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As a first time mom, the thought of my child getting sick frightened me. I honestly didn’t know very much of what I was going to do about it rather than Tylenol and ibuprofen and children’s cough syrups. My first child got his first fever on his birthday, poor thing. I immediately ran to the store for Tylenol and dosed that kid up as best as I could. I had no idea what I should have on hand when my child was sick.
I’ve been there, mama. During the middle of C0v1d outbreak (it hit our school in January of 2022), my 18-month old child got a cold the worst out of all of us. Due to the way his body is, the poor little dude had ear infection after ear infection. We went on three rounds of antibiotics, he wasn’t getting good rest, could hardly breathe, and I had shed so many tears.
When the doctor prescribed a fourth round of antibiotics, the morning I gave him some he threw up within 15 minutes of it. I called his doctor and she said he probably could have the stomach flu. She thought it would be unrelated. We waited 24 hours, I gave him the round again, and sure enough, within 15 minutes he threw up. At this point I had had enough.
Desperate for something different, I started doing some deeper research. I just knew we couldn’t do antibiotics again. I walked into the first natural food store I’ve ever entered that afternoon. After a very long talk with a lady behind the counter, I walked out of the store armed with some of the best remedies, some encouragement, and a tiny bit of confidence on this “new journey”.
My Background…
I have some what of a nursing background. I was in nursing school for three semesters before I ran out of money and came home. Two classes during those semesters that really helped me with my future as a mom were pharmacology and nutrition class. I say those because they taught me how to read ingredient labels and check for dosing. Between that and my drug guide, I have been very confident about what to look for in a good medicine.
Things have changed, though. I don’t think I would ever call myself a holistic or crunchy mom. I have learned, though, that the holistic community has science to back up a lot of their claims. Unfortunately, in the medical industry, there were so many things I never learned—things like food dyes and added sugars to most modern cough syrups—that the holist community taught me.
I do follow some holistic accounts on Instagram and they have been so helpful. I want to give a shout out to them, because honestly, they have taught me so much about taking care of sick children and what to look for in medicines. They have given me that extra bit of confidence, and encouraged me to go with my gut. I just wanted to make mention of a few: almost holistic allie, organic.gannett, natural nurse momma, and purely parsons. If you need a remedy for anything, you’re sure to find a highlight on it from one of these accounts, and tips to try at home before going to the doctor.
What I’m Not Saying…
Let’s address that one for a moment: I just want to state before I get a ton of crazy comments. I am 100% not against medical help, the healthcare industry, etc. I think they have areas where they lack (as does every industry, honestly) and areas for improvement. By all means, when you’re going with your gut and realizing this can’t be managed at home, “let’s run to the doctor” is the best decision you could make.
I also think knowing you’ve done and tried everything at home first before going into the doctor means you kept your child from getting another antibiotic this time around. I think it means you were not frivolously spending money at the doctor’s appointments for something you could have managed at home but were clueless to it.
Lastly, I want to state that this is in no means medical advice. Ask your doctor if you are concerned. Always speak to a healthcare professional before making health related decisions for yourself or your family. Do your own research first! I just want to share what I’ve learned to have on hand for colds and flu and fevers when my child is sick.
What To Have When Your Child is Sick:
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Wedderspoon Manuka Cough Drops
This is just as much for adults as it is for children. Cough drops from Walmart and Kroger simply don’t help. Most cough drops have 3-4 grams of sugar for a small drop. That’s a significant amount. It’s not just something to be concerned about for your teeth when it comes to sucking on one to get you to stop coughing so you can go to sleep.
Sugar can trigger inflammation. It can also cause cold and allergy type symptoms. Sugar can prolong runny noses, extend coughs, cause excessive mucous buildup and inevitably give you a sinus infection. Mainstream cough drops seem to do just as much harm as they do good.
When I decided to get rid of cough drops, I felt like I depended on cough drops a lot to help me sleep and wanted to find something to replace them with. For awhile I just used straight honey, local to Arkansas, and it seemed to help. Then I heard about these.
These came in handy when I had the dreaded communicable disease of 2020. Several nights (my cough lasted almost a month long) in a row these appeased my symptoms and allowed me to get some rest.
Wellements Rub
This is my go to for appeasing coughing in my boys at night. I rub some on their feet and put some socks on before bed. You can rub some on their chest as well. Nine times out of ten, their cough subsides within 20 minutes. The one time it didn’t completely go away was when we had a bad case of RSV. I still think Wellements helped it.
If you’re going to try making this at home, it’s important to use caution with essential oils. Currently, the FDA doesn’t regulate the quality of essential oils, so beware of that. Do your research on the brand you choose to buy. Check with a healthcare professional if and when you’re ever unsure. Some oils also need to be applied with a carrier oil to avoid the risk of burns (a quick google search on essential oil burns is all you need to realize you don’t want that to happen to you!).
If I run out of the rub and I haven’t any more in a dire situation, I’ll make my own concoction. I always have a tub of organic coconut oil on hand in my pantry. Lavender and peppermint are generally safe (again, check the quality of the oil before purchasing), and eucalyptus is safe to the skin with a carrier oil like coconut oil. I usually take a liberal amount of coconut oil, add one drop each of lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus, and mix it in generally until I’m confident it’s blended well.
Oregano essential oil1
Laboratory studies have suggested that oregano oil is effective in fighting the common cold and flu viruses because of its antiviral properties. Adding oregano oil to a blend of eucalyptus, peppermint and rosemary has shown to reduce and alleviate symptoms during the duration of a cold spell. As always, you should do your own research before using any new oil. I have found adding it to coconut oil and applying it to my feet has helped with my symptoms.
Wellements Cough Syrup
Wellements has proven to me to be a trustworthy brand I can give to my child without worry. Their ingredient list is transparent, and I see no concerning additives or food dyes. As far as how effective it is, I’m honestly unsure. The cough syrup seems to help alleviate symptoms in conjunction with my diffuser running, the Wellements rub and everything else on this list.
If I truly wanted to know for sure how effective it is, I would run a specific scientific investigation where this was the only thing I used for my child. Unfortunately, that may cause unnecessary longer colds and fitful nights. So I’ll leave it at I like and trust the brand, I like the ingredients list, and I feel like it is safe and effective during the cold season.
Vinegar and Local Honey
This is a concoction good ol’ Daddio gave my siblings and I whenever we were feeling puny. I wasn’t a fan of it in my younger days. I swear by it in now. The idea is you take a tall glass of warm water (certainly make sure it’s not going to burn you or your child’s tongue). Add a Tablespoon each of apple cider vinegar and honey in it. Honestly, I would pour half the jar of honey into the cup if I wanted to.
ACV and honey (with the mother in it, that’s important) can both really help when it comes to the cold season. Drinking this before bed and first thing in the morning helps soothe my sore throat as well.
Hot Tea
Preferably, drink hot tea with lemon and ginger in it. This is my favorite here. I add this to my bedtime routine practically every evening. There’s something about drinking hot tea that puts me into a calming mood and prepares my body for rest.
I sincerely think quality rest is the number one way to help your body fight sickness once you have it. I always add a heaping spoonful (or two or three) of honey to the tea to make it taste better and get some added benefits from the honey. If I’m really desperate, I’ll add some vinegar to combine my earlier recipe.
Genexa Cold/Allergy
Genexa is another brand I trust when it comes to over the counter medicines. My oldest son seems to always have a runny nose and the allergy syrup alleviates that symptom often, especially at night when he’s trying to fall asleep.
Homeopathic OTC’s from Boiron
Boiron has quickly become a leader in the homeopathic remedies. Oscillococcinum and SinusCalm are safe for children over the age of 2. ColdCalm can be given to a child as young as 6 months (per their drug label). These homeopathic medicines are reliable and convenient and in my mind worth every penny.
Garlic Mullein Oil (and an Otoscope!)
Here’s something a doctor never told me: Did you know most ear infections go away on their own without antibiotics?2 Typically, the best thing you can do for your child is to help alleviate symptoms. Usually, I try to go 2 days at home without antibiotics and see if it will go away. I feel like my *somewhat* nursing background helped me a bit on this.
You never want to put something into an ear that has a ruptured ear drum. The only way you’re going to know this is by either taking them to a doctor’s office and having them check your child’s ear or doing it yourself. That’s where an otoscope comes in handy. You can find a reasonably priced otoscope on Amazon. This is the one I purchased. There’s also some helpful YouTube videos like this one that can help you learn how to check an ear. I’ve practiced on my sons’ (and even my husband’s) ears when they weren’t sick so that I had a better idea of what “normal” looked like.
If their ear appears infected and their ear drum isn’t ruptured, adding one or two drops of garlic mullein oil to the ear has really helped soothe their earaches. I’ve also used breastmilk, olive oil, and even this ear oil. Anytime my child is tugging on his ear, I grab the stuff. It’s saved me several trips to the doctor over the years. I would encourage any mom who is looking for an alternative to try this, if they’re comfortable with it.
Wool Socks
Whenever I apply something to my child’s feet (think Wellements rub), I want their feet to soak in as much as possible. I think wool socks are the best way to do this. Thick wool socks are sure to keep their feet warm and the medicine in. I almost never smell the medicine on the outside of the sock the next morning and I practically always do when I use regular socks. These are my go-tos and I keep them handy whenever sick bugs hit our home.
Getting sick is inevitable. You can use all the Clorox wipes, get them the flu shot every year, keep them away from sick neighbors all you want, and eventually, your child is still going to get sick. It’s part of the imperfect world we live in. However, being prepared and ready to fight off the sickness is the best thing you can do. It’s not about eliminating disease. It’s about having the illnesses last the least amount of time possible in your home.
Works Cited
1Villanes, Zawn. “Can Oregano Oil Help Treat a Cold”. Medically Reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, PhD. Medical News Today. June 29, 2020 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/oregano-oil-for-cold#risks
2 Author Unknown. “Will an Ear Infection Go Away on Its Own”. Heritage Urgent and Primary Care. https://www.heritageucpc.com/will-an-ear-infection-go-away-on-its-own/#:~:text=Many%20ear%20infections%20will%20resolve,symptoms%20generally%20will%20require%20antibiotics.
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