← Go Green, Get Fit: Week #3 Recap – Time off Winner: Funky Monkey Snacks →

In the last few weeks, Monkey has become easily distracted…at well, everything. He is to that age where he is exploring the world and learning oh so much. We like to call him The Thinker or The Philosopher, because he is literally always….thinking. This is great, however, it means that he never wants to focus on the boring things…like eating. Yes, eating has become boring to him now. Instead of breastfeeding contently (like he used to) he’d much rather explore the cavities of my face, try to pull out my eyeballs, and yank on my hair.

I pretty much have to feed him in a dark quiet room now, laying down, if I want a nursing session to be productive. This usually works because it takes us away from other people, sites, and sounds…but my face, hair, and jewelry is still there, calling for him to play with, explore, and maybe even take a nibble. (Have I mentioned how much he’s teething lately? This kid chews on EVERYTHING. Poor thing.)

Enter Chewbeads. Chewbeads were started by a mom when her son constantly kept chewing on her necklaces. So, she decided to create a safe attractive necklace option for moms to wear. Mom gets to wear a fun, funky necklace (or bracelet), while baby can safely play or chew with it! I had heard of Chewbeads in the past as they have come highly recommended to me from other blogs that I follow. In fact, when The Husband and I were in Ann Arbor a few weeks ago, we stopped into Elephant Ears (awesome store by the way) and I saw some Chewbeads hanging out at the register. I, of course, had to put MY hands all over them and quickly exclaimed “OH, so THIS is what they feel like! I want one!” I wasn’t able to purchase one right then, but when Chewbeads later offered for me to try out one of their necklaces, I got so excited!

This thing is great! The color is bright and vibrant, and Monkey loves playing with it! The best thing about the necklace is that it keeps him focused on something while eating. When Monkey is having a particularly distracted day, I put on the necklace, lay down to nurse him and he feeds while playing with the necklace in his hand. He absolutely loves it! And, when he’s not eating, he loves to chew on the beads. He currently has his second top tooth coming through and ohmygosh that gum is so swollen. I really think this necklace helps him to feel a bit better.

What exactly are the necklaces (and bracelets!) made of? 100% silicone! Just like those silicone pacifiers and nipples you can get. This means they are completely safe for baby. No gross chemicals like BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Cadmium, or Lead. Did you know that many of our necklaces that we wear contain lead?  Other benefits of Chewbeads include the following (Taken from chewbeads.com):

• Soft on babies gums and emerging teeth
• Easily cleaned with dish soap & water, also dishwasher safe!
• Necklaces have a breakaway clasp for added safety
• Bracelets are a colorful reminder of which side you’ve just nursed

My overall thoughts

The Chewbeads brand makes a wonderful product for both momma and baby. I love that these necklaces and bracelets come in such a variety of styles and colors – there is sure to be one that every mom will love! I also love that they look great layered together (I’m seriously itching to buy another necklace to go with my Jane.) The feel of the necklace was different than I had imagined – even though I knew it was made of silicone, I guess I thought it would feel less sturdy than it did. The beads are soft enough to chew on, yet tough enough that they don’t just squish. Monkey absolutely loves both chewing and playing with the necklace. I’ll admit, while we were out to dinner one night, it was tempting for me to just take the necklace off and hand it to him to play, but I had to remember that these are made for moms to wear… so keeping safety in mind, I kept it around my neck.  Chewbeads are a wonderful product for any mom with a young baby – it would make a great shower gift!

Are you interested in trying out one of these necklaces or bracelets? Head on over to the Chewbeads website to check out all of the styles and colors and pick up one for yourself! You can also search for a retail partner near you.

Follow Chewbeads on Facebook

Follow Chewbeads on Twitter

Shop Chewbeads

Chewbeads Safety Features

Retail Partners

Have you tried out Chewbeads before? Let me know what you think! I’m personally thinking of purchasing the Hudson necklaces.

Disclaimer: Chewbeads provided me with one necklace for this review. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own.  

Posted on July 12, 2012 by thecrunchywife

This entry was posted in baby, Breastfeeding, Everyday Green, Product Reviews, Teething, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.