managed the boys bath, feeding and of course the all important homework!

My advice to anyone out there who may be thinking about starting their own business is to make sure they have the correct coverage for your brand with trademarks, copyright and product insurance and never be afraid to spend time on the phone talking to people about your business instead of emailing.

To learn more about Meredith and her discovery of the healing properties of amber visit www.amberbebe.com.

Courtesy of Amberbebe.com.

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