Simple Health

Well, our nights have kept going downhill...last night I was up googling 'whooping cough', 'croup', 'when to take your baby to the ER'...it was a little scary! I "slept" in Jude's room all night (quotations are very purposeful), and we did a few applications of garlic salve, a lot of singing and shushing, and a few sauna sessions in a steamy bathroom (that would be a sexy thought if a baby wasn't involved. Although...if a baby wasn't involved, it may result in a baby being involved...).

He still had a crummy cough this morning, so we went ahead and went to urgent care. Which, can we note, is never very urgent. I haven't quite figured that out. You could tell the doctor was thrilled to be there (ha.) and thought I was probably just bringing in a baby with a cold. Once he did a check up, he quickly changed his attitude, and with a negative strep test, all signs point to spasmodic croup. It's basically croup brought on by allergies, so it comes and goes. This is consistent with what we've been talking with his pediatrician about...we just don't know what allergens are affecting him (other than corn dust when we were in Iowa).

This is pretty common for us with both boys - go to the doctor just to be sure nothing more is going on, get that confirmed, and then back home to treat on our own. Their type of allergies (you can check out this page for more info) are actually pretty rare, and the majority of doctors we talk to either have never heard of them, or are vaguely familiar. Diagnosing Graham took 2 years! We carry a letter specifically for medical professionals so we can explain what it is and why we have to be careful with treatment. They are allergic to most medications and vaccinations (due to ingredients) so it can be a delicate dance.

All of that got me thinking...while our boys' health is complicated, our treatments are actually quite simple. Having to deal with a lot of it on our own has led us to find some great at-home treatments, and you don't have to spend a lot of money for them either! Things like essential oils and tinctures and salves can be overwhelming at first; I thought I would share a few of our tried-and-true remedies here!

Please note two things: 1) make sure to get high quality essential oils, especially if applying to skin, and always dilute if applying to skin. 2) I'm not a medical professional, so please just take these as a 'what worked for us' post. 

If you want to start a basic 'kit', these are really the things we use most.

• lavender oil
• eucalyptus oil
• peppermint oil
• Theives oil
• clove oil
• coconut oil
• apple cider vinegar
• garlic
• onions
• a diffuser

Some combination of these can usually help to treat most of our 'common' ailments. Here are a few we use often:

For general coughs/colds:

• -eucalyptus oil diluted with coconut oil. Rub on the chest and soles of the feet (like Vicks, but better!)
• -especially if viral, rub diluted Theives on the spine. Most viruses live on the spine, and this helps to dissipate it and strengthen the immune system. I am always amazed at how well this works!
• use Thieves in coconut oil as a 'lotion' for the hands - it's antiviral so will protect better than hand sanitizer!
• -for kids old enough to drink water out of a cup: add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar + honey to their water to break up a cough
• -get garlic in them in any way possible! We make a garlic salve (that smells, um...pungent.) to rub on the chest, back and feet for coughs (been using this today a lot!). Fresh garlic on buttered toast, sautéed kale with garlic, soup with garlic...basically get.it.in.them. It's a natural antibiotic and the more the better!
• diluted peppermint oil rubbed on the temples to help with headaches
• lavender and eucalyptus oils diffused

Earaches/teething:

• -diluted lavender oil rubbed behind the ears
• -heat coconut oil with fresh crushed garlic, strain and let cool so it won't burn, then drop into the ear
• -put onions in their socks (weird, I know!) or in compresses on their ears
• -diluted (VERY diluted, as clove oil is strong) clove oil directly on the gums for teething pain
• I'm currently making a teething tincture with safflower oil, chamomile flowers, willow bark, clove and peppermint oil

Upset stomachs/gas:

• -diluted peppermint oil rubbed on the soles of the feet and on the stomach directly 
• -not on the 'list' but Kids Calm is a magnesium supplement that has been a Godsend for us. You put 1/4 tsp in hot water and let it fizz, then add to their bottle. Magnesium helps the intestines do what they are supposed to do...it's the only thing that has consistently worked for Jude!
• -warm (not hot) chamomile tea

This is far from a comprehensive list, and I'm constantly learning more. This book I picked up at an Amish house near my parents has been really helpful for us - the author is a midwife and has 9 children of her own, 8 of which had food intolerances...so it's right up my ally. I can't vouch for everything in the book, but the general remedies have been extremely helpful. 

Jude fell asleep quite easily tonight, so I'm hoping for a more peaceful rest. We have a humidifier going with lavender oil, he has garlic salve all over him, there's a cut onion sitting in his room, and I gave him the one kind of pain reliever he isn't allergic to - Advil brand baby, white grape flavor. Here's to learning new things, REST, and the makers of Advil, because I love them.

Do you have any other tried and true home remedies? I'd love to hear them!!