Natural Cold Help

Thursday night, Charlotte had a wee cold going to bed, so we turned on her cool-mist vaporizer. Feeling the need for just a bit more, I added to the top tray of the vaporizer (against my better judgement) the "Medicated Vaporizing Steam Liquid" that Joe had picked up when he bought the vaporizer last year. Just a bit. To help her congestion. The back states it is safe for children, and although I usually prefer to go a more natural route, I was honestly too tired to go back downstairs and rummage through my cabinets for my oils and balms. Lazy I was, and I paid for it in the middle of the night when she woke with the most awful sounding breathing/coughing I have ever heard come from my babes. I grabbed my stethescope and listened to her lungs which sounded equally awful. A scary moment, as thoughts of respiratory distress rushed through my brain. I thought hard about bringing her to the ER. Now I will tell you that I am quite conservative when it comes to ER visits. In my 11 years and 5 children worth of mothering, I have maybe made that trip with them three times. Once was when my first was about 3 and I suspected appendicitis (it was not), another when Garrett broke his ankle, and the other a couple years ago when I thought perhaps my now 3 year old had swallowed a marble (she did not). Aside from her breathing, Charlotte was smiling, alert, and active and so I decided to try the "sitting in a steamy bathroom" trick. Now I know cool humidity is recommended now-a-days, but the house already felt so cold, it being the middle of the night and all, so we tried steam. We sat and played in the bathroom for a good half hour with the doors closed and the shower turned as hot as it would go. It worked wonderfully and before nursing her, praying for her, and putting her back to bed I applied some of our Breathe Better Balm to her chest and behind her ears. And I did not turn her vaporizer back on until I had removed what was left of that medication from the top tray. I can't say for sure that it was the medication that caused her breathing troubles, but I can't help but feel that it was.

Now let me add, so that I don't come across as an extremist, that I do believe that there is a time and place for medical intervention. I am a nurse. I think medical professionals are great. But, as a nurse I see the ER flooded non-stop with people, many of whom have forgotten how to help themselves and their children. 

That morning, though her breathing sounded better, she still had a nasty cold and so I was thankful I had made a large batch of my echinacea/chamomile/nettle tea. To make, you simply throw a handful of each of these botanicals into a quart mason jar and pour hot water to fill the rest. Set aside to "steep" for several hours, strain, and add about a half gallon of water. Store in the fridge. Feed the spent herbs to the chickens :)

I simply gave her this tea, warmed, with a bit of raw honey (I felt safe to do this as she will be a year old next week- it is not advised to give honey to babies under a year) and some milk. She drank it right up. About 3- 6oz bottles worth, throughout the day and her condition improved significantly as the day wore on. I also massaged the Breathe Better Balm,which contains eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon, mint and beeswax, into her chest a few more times as well. She smelled so pleasant :) I woke yesterday with a scratchy throat, runny nose, and congested head as well, and drank the tea myself several times. Today, I am 100% better. You can get dried herbs here: http://www.bulkherbstore.com/ or from several other online sites, or any natural food store in your area. Or, you can try your hand at growing your own- as I plan to do this Spring. I'm just loving learning more and more about the healing properties of herbs. It is true, God gave us these for a reason.

 

Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

 

Psalms 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth.

 

Be well,

Elizabeth