NATURAL REMEDIES
I am thankful we never had to go to the doctor with Sparrow as a wee babe, nor with Phoenix in his first year. Today Sparrow is nearly 6 years old & we have always been able to approach any situations naturally without panicking or rushing off to the doctor. We did her routine wellness checkups throughout the first year and yearly milestone checkups after she was 1 year old, but we never had anything serious to deal with that we weren't able to address at home with natural remedies, rest and prayer. She had colds, fevers, an occasional earache, constipation, etc.
We aren't the type that runs to the doctor at every sniffle or fever. We know the body is created to grow in strength to fight these things off. We know fevers are a good thing—it's the body's way of killing an intruder. We knew how to monitor her & we were ready to take her in if needed, but it never ended up serious. We also know there isn't much a doctor can do for these things & with the wealth of information that's available on the internet (do thorough research), it's best to treat at home first. In fact doctors and research will tell you, antibiotics are wrongfully administered every day for things they actually do not treat. My own doctor's office has a large poster stating this!
If you are keen to approach things more holistically, here are a few helpful suggestions that helped us.
Conjunctivitis (especially with newborns)
This is when you notice one or both eyes have regular goop in them. This number one remedy is so easy.
Breastmilk!
Believe it or not! It's amazing. God made it packed full of antibodies and healing properties. Not only is it the best nutritious drink for baby because your body tailor makes it for him or her, but it heals up all sorts of ailments.
When baby #1 had conjunctivitis after birth (and a few times when she was nearer to one year old), breastmilk healed it within a day or two.
How: express a few drops into each of baby's eyes while they are laying down. They will blink and some will roll down their cheeks, but enough will come into contact with their eye that the healing will still take effect. Do this 3x a day until the eyes are healed.
If it's a really stubborn case of conjunctivitis, dab colloidal silver with a cotton ball around the baby's forehead and eyes. You can put a small amount directly in the eyes if you wish.
With baby #1, breastmilk always worked quickly. With baby #2, one eye was healed with breastmilk while the other didn't. So I just dabbed the silver around the eye area and the issue resolved in a day. I was so frustrated I hadn't tried it sooner!
Colic
This is incessant (more than normal crying or discomfort). There is a mix of things you can do. Try avoiding dairy to see if that is the culprit (babies are unable to digest milk proteins so you might as well kiss dairy goodbye for the first couple of months and see if there is an improvement. If that doesn't help, drink herbal teas that will be pass along into your milk supply to help baby, give baby a couple drops of gripe water, see a physiotherapist who specializes in seeing babies. They can do gentle adjustments to make sure baby is in alignment. This blogger shares more ideas!
Ear Aches
Basil oil is the recommended oil of earache/ear infection, among others. Why give your young child harmful antibiotics if an oil will do? Research shoes that antibiotics DO NOT heal earaches. It took my daughter's ache away almost immediately. Dilute and rub around ears. If child allows you, put oil on cotton ball and place in ear for awhile so vapor is released into ear. There have been many testimonies about this working efficiently. Worth considering! Warning** Never drop oils into the ear canal.
Eczema
Baby #1 and myself have had small bouts of eczema from time to time. The last time Sparrow had this on her stomach I used coconut oil. Within three days it was noticeably smaller and faded. By the end of the week it was gone. I can't recall what oils I have used for it in the past.
Congestion
ln cases of colds and the congestion that can accompany them, diffusing oils in the bedroom at night for the child is very beneficial. Do your research on which oils are OK at what age. There is contradictory advice out there. Here are some suggestions. We also used sleepy time oil when our child was sick to help promote relaxation. Young Living makes Gentle Baby & Hello Melba makes Sleep Sweetly. When they are 9 months and up, I would rub (diluted) Thieves or On Guard on the bottom of their feet 1-2 x a day for a couple days.
For more, check on my post on the Basics of Essential Oils here!
A guide to safe use for babies can be found here.
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