The vernix, or white waxy substance produced to protect the skin in utero should be left on and gently massaged in to provide some additional protection to environmental stresses. If a baby is post-mature, meaning, born after full term, the vernix may have already been absorbed. In this case, the skin may appear dry and patchy but it will actually shed off this patchiness within a few weeks and a more normal looking skin will appear beneath it.

All these factors translate into a very simple skincare regime for your newborn. Simply sponge bath with soft terrycloth and water – no soaps (except for the diaper area as needed), no lotions, no petroleum products, no baby powders. Keep them at a comfortable temperature, neither too hot or cool and avoid full immersion baths until after the umbilical cord stump has dried and fallen off.

I know how tempting it is to lavish all the products that have magically appeared in your life via baby showers and well meaning friends and relatives, but honestly, a newborn doesn’t need any of it. Once your baby is a couple months old, you can bath them with organic non-drying, non-chemical shampoo and wash such as Organic Baby Shampoo & Wash.

This is one case where it is critical to read labels because it is possible to have a baby wash labeled ‘all natural’ that contains harsh chemicals such as sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate. This chemical, so commonly used in personal care products, can cause damage to the immune system and is a skin irritant with serious drying effect. Most frighteningly, it penetrates to systemic tissues such as the heart, liver and brain and is commonly contaminated with dioxane, a dangerous carcinogen. It can also cause permanent eye damage – even without getting in the eyes. How this toxic chemical can be used as the primary cleaning agent in baby products that call themselves safe is a complete mystery to me. You would do well to throw away any products in your home that includes it or any of it’s chemical variants.

Another temptation to avoid is to lather your baby up with lotions and creams. Babies do not typically need lotions unless their skin is actually dry and then it should be applied modestly only to those areas. Whole body coverage with creams can block the skin’s function of exchanging gases and releasing other bodily wastes. Plus, most commercial baby lotions have petroleum in them which reduces the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, interferes with the body’s natural moisturizing system, passes through liver & sequesters fat soluble vitamins and increases photosensitivity – promoting sun damage. Petroleum comes in many forms and any derivative of it is equally objectionable for baby’s skin.

If your baby’s skin does seems dry or chaffed, a small amount of an organic vegetable oil can be lightly massaged into that area. When your baby is a few months old, Organic Baby Lotion can be safely used after bathing. Organic is vitally important because of the pesticide and herbicide residue in any non-organic oils. Because a baby’s skin is so porous and thin, and their organs are not fully developed to process toxins, these pesticides are far more dangerous at this time and can have a major impact on their health. Commercial lotions or lotions simply labeled as ‘natural’ are likely to have chemicals in them that are toxic and should be avoided.

Talcum powders should never be used under any circumstances because talc is a known carcinogen. But corn starch based products (most certainly made with genetically modified corn) should also be avoided because the tiny particles of these powders can block baby’s airways and cause respiratory distress. Instead, try air bathing your baby to reduce the bacteria build up in the diaper area that can lead to diaper rash. But remember, baby’s have a hard time regulating their body temperature, so it’s important to monitor their temperature and minimize exposure to sudden temperature changes.

While your baby doesn’t need a lot of products for their first months, what they do need is lots of nurturing touch and massage. Massage and gentle stoking actually helps your baby’s nervous system and brain to develop. Sensory stimulation in the form of loving touch and your attention has been shown to have a significant effect in development of intelligence as well as immunity and overall well being. Babies that are touched and kept close to their parent’s body, develop much needed resistance to stress and seem to be happier and more well adjusted as adults.

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When her doctor examined her and explained that her symptoms were colic, we were overjoyed that there was a cause and presumably a cure for this condition. But his response was that she would outgrow it before too long and recommended that I stop eating broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, as they might be contributing to her gas.

Colic we learned, was perfectly normal for a baby whose digestive system is still not completely developed. But it was hard not to call that doctor every day, because even after eliminating those vegetables, the symptoms didn’t improve and she was clearly one miserable baby. If you suspect your baby is suffering from colic, ask yourself the following questions:

* do they cry vigorously for long periods, despite efforts to console?

* do symptoms occur around the same time, often after meal times, and usually ending as abruptly as they began?

* do they shows signs of gas discomfort, abdominal bloating or a rigid belly?

* do they have a hard, distended stomach, often with knees pulled to the chest, clenched fists, flailing arms and legs, and an arched back?

* do they experience frequent sleeplessness, irritability and fussiness?

Infantile colic is fairly common in the first few weeks to four months of an infant’s life and rarely persists past six months of age – which is when our baby finally stopped having these terrible tummy spasms. There is lot of evidence that suggests that colic is caused by digestive immaturity. Their digestive tract hasn’t yet developed the benevolent bacterial flora that help break down food. Plus, a mother’s diet may be producing gas via their breast milk and so cruciferous or gas causing vegetables are out for those first months. Unfortunately, babies often swallow air while feeding or during strenuous crying, which increases gas and bloating, further adding to their discomfort.

How to Relieve Baby Colic Naturally

Infantile colic can leave you feeling frantic, frustrated, worried, exhausted, guilty and inadequate. When your baby is suffering, you will try whatever is recommended to help ease their distress. There are several treatments available for baby colic but you should consult with your pediatrician first before giving baby any medications, remedies or supplements.

I found several things that helped ease my babies distress. They were:

* Sipping a weak tea from fennel seeds and chamomile with a drop of honey

* A warm compress to the belly or sitting with her in a warm bathtub.

* Massaging her tummy very lightly with a few drops olive oil in a clockwise direction.

* Swaddling her firmly and providing light pressure on the tummy.

* Colic Calm Gripe Water.

Colic Calm Gripe Water is a homeopathic remedy made from a variety of European herbs that are specially prepared to release their greatest beneficial effects with no adverse side effects. Homeopathy has been used for over 200 years to safely treat a variety of nervous and digestive disorders including colic.  Homeopathic Colic Calm boasts over a 90% success rate in treating baby colic and works within minutes, so it is only given on an “as needed” basis. Colic Calm also helps bloating, pressure, stomach cramps, hiccups, teething and even acid reflux.

There are other gripe waters on the market that are sold as “dietary supplements”. But, be careful! These are not regulated by the FDA and fall under loose dietary supplement guidelines. Often, the main ingredients of these products include:

* Sodium Bicarbonate (a.k.a. Baking Soda). Sodium bicarbonate is an alkali (antacid) which alters the naturally occurring pH of baby’s stomach acid. It may counteract some discomfort caused by acid reflux in cases of acidic stomach.  However, changing the delicate pH balance in baby’s system can cause over-alkalinity and exacerbate a colicky condition. Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate is absorbed into the bloodstream and thus can have unwanted side effects. Studies have shown that sodium bicarbonate can deplete and interfere with absorption of Folic Acid and Iron, and is not recommended by most pediatricians.

* Essential Oils and extracts (dill oil, clove oil, fennel extract, ginger extract, etc) are used by most other gripe water brands. There are known safety issues with herbal oils and extracts. Many experts believe they are not to be taken internally by adults, much less infants. I would not recommend these types of products.

In Conclusion

As your baby’s body develops, their colic will subside. In the mean time, they rely upon you to provide comfort, support and relief from a very real pain. During the first three months of life, babies are not well-equipped to calm themselves. Self-calming is a skill that develops slowly over time and at different rates for each child. I hope the methods that I found to help will help you as well. As always, consult with your pediatrician about any alternative treatments you wish to use. Please feel free to comment and share what has helped your baby and you, cope with colic! Thank you for reading my article.

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It’s also a good idea to supplement your understanding of childhood illnesses with books like the Merck Manual or research on the internet. In a pinch, your insurance provider may have a Help line where you can to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day. Being prepared with some basic information about fevers will help alleviate some of the fear that is natural for a parent to feel when their child is sick. As a former nurse and mother of four, I’d like to offer some basic guidelines to help you get your bearings when confronted by a feverish babe.

General guidelines are:

•  If your baby is less than 3 months old and has a temperature of 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C) or higher, call your doctor immediately or proceed to an emergency room if you are unable to reach your doctor. A baby this young needs to be checked for serious infection or disease.

•  For a baby between 3 and 6 months old, call your doctor if their temperature reaches 101 degrees F (38.3 degrees C) or higher.

•  If your baby is 6 months or older, call if their fever reaches 103 degrees F (39.4 degrees C) or higher.

When you call, the doctor or medical practitioner will ask you about other symptoms. Besides their temperature, the most important thing is how your baby looks and acts. Make sure to mention any changes in their behavior and appearance, such as a rash, a cough, difficulty breathing, signs of ear pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. Loss of appetite, low energy, being noticeably pale or flushed, or extreme irritability can all be signs that they need be seen by a physician. With all this information, the doctor will be able to tell you how to care for your baby and whether or not you need to come into the office.

Often, a fever that doesn’t stop your child from playing and feeding normally may not be cause for alarm – especially if there are no other abnormal symptoms. Keep in mind that everyone’s temperature rises in the late afternoon and early evening and falls between midnight and early morning. This natural cycle of our internal thermostat explains why most emergency room visits for fever occur in early evening.

Should I give them fever reducing medicine?

If your baby is under 3 months old, your doctor will probably ask you to bring them in to be examined. She may tell you not to give your baby any fever-reducing medicine until she has taken an accurate temperature reading.

If your baby is 3 months or older and has no other symptoms that suggest a serious illness, your doctor may advise giving them children’s acetaminophen (or ibuprofen, if your baby is at least 6 months old) to bring down the fever.

You should never give a baby under 4 months old acetaminophen, or any drug, without your doctor’s okay because the side effects could be dangerous. Never give your baby aspirin. Aspirin can make a child more susceptible to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disorder.

Unless your baby is less than 3 months old, your doctor will probably tell you that if your baby is reasonably alert, taking fluids, and has a temperature that you’ve been able to keep below 102 degrees F (38.9 degrees C) with the recommended dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, you can wait 24 hours before bringing them in. Because fever is often the first symptom of an illness, a doctor may not find anything significant if your baby is examined too early. In 24 hours, the crisis may have passed or other symptoms may be present that will help your doctor to diagnose your baby.

Be very careful when administering medicine to your baby. Their weight must be known to determine the right dose. Always use the measuring device that comes with the medicine or an oral syringe to give your baby exactly the right amount. Never give any fever-reducing medicine more often than is recommended.

No matter how old your baby is, if they have symptoms that suggest a serious illness or infection, the doctor will instruct you to bring them in to be evaluated, either to her office (if you call during working hours) or to an emergency room.

Why is it important to try and bring a fever down?

Fever is a symptom that can be associated with a wide range of diseases and conditions. Studies have shown that fever helps the body to fight infection by creating an internal environment that is inhospitable to bacteria and viruses, which thrive around 98.6 degrees F, or 37 degrees C.  A fever also triggers the body to make more white blood cells and antibodies to fight infection. A fever indicates the body’s immune system is hard at work.

On the other hand, if your baby’s temperature is too high, they will be too uncomfortable to eat, drink, or sleep, and that will make it harder for them to get better. If your little one’s fever isn’t affecting their behavior, you don’t need to give them anything to lower it. Offer your babe plenty of breast milk or formula and water to prevent dehydration, and don’t overdress or bundle them up when they’re sleeping.

Are there other ways to bring my baby’s fever down?

You can try to lower your baby’s fever by sponging them down with lukewarm (not cold) water or giving him a lukewarm bath. I have soaked my children’s cotton socks in cool lemon water and then, after wringing them out by hand, put them on their feet. While this is a folk remedy, it seemed to pull the fever away from their head and their socks dried out quite quickly. Lemon seems to have a drawing effect and I’ve used it to soak  a washcloth to place on their foreheads as well.

Never try to reduce a fever by sponging down your baby with rubbing alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol will be absorbed into your baby’s bloodstream through the skin and can be toxic. It can also cool them down too quickly, which can actually raise their temperature.

Why does my baby’s fever keep coming back?

Fever-reducing medicines bring down body temperature temporarily but they don’t affect the bug that’s producing the infection. Your baby may run a fever until they have fought off the infection and won. This is one of the ways that their immune system is strengthened. This process can take at least two or three days. Some infections, such as influenza (the flu), can last five to seven days. If your baby has been given antibiotics to fight a bacterial infection, it may take 48 hours until you see a significant drop in temperature.

My baby has a fever and no other symptoms. What’s wrong?

There are many viral infections that can cause a fever without any other symptoms. Some, such as roseola, cause three days of very high fever followed by a light pink rash on the trunk. Babies very often get a fever associated with teething pain or after receiving a vaccination. More serious infections, such as meningitis, urinary tract infections, or bacteremia (bacteria in the bloodstream), may also trigger a high fever without any other specific symptoms. If your baby has a high fever and no other symptoms – call your doctor.

Get in touch with your physician immediately if:

There are convulsions or if he or she is confused and disoriented.

They have pain that is acute and persistent.

They have diarrhea and vomiting.

Any time the child complains of hurting when urinating.

They have any unexplained rash.

The child complains of ear pain.

They have labored and rapid breathing.

They have sudden personality change, such as an active baby becoming dull and listless.

They have headache, with complaints of their neck hurting.

Finally, when you do see your doctor, it’s a good idea to have a written record of the child’s symptoms and temperature readings at various times of the day. If the symptoms have changed over a period of time, have them written down as you may forget to mention something that could be important. Also, write down the last medication given and the name and dosage of the drug given.

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First off, there are three meals a day and it’s good to have a routine established for all three. Breakfast, they say, is the most important meal of the day, and for school age children, having something warm and nourishing in their belly makes a measurable difference in their brain’s performance. For us too. So, we have hot cereal; steel cut oats, oatmeal or multigrain cereal about 4 days a week. These healthy cereals take more time than the cold cereal, but they’re so much more satisfying and when you buy in bulk, a big savings. I put 3 cups of water in a pot and when it boils, add 1 cup of steel  cut oats or multigrain cereal. I then raise the pot away from the flames by doubling up the metal frame that your pots rest on and turn it down to low. Now it won’t burn or spill over and I’ve got 12 minutes to make lunches until cereal is ready.

Other mornings, scrambled eggs or scrambled tofu with leftover veggies and sprinkled with a little cheese, can be stirred up in about the same time. Easy for little fingers, and an excellent source of protein, especially when combined with a slice of whole grain bread. In warmer weather, we often have museli with yogurt and berries for breakfast instead of the hot cereal. Homemade pancakes and waffles are reserved for weekends in our house because they’re special treats and deserve more time to be savored.

Which brings us to lunches. Here you may need multiple strategies. If you are making lunches to go for school age children, your husband and yourself, it definitely takes some serious planning. In the colder seasons, we all love soups and hearty stews which you can pack in a wide mouth stainless steel thermos. Even though it’s extra work to warm up soup every morning, there’s nothing like some home made soup to warm and satisfy.

The main standby for lunch tends to be sandwiches and they are incredibly convenient and most kids love them up. But your sandwiches should be varied and supplemented with things that make them more interesting. Try making a wrap with avocado, cream cheese blended with chopped olives and shredded carrot or spinach. Or, try turkey with cheese and a spicy fruit chutney and thinly sliced apples or radish.

Sometimes a picky eater will eat better if  lunch looks more like a snack than a meal. Bagels with cream cheese and raisins or smoked salmon cut into bite size pieces always gets gobbled up.  Try a combo of ’string cheese’ with pre cut raw veggies with a small container of  a healthy dip like hummus and a couple of crackers. My husband likes a giant salad for lunch that I pack in a large Tupperware. A dense layer of organic spinach and greens, a scoop of chicken, tuna or 3 bean salad, some kalamata olives and a sprinkle of feta cheese and he is a happy man. He keeps a bottle of his favorite tahini dressing at his office to top it off.  You may find 5 really successful lunch combos for your kids and then, just keep rotating through them and they won’t get bored.

Dinners can be simply arranged around a threefold plan; a source of good protein, a high fiber carbohydrate, and veggies – the more colorful the better. I usually do a big shop once a week and depending on what meat and fish looks the best and is having a sale, that’s what our evening meals are based on. My husband prefers some meat for dinner every night, but he’s fine if it’s only a small amount in a stir fry or soup, or if the same meat gets dressed up differently several times in a row. One night I’ll roast 2 chickens, and we’ll eat a good part of one the first night and I remove the meat and all the bones go into the crock pot to make a soup for another night. The leftover cooked chicken might be used to make fajita strips with lots of grilled veggies wrapped in whole grain tortillas with a side of spicy beans and brown rice. The rest of the meat goes into a chicken curry salad with yellow raisins and cashews. Finally, the leftover fajita veggies get added to the chicken soup along with some rice for another hearty dinner.

I pretty much follow that pattern, buying enough of one item to stretch it into at least 3 or sometimes 4 evening meals – except for fish. I try to serve a wild fish at least once a week and we usually gobble it up in one meal. Salmon with a ginger, teriyaki sauce over rice is a big favorite, but sometimes it’s just breaded fish fillets with oven baked French fries and a vegie. One night a week we have some kind of pasta dish with a big salad, and at least one night we have a home made hearty soup with French bread. It works and it feels balanced. You will find your own special dishes that your family will cheer and it gets easier the more you stick to your basic plan.

I haven’t mentioned deserts because they are just not a regular part of our diet. I keep a fruit bowl full and there’s always yogurt or organic chips and salsa or popcorn around for munchies, but I rarely make or provide high intensity sweets for my family. We might have banana pancakes with real maple syrup on a Saturday morning – which is heaven for the sweet toothes in my home, but I try not to make either snacking or deserts a regular part of my families eating habits. Occasionally I’ll bake oatmeal cookies or make rice pudding, but those are special events. My kids do like a warm glass of something before bed to ease that transition. It can be almond sunset tea with milk and honey or just milk and honey and a dash of vanilla and cardamon to sweeten their dreams…

Hope this post helps. Let me know your tips for planning meals for your family.

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He explained this ritual not only eased muscular and emotional tension, but was part of a broader education on the importance of caring for one another, learning to listen and practicing respect. As the children became older they were instructed in how to practice acupressure massage on other family members, such as the grandparents, and were praised for their attention and caring efforts towards their elders. These activities strongly shaped my friends life and today he raises his young children in the same manner.

It occurs to me how these types of rituals are among the strongest teaching that we can give our children. Children remember what we do, not what we say. Today, most parents find themselves too tired or stressed to even have a relaxed meal and conversation with their children, much less to give them a massage each night! Our little sanctuary is bombarded by the urgent distractions of television, computer games and homework. Yet, I know such rituals of love and caring nourish our children in a way that nothing else can.

Positive or nurturing touch is vital for our health and well being at every age.  Scientific and medical journals attest to the fact that infants will fail to thrive and even die without nurturing touch and attention. But while it is acceptable to touch, bath and caress our infants and toddlers, how quickly do we step away from these intimacies as our children grow? Teaching our children about respectful and nurturing touch is as important to their education as teaching them about inappropriate touch and sexual boundaries. But without the benefit of a culture where massage is traditional, it’s something we have to make a special effort to learn.

As a practitioner of healing arts, I knew the importance of positive nurturing touch and I learned that a warm compress on the tummy and gentle massage will soothe a baby with colic or a child with constipation. A five minute back rub with a warm fragrant oil, slipped my children off into dreamland without a backward glance. By adolescence, foot rubs became evening entertainment along with some precarious and humorous attempts to walk or crawl over their parents tired backs. Touch was ever present and seemed to form a blanket of acceptance that enfolded us all. The world would seem terribly cold without it.

Rituals, silly, casual or profound, give us a sense of belonging – of family identity. Saying grace before a meal can be a ritual that reminds us to be grateful for each days bounty, whether that gratitude is expressed to God, to mother nature or the many hands that brought forth our food. Children love predictable sequences and daily rhythms that can be relied upon. Having meals at regular times, celebrating seasonal events and bedtime baths, stories and tucking in, cushion your child with a sense of well being and security.

I’m sure you are already creating your own family rituals, even if the concept is unfamiliar to you. What you do with intention and regularity will grow inside your children like a second set of bones. The bones of their generosity, their kindness to others, their ability to listen or express gratitude – these qualities are fed by the little things we do every day.

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Then, you meet with reality. Junk food tastes good and if we’ve been eating it for awhile, healthy food has a hard time competing. The problem is that junk food is actually intense food – intensely sweet, salty, fatty or intensely dense with protein. Most of us have come to equate this food intensity as satisfying. It certainly satisfies cravings, but curiously, this kind of food is exactly what creates our cravings in the first place. This is the secret behind most food addictions.

Taste preferences get laid down with our first foods. My mom fed me a chocolate baby formula that was loaded with sugar and candy and ice cream were consumed every day. I grew up a sugar junkie and still have to fight those cravings. Now, that’s not saying that all sweets are bad. It’s just, compared to the super intense rush of ice cream, an apple doesn’t stand a chance. So, if your kids are still little, give them the apples 99% of the time and give their taste buds a chance to notice the more subtle satisfaction provided by healthier foods.

After cereals mixed with unsweetened applesauce, banana or plain yogurt, their first foods should be veggies blended with a bit of boiled potato or brown rice. Every vegetable has some unique appeal in texture, taste or even color and if it keeps showing up on their plate, eventually, they will try it. Let your babies teeth on cold carrots and raw zucchini sticks. The mild taste of most vegetables is easy to like when taste buds haven’t been corrupted.

However, if your kids are older and already addicted to certain intense tastes, it’s a matter of satisfying those tastes with healthier alternatives and gradually turning down the intensity dial, particularly on sweets. Try eliminating products where sugar or corn syrup is at the top of the list of ingredients. Satisfy sweet craving with a small amount of honey or maple syrup on their oatmeal or in a warm drink. Eventually, whole fruits, whole grains, baked yams, slow cooked beans or a handful of nuts will satisfy their desire for sweets. Slowing down and chewing more will also reveal the natural sweetness of everyday foods. When our family switched from rolled oats to steel cut oats, the chewier texture required that I slow down and chewed longer. The result was I was able to cut down my added natural sweetener dramatically. It tasted sweeter, the longer I chewed!

To satisfy salty cravings, try dill pickles, olives and different seaweeds. My kids grew up snacking on red dulce and had brown rice with vegies and spicy/sweet chutney rolled in nori as an after school snack almost daily. Because they were getting sweet, spicy and salty all in one nutrient packed dish, they really never developed unhealthy cravings. Given the choice of a candy bar or a nori roll they would hands down choose the roll.

Cravings for fat are best met with dairy, lean meats and fish. I try to serve wild salmon once a week and we take fish oil supplements daily. Pickled herring, sardines and tuna are great foods that provide high quality omega oils that our bodies need and a little bit goes a long way. Not all families can digest dairy and there is a lot of controversy about whether it’s the essential food that it has been presented as. Milk does provide superior protein, calcium and other nutrients at a very affordable price. However, if you or your child have trouble digesting it, then you can get all your needs for these nutrients elsewhere from vegetable sources – or try goat milk and cheeses which are often more digestible and quite delicious.

If your kids (or husband) are seriously vegie adverse, there are lots of tricks to sneak them into their regular meals. I make  a soup that is loaded with spinach, carrots, celery and some cubed potato and when I blend it, add some butter, salt and pepper, it’s happily slurped down. I found that my kids would eat almost any vegie I made if I grated a little cheese on top. Cauliflower got mashed into their potatoes with no one the wiser. Raw veggies including jicama, daikon radish, carrots, cucumbers and red peppers were almost always available for snacking on with a home made tahini (sesame) dip – very high in calcium. Bean dishes always had some peppers, onions, and often some tofu added. They could be served over rice with a sprinkle of cheese on top or mashed up for bean burritos – another family favorite.

Smoothies with yogurt, milk or fruit juice and super soy or green supplements can be a quick breakfast alternative or mid afternoon snack for the family. There really are so many ways to sneak high quality nutrition into your families diet and the best part is that the longer you do it, the less you have to sneak it because eventually, they will be craving your healthy meals.

One favorite recipe of mine is this super healthy version of pancakes. I like that it’s easy to digest, nutrient dense and you can add fruit or even veggies to it for an easy meal.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 ½  cups oats

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached flour of your choice.

2 cups kefir, buttermilk or plain yogurt

2 eggs

2 T sweetener (optional)

2 tsp. natural vanilla

¼ cup melted coconut oil or butter

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. nutmeg

Mix oats, flour, kefir in a bowl and cover and leave in a warm place over night or about 12 hours. In the morning, add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Makes a super easily digested and nutritious family breakfast. Cook the whole batch as these pancakes can be reheated easily or rolled with fruit jam as a snack for later.

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A good Natural First Aid/Home Remedy Kit should help you to treat minor burns or sunburns, topical injuries, skin infections (both fungal and bacterial), insect bites and stings, colds and flu, mild fevers, earaches, teething pain, stomach aches, muscle strain and to ease nervous stress or shock. You’ll notice that many remedies are used for multiple conditions! Also don’t forget to add some organic cotton-wool, some calendula or apricot oil to use as a base for applying essential oils, a thermometer, cotton bandages and bandaids to your kit.

Here is a list top remedies to include in your first aid kit:

For minor burns and sunburn:

Pure Aloe Vera Gel is cooling, soothing and healing. You can keep a plant and use the juice from one of the leaves or buy it as an ointment or gel or as a liquid for drinking. In fact, the health benefits of aloe vera juice are extensive. It has been used historically as a soothing balm, applied externally for cuts, scrapes and burns and can be taken internally to treat numerous conditions.

Two to four ounces a day for an adult is reputed to: improve circulation, help regulate blood pressure, promote healing of bones and joints, strengthen the immune system, defend the body against bacteria, heal internal tissue damage such as ulcers, eliminate constipation, help regulate blood sugar, and reduce itchiness in psoriasis helping it to heal.

Lavender essential oil (Lavendula angustifolia) has many properties: analgesic (soothes nerve pain); anti-spasmodic for muscles topically; headaches, including migraines; insomnia and general relaxation; burns and sunburn; relieves itching and pain from bug bites and stings; and anti-bacterial. Use it diluted in base oil and massage it gently on affected areas, or in a bath to soothe the child, help relaxation and encourage restful sleep.

Topical Injuries:

Witch Hazel is rich in tannins and gallic acid. Distilled witch hazel is highly astringent, anti-inflammatory and helps stop bleeding, making it an excellent first aid remedy for cuts, nosebleeds, bruises and sprains.

Vinegar. White vinegar is helpful in cleaning wounds to prevent infection.

Tea tree (Melaluca alternifolia) is known for its antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is effective remedy for cold sores; infected wounds with pus, for respiratory and sinus infections, mouth infections, and to ease the pain of sore throats. It also is an effective treatment for athletes foot or other fungal infections.

Stomach Distress:

Chamomile tea is gentle enough for children to drink regularly and has mild sedative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It relieves indigestion, promotes relaxation and, when applied topically, soothes skin irritations.

Vanilla extract. Vanilla is known to reduce anxiety and promote feelings of well-being and has long been used to cure stomach distress. Rubbing a little bit on baby’s gums not only feels warm and calming but can relieve the distress of teething pain. Adding natural vanilla and raw honey to a warm drink may be soothing to the tummy as well as the nerves.

Nux Vomica 12C – It will ease stomach pain and diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.

For chronic mild stomach distress, have your child eat 4 oz of live cultured yogurt daily to improve the helpful bacteria in the gut. This is especially important to restore colon health after a course of antibiotics. Also, see aloe vera juice.

Insect bites & Stings:

In the event that your child gets stung by a bee or wasp:

1. Extract the sting

2. Cleans the wound carefully

3. Apply soothing herbal compress or any of the below applications:

Baking soda: Mix baking soda with vinegar and apply the thick paste to the wound. Leave on and soon the sting will dissipate.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: If bitten or stung, dab apple cider vinegar as soon as possible on the bite to draw out any poison and to prevent swelling. Thyme and rosemary infused in the vinegar are especially effective.

Homeopathic Apis: Take 4 pellets under the tongue. Let them dissolve.

Tea Tree & Lavender Salve: To make your own salve with soothing and anti-inflammatory effects, you will only need 20 g beeswax, 50 ml calendula oil, 30 ml coconut oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil and 5 drops tea tree essential oil. Melt the beeswax in a double sauce pan, add the base oils when cooled to 40′C add the essential oils and mix. Pour into a glass container and keep in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight.

The benefits of this salve are many: insect bites and stings to aid itching, swelling and irritation; it may be rubbed on the feet and chest to relieve a respiratory infection and to help control a cough, it’s useful for some headaches (may be too stimulating for heat-related headaches), it’s excellent for bruises and for topical fungal infections.

If you’re outside and away from your remedy kit, Plantain is well known to have amazing drawing power. Broad leaf plantain is preferred, but long leaf plantain works too. Plantain works for cut and scrapes and provides quick relief. This is a common “weed” found anywhere where soil has been disturbed. You’ll recognize it growing in the cracks of your neighborhood sidewalks. To treat a sting:

1. Pick a few leaves of plantain from a clean source. Try to gather it away from the side of the road. Also away from places where chemicals are sprayed.

2. Chew the leaves up real good keeping the plant matter and saliva in the FRONT of your mouth.

3. Remove from your mouth and place on the bee or wasp sting site.

4. Hold it on the sting site for a few minutes until you feel relief.

Colds & Flu:

Elderberry tonic: Can be bought at your health food store or ordered online from Swansons. This tonic can be taken throughout the flu season to boost your child’s immune response and minimize the effects of a cold or flu. You can also make it yourself, see my recipe in Home Remedies for the Cold & Flu Season.

Propolis tincture: Bees create propolis by collecting a resinous sap from trees and then mixing it with wax back at the hive. Propolis has antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties. Taken orally, it acts against viruses, which antibiotics do not.  In a glass container mix one part of propolis with 9 parts ethyl alcohol  and leave it in dark place for 20 days, shaking it daily. You can give it to you child to take it orally: one drop of the tincture for every child’s year, 3 times a day. For example if your child is 2 years old, give him 2 drops x 3 times a day. This will straighten his immune system and will fight bacteria. This may help runny or blocked nose, too. Mix 10 drops propolis tincture in 10 ml sea salt water. Use it as nasal drops.

Raw honey, garlic & lemon. Honey has an antimicrobial action against a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi. It can be used on a wound or taken internally to ease a cough or sore throat. To relieve cold and flu symptoms, blend the juice of 1 lemon and a clove of fresh garlic crushed. Add hot water and honey to taste and drink throughout the day.

Echinacea is a great immune support, suitable for children over 2 years old. You can buy it in tincture, tea or syrup, but read the instructions and use it only when needed. Dosage is one drop per 2 pounds of body weight every three hours during the first signs of a cold.

Thyme is also a great herb for the respiratory infections. If your toddler has a sore throat or is coughing, make him or her some thyme tea with honey around 30 min before going to bed.

Licorice (Glyzyrrhiza glabra) root sticks – Have your child suck/chew on the licorice stick, or buy the tea bags. It is a wonderful antiviral, as well as immune supporting and soothing to the inflamed tissues. Soothing for stomach and throat aches especially when raw honey is added.

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) – Add it to soups or teas. Another great immune supporting herb.

Homeopathic Remedies are considered to be safe for even very young children but it’s always important to know what is causing the symptoms and so it is best to consult with a trained professional if your child is seriously sick. I like to have on hand:

Aconite 30C – Use in the first stages of cold or flu, especially if the child has been recently exposed to dry, cold wind. Frequent sneezing, watery discharge. Comes on suddenly. Give it to your child in the first 24 hours.

Belladonna 6C – Helpful remedy for fever, redness and teething.

Chamomilla 6C – Great teething and soothing remedy. Give it to your child if clingy and unsettled, if in pain, especially when associated with teething.

Pulsatilla 6C – It may help your child if having runny nose or coughing with thick, green-yellow discharge, feeling clinging and tearful.

Apis Mellifica – for bee stings, stinging pain, burning pain, swollen affected areas.

Ferrum Phosphoricum – Beneficial for breathing difficulties, Poor circulation, Fevers, colds, problems with the bowels.

Nux Vomica – Beneficial for stress, insomnia, colds, cystitis, painful menstruation, colic, constipation, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains and flatulence.

Muscle Strain

Arnica. Always have on hand arnica gel and arnica homeopathics. This is an invaluable therapeutic tool for the ‘day after’ aches from extreme exertion. It’s also my treatment of choice when a ligament or muscle is pulled or torn or something is just aching and not getting better quickly enough. You can also buy arnica massage oil which is wonderful for the young athletes in your family.

Shock and Stress

Rescue Remedy is a blend of homeopathic preparations of flower essences that has had a long history of providing relief to people who’ve experienced emotional or physical shock. It’s now available in most health food stores and is invaluable to ease the trauma out of an experience such as a dog bite or car accident or loss of a pet.

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BPA is a chemical that is used to make plastics hard, clear and resistant to breakage. We’re all familiar with this type of packaging in that it is often used to hermetically seal products. It is also used in the lining of canned food products, water bottles and many products made for infants and children. It is absorbed as it leaches into liquids, as in canned food, or as babies suck and chew on plastic toys.

A critical exposure has been through clear plastic baby bottles that when heated, create a poisonous brew. Infants and toddlers have the highest risk because they have the highest level of exposure at a time when risks to reproduction and neural development are greatest. BPA is also linked to breast cancer, male reproductive dysfunction, autism and other behavioral/ neurological issues in children. Studies on lab animals exposed to BPA have shown increased incidence of  obesity, infertility, behavioral changes, miscarriages, prostrate problems and cancer.

The truth is that this is a seriously dangerous chemical for all of us and it is time that the government take action to protect the public from unwitting exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 95 percent of adults tested have BPA levels at or above levels that cause abnormalities in animals. The Breast Cancer Foundation has reported that more than 200 studies show that even very small doses of BPA can cross the placenta and cause lasting damage to the developing fetus. These doses represent a tiny fraction of current daily exposure to this chemical by most Americans.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California and Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts have presented an initiative to Congress, called HR1523 – Ban Poisonous Additive Acts of 2009. The House and the Senate are considering bills that would expand the proposed ban on BPA to include all food and beverage containers. Part of the problem is that currently, BPA levels are not required to be monitored, much less curtailed. A few companies that had advertised their products as BPA-free were found to still contain the chemical after independent testing by Consumer Reports last month. Until it is outlawed, can we trust what companies say?

So where do we stand now? Twenty-one states and municipalities in the US have issued legislation against use of the chemical including California, Minnesota, Connecticut and Chicago. Janet Nudelman, of the Breast Cancer Fund, states, “It is equally important that the agency [FDA] take immediate action to protect pregnant women and children from this toxic chemical, in light of the clear and compelling evidence that BPA is harmful. The weight of the scientific evidence shows that there is no safe level of exposure to BPA and demonstrates why the FDA needs to act now to protect the American people from this highly toxic, hormonally active chemical.” The FDA states that they need more time to fully evaluate the problem, although it’s been aware of the problem for over 13 years!

You can research more details about the current act called S.753 – The BPA-Free Kids Act of 2009. It would prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of children’s food and beverage containers composed of or containing Bisphenol A, and for other purposes, according to the overview on OpenCongress.com. The bill would also provide funding for additional research on BPA through the National Institute of Environmental Health. If you are rightfully concerned about toxins that are hazardous to your family’s health, consider writing to your congressperson and encouraging them to support this legislation. It’s time to protect our children and the future health of us all.

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Does this scenario sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. More young families are more isolated and unprepared for the rigors of parenting then ever. It’s a tough job under the best of circumstances and our own internal expectations that we do it perfectly creates extra pressure. When pressure builds up it can make us dysfunctional. But, you love your children and you signed on for this job and if you see yourself slipping down the slippery slope of feeling hopelessly overwhelmed, it’s time to stop, take stock and organize a manageable life. It is possible, when you keep it all in perspective.

#1. Decide what your job is – do it and let go of the guilt for not being perfect.

This is the most important thing you can do because it’s going to eliminate the guilt that erodes our confidence and effectiveness as a parent. I used to think my job as a parent was to be perfect; to be everything for my children, to never allow them to be hurt or to be unable to meet their needs. I was wrong. I redefined my job as loving my children and providing them with a safe and nurturing home. There was a big difference in my internal calculation of those two jobs. One I could do, the other was a set up for failure. Take some time and decide what a realistic job description is for  you.

#2 Limit your commitments and get help.

If you’ve been one to sign on for committees at school or volunteer at your church or some charitable agency and your life is becoming unmanageable, it’s time to cut back on anything non-essential for your families survival and well-being. If you’ve already cut back everything you can and there still aren’t enough hours in the day, look around for help. If parents aren’t available, then look to friends to  share some parenting responsibility. The idea that it takes a village to raise a child is so true and we need a community to call upon when you need time to heal, to find a job or just get on top of 16 loads of laundry! When my kids were little we had a mothers group sponsored by the local Waldorf school where mothers with similar values, traded babysitting. The same can be arranged in a church group or among any social group you’re affiliated with. With some guaranteed time to catch up for all of us, it was a win/win.

#3 Look carefully at your financial health

This is a high priority because the number one issue that husbands and wives fight over and causes them the highest stress is financial insecurity. If you are sinking because you’re about to be evicted that’s going to take priority over everything else. Chances are in this economy your family has been stretched thin for awhile and one more event, like the car breaking down or hours being cut at work, has you in crisis mode. You are not alone. More middle class families are losing homes and going through radical adjustments than ever before in American history. We’re the country where things always get better, so it’s hard to face the fact that you may need to move down the mobility scale for a period.

Try not to be discouraged but see these changes as a temporary set back. Talk with your partner, your best friend, your parents, your religious mentor and stay confident that you will find a way through these hard times. Look for your strengths and consider getting additional career training. Make the tough choices to make life manageable and give you freedom from fear of  your world collapsing. Let it fall and pick up the pieces of what’s most important and rebuild around that.

#4 Establish habits and routines.

These are the nuts and bolts that hold the ship of our home together. It’s funny, but when I was younger, those words were anathema to me. I fancied myself a free spirit, a creative type who was spontaneous and ready for anything. When I became a parent and in 7 years had 4 children, I realized that I wouldn’t survive without routines and the more I could ‘habitualize’ the behaviors I wanted my children to learn, the easier my job became. Consider that much of what we do as a parent is maintenance. Keeping the fridge stocked, making meals, cleaning up after meals, keeping the laundry moving through the machines and keeping the house from becoming a disaster area. The trick is to create habits and routines for all these necessary evils and not let it overwhelm you.

If you can inculcate the concept that everything has a place and when you finish with it, it goes back to it’s place, you’ll be way ahead of the game by the time they’re teenagers. Kids can learn to carry laundry to the laundry basket as soon as they can walk. They can help stack dirty dishes in the dishwasher, put toys back in the box after playing with them, they can flush the toilet and wash their hands – all habits that are best started as soon as possible. They soak up these new ‘games’ when they are young and want to help, to participate, to earn your approval. When your child is grooming the dog and finishes, you simply ask, and where does that brush go now? Eventually, they get the concept that anything used has to go back to where it came from and this, believe me, makes a huge difference. Of course, you have to provide the place for everything to go back to in the first place….

For myself, I remember a nursery rhyme where each day of the week had it’s own chore assigned to it. I know my mother did laundry on one day and ironing on the next, but nowadays, chores don’t fit into such a neat schedule. Major tasks such as shopping and vacuuming get done on the weekend. Ironing, never happens in our house. However, cleaning the dishes and tidying the kitchen gets done every day because I can’t cook in a dirty kitchen. The less clutter, the less stress I feel so I try to make it automatic for everyone to keep things moving back to their designated places. I know I succeeded in getting this across to my kids when my youngest at age 2 announced that she needed to be put back in her place because she was sleepy. And so, we tucked her into bed.

#5 Spend some quality time with your children every day

Quality time is like vitamins for the soul of your child and you. These are the moments when the rest of our life makes sense because it allows us to push them on the swing in the sunshine and hear their laughter. Quality time, simply defined, is when you are able to give 100% of your attention to one child.  There is no other competition for your attention, internally or externally. Reading together, really looking at a picture they’ve drawn and talking about it, planting in the garden, going for a walk, not to get somewhere, but just to smell the day – are examples of quality time. If you’re gone all day, choose one activity and make it special. Bath time or reading a story together may be a perfect way to have that one on one exchange. Quality time can also be family time, such as eating a meal together or playing a game together. It’s a time to laugh and listen and simply relish your love for them. We need it every day.

#6 Create a safe and nurturing home.

Have you ever been in a home where the stress level was so high you felt like retreating immediately? A safe home, to me, should be free from abuse, violence, free floating stress and negative feedback. Abuse is a big subject, but inappropriate punishment, name calling and neglect are common abuses. Violence can be fighting between you and your spouse in plain view or behind closed doors. A child who sees violence or even fears the threat of violence is harmed. We may not realize that we are radiating stress when times are hard, but kids are little sponges and they feel it. Their ability to learn so much in such a short time is based on this hypersensitivity to clues from their environment. They’re always trying to figure out their place in your life. They can read your exhaustion as rejection and your frustration as blame and react accordingly. This means that it is imperative that you take care of yourself and your marriage so you are not emotionally unavailable to your children because of stress.

Try to remember that their minds and personalities are developing as much as their bodies. Just as we try to feed them nutritious foods, part of our job is to provide healthy and appropriate feedback to grow a positive self image. Children need to be applauded for their effort, for their accomplishments, no matter how small. You have to make it clear if you criticize, that it’s the behavior and not the person that needs to change. Read some good parenting books if this is hard for you to understand. How we communicate is probably the number one most influential factor affecting our children’s mental health. A nurturing home is where you know you are loved for who you are and that doesn’t change no matter what you do.

#7 Use Time-out as a teaching tool, not a punishment

Time-out is a critical piece in helping your children learn how to cope with their emotions. By about age 2, most children need time out when  they are feeling overwhelmed with anger and their behavior becomes destructive. Stopping a child from hitting another is not always possible, but when you see the anger escalating and their little fists flying, it’s time to intercede. Simply taking them a few steps away to a place where they can breathe through the emotions that are assailing their bodies can help them learn control over their emotions. Usually it’s better not to send them to their room, because this is felt as a punishment and their anger and pain can escalate.

Make the time-out based on how long it takes for them to get their emotions under control and stop the attacking behavior, but keep it short, it’s not punishment, it’s a time to regroup. If you are consistent with this, the time out typically gets shorter and a simple apology allows them back into the activity. As our kids got older, they switched this ritual into choosing to go to their room when they got upset and seemed to learn internal strategies to comfort themselves when emotionally hurt or offended. We all need time out occasionally and it’s a useful tool in raising little humans.

#8 Have an established bed time

Bedtime and nap time are so important because it’s during sleep that the body heals and grows and the mind integrates the learning of the day. Today, many children are not getting enough sleep. Some parents let their toddlers stagger about until they’re past exhaustion, hoping they will sleep later the next morning. But inadequate sleep can cause all kinds of disturbances in a child. Medically speaking, the following guidelines should be observed:

Birth                                      16 to 18 hours

First 6 months                         14 to 16 hours

6 to 12 months                         13 to 14 hours

12 months to 2 years             12 to 13 hours

2 to 6 years                         10 to 13 hours

6 to 12 year                         9 to 11 hours

12 to 18 years about             10 hours

Adults about                         8 hours

If your child isn’t getting enough rest, they’re more likely to act out, crave sweets and be emotionally fragile or volatile. With my first baby, she seemed to never sleep and I was afraid to put her down and let her cry. I walked her through the night and ended up useless the next day. I believed her hyper-sensitivity around bedtime was a kind of separation anxiety. Eventually, I realized we wouldn’t survive unless she  was able to go to sleep on her own. I started putting her down and not picking her up when she cried. Within 3 nights, she realized that crying wasn’t going to get me back and she went straight to sleep. My second child got the benefits of my experience with the uselessness of all night walking and was a good sleeper. And so it was established that after bath and story time, it was time to sleep – period. The advantage for you with clear bedtimes is that you have some small bit of grown up time with your spouse and are more likely to get the rest you need. Frankly, our ability to cope with the challenges of our life is enormously improved if we can just get enough sleep.

#9 Cultivate dreams and hopes

This may sound terribly airy-fairy, but I think it’s one of the things that makes the difference between a family that is surviving, versus a family that is thriving. In a positive, nurturing environment, kids want to share their dreams and hopes and parents support and try to make them happen. In a stressed and overwhelmed family environment, dreams are squelched quickly as impossible, unrealistic or selfish. As a child I remember visiting a friend who had moved to the country and had a horse. I came home full of excitement that maybe we could move to the country too. It was a particularly bad moment to voice my naïve hope and I got slammed down hard. I remember the decision I made in that moment, not to hope for much. It took years before that part of my soul felt safe to venture out again.

With my own kids, we used to play a game at the dinner table based on the question: “What would you do to change the world if you had unlimited money and power?” A pretty ambitious question, I admit, but the answers from their young minds spawned amazing conversations and interestingly, they all became social activists and idealists trying to change the world, somewhat along the lines of those conversations from their childhood. One answer from my 8 year old I will always remember, was that she would make me everyone’s mommy. Despite the impossibility of this we queried why she would do that. She answered, “because then everyone would be loved and people would be happy and there’d be no more war.” Out of the mouths of babes!

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Phthalates are also added to most beauty products from deodorants to hair gels to nail polish or anything made with an artificial fragrance. Because phthalates are used in the manufacture process of chemical fragrances, it is not a listed ingredient, but consider how many household or cosmetic products you use that are artificially fragranced!

Phthalates are also used as solvents in pesticides and in a variety of medical equipment, such as PVC tubing for the administration of IV medication or the bags that store donated blood. Phthalate containing plastics are even used to package many food products. In 1999, the European Union placed an emergency ban on any phthalate use in toys made for children under the age of three (a ban that has since been renewed), but the removal of any phthalates from US formulas and plastics is still totally voluntary with minimal compliance.

Bad for Baby Boys

Certain phthalates have been shown to negatively effect the kidneys, lungs, and blood clotting. These chemicals also effect the developing male reproductive tract, where the ability of phthalates to mimic estrogen (a female hormone) can disrupt genital development and cause a host of other problems for baby boys. Not only is this possible when the infant is exposed to phthalates himself, but also when his mother is exposed to them while he is in utero. This is important because the group of Americans found to have the highest exposure to phthalates is often women of child-bearing age.

As if being an endocrine disrupter and a probable carcinogen isn’t bad enough, it appears that phthalates have the ability to affect fertility by damaging the DNA of sperm, can cause serious allergies in children, and insulin resistance in adults (a condition which can lead to Type II diabetes). Despite all the research demonstrating the dangers of phthalates, these chemicals are still present in an alarming number of products that we encounter daily. In fact, it’s estimated that the average person uses at least 10 products daily with phthalates in them and we have no means to gauge the risk that represents – especially to our children.

The fact that we don’t have any reliable regulation of these chemicals seems a gross oversight. Scientists are just beginning to understand that exposure levels to these chemicals has skyrocketed over the last 50 years as plastics have replaced most other more natural materials in our world. As they leach into our food, our water, our air and are in a thousand products we use daily in our homes, the average American now carries a toxic load that may substantially affect their health. And our children have less developed immune systems and reach levels of toxic overload much more quickly than we do as adults.  Therefore, it is critical that we choose products carefully and avoid all PVC packaging and chemically fragranced products.

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