Nursing necklaces are simply a necklace or piece of jewelry that can be worn by moms with small children.
At around the age of 3 or 4 months, babies start to notice their surroundings more, and they often like to pinch, scratch, poke, and yank on hair while breastfeeding or bottle feeding. When babies reach this age, many moms also find their favorite jewelry gets yanked and broken, and all the beads go clattering to the floor.
These necklaces are designed to be interesting and fun for little hands while strong enough to be tugged and yanked. They also provide something fun and pretty to grab without hurting you.

But most of all, these necklaces are meant to be nice enough to be worn just as jewelry for its own sake. You do not have to have a baby of nursing age to enjoy these necklaces as jewelry, and in fact, I design each piece with the hope that it will be enjoyed long after baby has grown up. Many of my customers don't have children at all.

All of my "nursing necklaces" are tested for strength and interest by my daughter and son.

Nursing necklaces would make a great baby shower gift for the new-mother, or for a visiting auntie or grandmother as well!

Please note: Nursing necklaces should not be used as teethers or toys, nor should they be left alone with an infant or toddler, as the beads are a choking hazard and the cord is a strangulation hazard.

They are not toys, nor should a child be allowed to bite on them - even if your baby doesn't yet have teeth! They are designed to be stronger than most necklaces, so that tugging and yanking won't snap them easily, but the beads are glass, not plastic, and they have not been designed to be chewed on! Remember that even a toothless smile can apply enough pressure to break a bead.
Please use common sense with your jewelry.

What's the difference between a nursing necklace and a regular necklace?

There's really nothing specific about a nursing necklace, technically, other than it's durability.

The necklaces that I call nursing necklaces are simply necklaces that are constructed very strong, so that there's no part that would break off or snap even when wildly yanked. (That is not to say these pieces are completely indestructable, and they should never be used as teething rings for a small child. Beads can and do break on a teething baby- I've seen some amazing strength in those baby gums, even when there's no tooth to chomp. I have even heard stories of babies managing to break solid pieces of metal, so these necklaces should not be confused with the colorful plastic toys at your local kid store!)

There are many sellers of nursing necklaces online that sell work which implies that babies will be unlikely to notice a piece of jewelry unless it is "colorful" and looks like a toy. It has been my experience, however, that my children always preferred things that were more adult - as illustrated by the dozens of times I spent hours trying to locate what they did with my car keys while their colorful plastic ones sat ignored in their toy box. I suspect the plastic ones are born out of the idea that teeny infants see bright colors better, but infants at that stage haven't yet reached an age where nursing necklaces come into play. Nursing necklaces worn by mothers of infants before the age of about 3-4 months are really purely ornamental, as is all jewelry. That is why I try to make all of my nursing necklaces something that is beautiful and will be enjoyed by everyone, not just baby. And indeed, many of my customers buy the loop-style necklaces constructed as nursing necklaces without ever intending to use them for their "functional" purpose.

About the length of the necklaces:

For nursing necklaces, each pendant is strung according to the customer's desired length at the time of purchase.
This is to remove the need for extensions, which will make the necklace less sturdy.
My necklaces are not adjustable - so far I have found that most necklaces of this kind that claim to be "adjustable" turn out to be hanging from a cord with a slip-knot tied on the end - I use large easy to use lobster claw clasps on my work.

My pieces have several tension points and many of them are designed to slide around on the cord to keep some of the tension down. (It also had a very calming effect on my daughter to be able to play with it in this way, without driving me as crazy as when the whole necklace yanked on my neck)

Because of this, I ask that when you order a necklace from me, please let me know how low you'd like the loop to hang so I can adjust the length of the cord.

More information on customization options