Well, now I’ve gone and done it. A series! Volume 1 implies there’s more volumes to come! It’s true. (I hope you’re not rolling your eyes right now. Are you??). Bear with me! I know some of you love the homeopathy stuff while others of you could probably care less. It won’t be a weekly thing or even a monthly thing. It’ll be more of a “whenever there’s information good enough to share” sort of thing. This stuff won’t be specifically directed towards kids’ health but it will certainly be useful there, as well as for the adults.
Why am I doing this? Firstly, it’s something I’m crazy passionate about. Secondly, I think there’s just not enough information out there about alternative ways to treat things. Ways that are good for you, just as good (and sometimes better) than the standard practices, and ways without some unrelated damage being inflicted (i.e. yeast infections coming after rounds of antibiotics!). Thirdly (and lastly!), I don’t want to wait UNTIL illness strikes to run out to the various stores collecting supplies. Parker got his first ear infection while we were up at the lake (and I didn’t realize it! For shame!). He also had a pretty high temperature and I couldn’t decide whether teething was the woeful source, whether he caught some other bug, whether the lake gave him a disease (naturally!), or… you get the point. (I think roseola was the culprit, but that’s beside the point.) I was helpless. I knew fevers were the body’s way of fighting things and that there is good in letting them run their course, but yet the number freaked me out and I wanted, of course, to pump him full of Children’s Tylenol to bring it down and fast. Maybe if I had done more of my research, had other things on hand… I’d have felt more confident in a decision, any decision, in getting him well.
You get what I’m saying?
So, that’s where this idea came about. And a really, really important note: I am not a doctor. I know this, you know this. I don’t claim to be. I’m just a woman, a Mom, a wife who’s interested in alternative healthcare. With that said, there is a place (this bears repeating: there is a place!) for your normal Western medicine. I am not attempting to do away with it, but just suggest that perhaps we use it too flippantly when something else might be better.
That’s it. Won’t you come along?
volume 1.
An onion.
Most likely, you have these on hand. When Parker got an ear infection, he was crazy clingy, not himself, and pretty miserable. There is a lot of evidence that both garlic and onion can work well, and fast, at getting rid of ear infections. Once I knew he had one, I started on it immediately and it was gone in two days. I don’t know how far into the ear infection we already were, though, so I can’t tell you if it was nearing its end with or without the onion, but nevertheless, it seemed to work. My friend Rita (hi Rita!) swears by them for her kids and it totally seemed to work with Parker.
Remove the skin, cut the onion, and chop it very fine or put it in a food processor (that’s what I did).
Put a few tablespoons the pulp into a pan and warm it on the stove (not the microwave!) on low. Get it just to lukewarm, put some of the onion juice in a dropper, and put a few drops in infected ear. Massage the ear on the outside. Repeat a few times a day until it goes away. Enjoy the fact that your child (or you?) smells like a sub shop.
And there you have it. An alternative to antibiotics (and seriously consider tapping into some of the research on antibiotics… it gets ugly! Use ’em when you have to — otherwise, skip it!).
So, there’s volume 1. Mostly painless?
And please! If you’ve got a resource or have written about this stuff on your own blog, share it in the comments. I’d love to take a look.
I'm pretty sure he got the fever from a lake disease! I just about spit out my yogurt! HA! Girl! Are we kindred spirits or what?!?!?! TOO FUNNY! Easton got a bite on his hand last week and I Instagramed it to see if it was a mosquito (west nile), a spider (brown recluse) or something else. Why do I always assume the worse when it comes to him?!?!?!
Good to know about the onion! I agree, we are too fast to drown ourselves in antibiotics!!!
I need to hear a natural remedy for colds/allergies! Cause we've been passing it back and forth for a month now!
xoxoxo
No way.
That's amazing.
@annie loo, you crack me up. we are the same.
@kate, yes! kid you not!
You don't know how much I appreciate this. I always think, "Crap, when I have my little cottage in the lake with no access to medicine, how the heck am I going to survive?" No joke. I think about this often.
Homeopathic and alternative medicine is something that my husband and I are always researching and turning to. I love this! I really hope you continue this series and a somewhat regular basis! I'd love to see what you find (so I can bookmark it too).
Good job, mama!
@dancing branflake, now you know — your cottage just needs lots and lots of onions.
@lindsay, i will keep it up! so glad you're into it!
wow great tip!
i use chopped up onion for helping to loosen congestion when baby is having a hard time sleeping. i prop her head up a little with a pillow and put a dish of chopped up onions next to the bed and the `fumes´ released by the onions help loosen the stuffy nose and clears her up for a good night´s rest for baby and mama!
i love it! write about this stuff as much as you want. it's so hard having a kid these days when everything you hear is all 'vaccinate them or they will die', 'you better xray that just to be sure', and 'give them this round of antibiotics just in case it's bacterial'. i feel like i'm fighting a constant battle by denying this stuff and then people get all judgy like 'if you really cared about your baby you would do all this'.
Wow that is so awesome. I had no idea there was anything you could do except antibiotics. Good to know.
I've never tried that! My experience:
My kids did not get ear infections until after they were weaned. So, you know, breastfeed forever.
Also, my older son had chronic ear infection starting at age 2, and after a few months we were DONE with constant antibiotics, but I was nervous about putting tubes in his ears. A friend casually mentioned eliminating dairy. We tried it, and he went from 2 infections a month to a couple a year. Around age 4 we re-introduced dairy and he could handle it without problem. It was a great natural remedy!
Oh I'm so excited about this "series"! Fortunately my baby hasn't had to be on antibiotics yet, but they freak me out. I'm totally into all things alternative, eco-friendly, toxin/chemical free… and my husband thinks I'm a nutcase 🙂
@clarice, i've heard of that sort of stuff! i'm glad to hear someone (you!) who's used it and says it works.
@erin, dairy! so often the culprit with this stuff!
@sarah c., ohhh welcome to the nuthouse (i'm the same way).
Scott has an ear infection from surfing that comes and goes (especially when he forgets to wear his ear plugs, which is more often than I'd like!). We have homeopathic drops that contain chamomilla and vegetable glycerin (and a few other things I can't pronounce), but I think I'm going to switch to this treatment instead. Thanks for sharing! I have a feeling I will love this series.
Love this post!
If your child has a high fever in the middle of the night or at some point where you readily can't get them to the Dr. you can rub baby lotion all over their body and it will act as a cooling agent. A doula friend of mine told me about this, and our daughter had a 104 temp at 3 am, we rubbed her up with lotion and it brought her fever down to 100, long enough to get us through the night and in to the morning to call the pediatrician.
Also, if you have a cancer sore or cold sore if you hold a silver spoon on it for 60 minutes two or three times a day the silver will kill the sore in about a day.
@cynthia, i love that lotion one! so you did that in place of any meds, right? awesome!
@devon, try it! scott will smell like an onion but… no ear infection maybe?!
Bridget-
I'm sure you already know about it, but propolis is the most amazing (and natural) thing ever!
Made by honey bees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propolis) it is sold as a tincture or dry. I believe you can also get it in capsules and other diluted forms.
When I was younger, my mom used it for everything. It's a powerful antibiotic. We've used it on burns, scratches, scars, infected wounds, etc! It was always hydrogen peroxide on the boo-boo and then a drop of propolis and a band-aid. Good to go! My sister once burned her thumb very severely and my grandmother healed it 100% with propolis. The ER doc prescribed some intense antibiotics that my mom didn't want to administer because my sister's immune system has always been a bit weaker. The ER doc also said she would have severe scarring because the burn was so deep. Well. 6 weeks and tons of propolis later, my sister had a perfectly smooth, fully restored and functional, scar free thumb!
In dried form it's perfect for soothing a cough. Just suck on it if you don't mind the taste or wrap it in a delicious stick of gum and chew! It will eliminate sore throat and help a cough. For any kind of Tonsillitis, a few drops directly on the tonsils before sleep can work wonders. Just don't swallow right away – let the liquid sit there for a few seconds. It might tingle a bit but it works like magic. That is using the tincture of course. But make sure you buy one that's 90% propolis minimum. If you can only find the 70-75% tinctures (I think that's what they stock at Whole Foods) you can just leave it open for a few weeks and the alcohol will evaporate. It will then be just the right gooey consistency!
I use luckyvitamin.com for a lot of my natural product shopping. It saves me an average of $3-10 dollars per product and a trip to the store!
I don't work for them or anything, I just really love what they do and the access to affordable natural brands for my family. Propolis is my go to for everything! Just thought I would share! And I simply must try your onion trick. I get ear infections a lot!
This is an awesome series. I'm sorry I just verbally exploded on the wonders of propolis. I'm looking forward to whatever else you find. This is so fun!
@agouriev, i'm so interested in that. i actually have bee pollen (but in dry form) that i've added to smoothies. have never seen it in a paste form! will check it out… thank you so much!
@Bridget – It's a bit different than bee pollen, I think. But that stuff is amazing too! And tastes cool!
Oh sorry, one more tip for fever! Vinegar. Just straight or a bit diluted with water. We just soak a cloth in it and rub down the legs, arms, and back and then place one on the forehead. Brings down fever like woah and it's perfectly safe even for a wee babe.
We use colloidal silver for ear infections…in the ear 4x a day…until gone. We also use it for all scrapes, cuts…anything…it's anti-bacterial and anti-viral…love it. We take it very two hours when we have a cold…one teaspoon…and it's shoots out the virus.
We also love olive leaf extract for viruses (put in a capsule for adults and grape juice for kids, it's nasty). And we love pulsatilla…for runny noses and ear infections!!!
I am do excited about this! I really know nothing about these remedies, but want to learn! I hate giving my daughter medicine but haven't known what else to do at times.. Thanks for sharing!
I'm really glad you posted this for future reference.
Another onion use: my family always put half an onion on a bee sting. It drew out the poison. Maybe it was a placebo, but it worked for all of us at chilling the pain.
you are my crunchy guru.
@rachael, placebo or not, if it works, i'd be willing to give it a try!
@allison reynolds, colloidal silver will DEFINITELY be making an appearance throughout this series. i LOVE LOVE LOVE the stuff.
Good to know, thanks for sharing that great tip!
Love these posts!! Keep 'em coming!!! XOXOX
I already love this series. I seriously LOVE when you talk natural with us. Do you have any experience with essential oils? I'd love to hear your perspective on those!
@roxanne, so, there will definitely be some of that — i have some in mind and have a great book on it, but i don't know a WHOLE lot about it personally because i haven't tried too much! i hope to go more down the essential oils path in the future!!
WHO KNEW?!
I think I'm gonna like this series.
I've got another weird cure for toe fungus. (TOTALLY GROSS, I KNOW, but I feel like I need to share the info– because it's SUCH A better alternative to the medicine some doctors try to give people (the kind that's terrible for your liver! (or kidneys, can't remember which one))
Anyways… Just plain old vinegar. Distiller white vinegar. That's it. Soak the toe (or area) in vinegar for as long as it takes for the nail to grow out and voila. Fungus be gone.
And now I totally grossed everyone out.
SORRY.
Dear Bridget, fascinating story. I have tried this on my children a few times now and it seems to work well. Last week my 11 month baby had conjunctivitis and I used raw onion squeezed into the eye (this bit made her cry a bit) and it cleared up in 2 days. Thanks for putting me on to this.
@anna, THIS IS A JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE. you tell us about the toe fungus and vinegar solution if you darn well want! and actually, that's pretty great. i think vinegar has like a billion uses!
@fruitcake, oh wow! that's pretty cool. william and lindsey had pink eye once and i used colloidal silver! gone nearly right away… and no stinging!
Love that you are doing this series. I grew up with a mother who had a natural way to cure just about everything. Thanks for sharing!
@bridget, yes, we do use this in the place of meds. one of my most favorite remedies i have ever been taught. homeopathic remedies are one of my favorites, can't wait to see what you post next 🙂
Never would have thought about using an onion for an ear infection! I hate antibiotics. Can you share some of those links with me that you have researched? Please!
I love this "series". I've never heard of using onion before, but that is great advice. Thank you.
Also, you are an awesome mamma! Cheers!
Yay Bridget! Glad you are making this a series. If you get around to it, the colloidal silver and the coconut oil saved my life with hand foot and mouth disease. Their uses are endless. Will need to try the onion one. Love ya sis.
I would really love to learn more about home remedies like these. I love that this is volume 1 – and there will be more to come!!
LOVE THIS NEW SERIES!! Especially this one as my 19 month old daughter had her first ear infection just a few months ago. Wish I had known this then! KEEP THESE COMING, PLEASE!!
I love this new series, I also dislike taking medicine unless it's absolutely necessary. I come from a history of migraines so any headache remedies you may know would be much appreciated!
so glad you and ahn will have gone through first babe before i have mine..get ready to be on call 24/7. i might just give ahn my baby for the first 6 months. no big deal.
I've actually heard that back during the bubonic plague families who kept onions out in their home were far less likely to come down with the illness. I'm sure it is "an old wives tale", but my mom has always left onions out around the house and none of us have ever had the flu. 🙂
Hi Bridget! I found you through Kate and I love your take on natural medicine. We are for sure fans of it in our house! You are only the second person in ever who I have heard use onion on an ear infection. (The other one was me 🙂 ). Can't wait to hear more from you!
http://www.thegreenmother.com/2011/01/not-for-faint-of-heart.html
Great info!
Eyewash
Disposable Gloves