Filed under: Natural Treatments, Treating Infections | Tags: antibiotics, coconut oil, colloidal silver, epsom salt, essential oils, garlic, grapefruit seed extract, honey, MRSA, probiotics, soap, tea tree oil, vitamin D
MRSA is a serious bacterial infection, and one should always seek the care of a qualified health care professional for diagnosis and treatment. However, there are many natural options for this antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria, some of which can be complimentary to antibiotics…some of which may actually work better than antiobiotics. This list is only meant to give you an idea of what options are available. Please do your own research for each of these treatments before attempting them.
- Tea tree oil (topical)–may be used to enhance the effects of other topical treatments
- Colloidal silver (topical and oral)
- Vitamin D to boost immune system
- Manuka honey 16+ or higher (topical and oral/treatment and prevention)
- Probiotics following antibiotics to restore gut flora
- Epsom salt baths to draw out infection
- Healthy diet (prevention)
- Avoid anti-bacterial soap/cleaners
- Do not use soap on body (strips away a protective bacterial layer on skin)
- Tea tree oil combined with retinol and/or topical -cycline antibiotic cream
- DHA supplements
- Young Living essential oils–”Thieves” blend, lemongrass oil
- Raw garlic/garlic oil (topical/oral)
- Coconut oil
- True Rife machine
Not by any means a comprehensive list, but just off the top of my head, these are the go-to books, blogs, and websites I would recommend to new parents interested in natural parenting. Many of these sources helped me a good deal in developing my parenting style, and others served well as support–because when you decide to be a mindful parent, you will likely take a road less traveled, and it’s always nice to have support along the way.
Books
The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedloff
Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-loh (a how-to book for elimination communication)
Diaper Free! Natural Infant Hygiene by Ingrid Bauer (the inspirational book)
Aware Baby and Tears and Tantrums by Aletha Solter (She promotes allowing babies to cry in arms if all their needs are met, rather than automatically plugging them up with a pacifier or breast or distracting them…basically she says that we all need to de-stress by crying sometimes, even babies. It’s about being there and supporting them while they release their emotions. It’s a challenging concept–nobody likes to hear their baby cry–but it’s nice to know that after you’ve fed the baby, burped the baby, changed the baby, held the baby, and done everything else you can think that the baby can possibly need or want, and the baby is still crying, that it’s okay to just hold her while she cries. The second book really helped prepare me for tantrums.)
Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen (I almost think you have to read this one if you read Solter’s books, because while crying is important, so is laughter and play).
Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small (Talks about common parenting practices from different cultures…kind of a wake-up call that no one culture has it “perfect” but there are many options for raising kids…you definitely don’t have to do what is mainstream in your own culture. I personally like to steal ideas I like from other cultures and apply them to my parenting.)
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
I haven’t read these two, but they are popular among natural parents: Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort, and Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn. There is also a booklist compiled by members of The Continnum Concept Forum:
http://continuumlife.wordpress.com/booklist/
Websites/Blogs
Hobo Mama – Everything natural parenting you could possibly think of.
Peaceful Parenting – Lots of posts about circumcision, but other important topics are covered as well.
My World Edenwild – This is my blog. I write a lot about elimination communication and gentle parenting, as well as just life stuff. I have a list of other blogs in my side bar if you want more. Also check out Hobo Mama’s blogroll.
Natural Parents Network – This is a new website, co-founded by Hobo Mama and another blogging mom. Tons of useful articles.
Continuum Concept Forum - If you read the book and decide you like the concept, there is a forum you can join.
Mothering.com A complement to Mothering Magazine (my #1 choice for parenting magazines), you can find lots of great stuff here, including forums.
I don’t read quite as much of the informational stuff anymore. I mostly read blogs whose authors I connect with. So, go now, fill your brain up till it’s ready to explode and then connect with mamas who have similar values and viewpoints, and you’ll feel well-supported. 
Filed under: Breastfeeding, Trouble-shooting | Tags: grapefruit seed extract, probiotics, thrush
I’ve already written a post on recognizing and treating thrush, but as I’ve got thrush for about the forth time in the last two-plus years of nursing, and I got some advice from a midwife/naturopath, I thought I’d share her wisdom with you:
To treat thrush, get a small, clean spray bottle (I’d recommend a new one). Using distilled water, make a solution of 10 drops grapefruit seed extract (GSE) to one ounce of distilled water. More resistant cases may need concentrations of 15 or 20, but start with 10. She recommended GSE without a glycerine base, but I’ve used the glycerine-based kind and it works fine. Shake the solution before you use it. Spray on the affected area once every waking hour.
At night, use a caster oil compress. Take an 8×8 square of flannel and put it in a baking dish. Pour a 4 oz bottle of caster oil over it. Bake on low (approx 110 degrees) for ten minutes. Wring out excess oil, then fold up the flannel to a size that will cover the affected area. Make sure it isn’t too hot, and place over affected area and cover with Saran Wrap. Use something like an old bra to hold it in place. Use a hot water bottle or heating pad to place over compress to keep it warm. To this when going to bed. Keep compress in place for a minimum of two hours and up to overnight.
Don’t wear a bra while at home. Keep the breast aired out as much as possible.
Cut back on sugar. If thrush/yeast is a recurring problem, you may need to be on a low-sugar diet.
Do all of the above for 3-5 days. If thrush doesn’t clear up, contact your healthcare provider.
That’s her advice to me. I’d also recommend probiotic supplements and cultured foods. Oregano oil is supposed to help with yeast problems as well, and they sell it in softgel form.
Filed under: Personal Hygiene, Self-Care | Tags: apple cider vinegar, baking soda, no 'poo
Last year I tried to go no ‘poo, not using shampoo. Shampoo is damaging to the hair, and depending on what’s in it, it can be bad for the environment or even your health. At best, it is going to remove the natural oils that make your hair look healthy and lovely.
For some, the no ‘poo regimen involves using baking soda on the hair instead of shampoo, and an apple cider vinegar rinse. That’s right, my best hair conditioner also comes from the kitchen! Even though the no ‘poo didn’t work for me that time, the apple cider vinegar (ACV) was a keeper.
ACV makes my hair so shiny and easy to comb through. It feels so soft. It’s inexpensive, and it’s safe. And oh, hey, it’s eco-friendly, too. I randomly told a cashier at my grocery store about it, and she happened to be going to a hair school and informed me that ACV has the same acidity as hair, which is why it’s so good for it. So there you go, it’s even approved by a hair school student.
You may need to experiment to find the right concoction for your hair. Try using two tablespoons in a cup of water, put in a spray bottle and spray onto the hair after washing. Let it sit there for a while so it can do its magic and then rinse thoroughly. I don’t do this with every washing, just when I feel like my hair needs it. Just be aware that over-doing it can make your hair feel weighed down–just like with any conditioner.
I’ve completely replaced my conditioner with ACV. Now, if only I can get rid of the shampoo that my hair seems to hate so much.
I’ve tried so many things to clean my face over the years, and nothing has worked as well as this. Are you ready for it?
Baking soda.
That’s right, the best facial cleanser I’ve used, I got from my own kitchen. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has so many great uses, and it’s so inexpensive. It’s non-toxic and earth-friendly. And it makes the gentlest, yet most effective face scrub I have ever used.
To use it as a scrub, put about a 1/4 teaspoon in the palm of your hand and add just enough water to make a paste (alternatively you can wet your face, dip your fingers into the baking soda and then apply directly to your face). Gently massage soda on your face. The tiny particles work like a gentle microdermabrasion to remove the dead skin. If it feels too abrasive, just wet your fingers with some water and water down the soda on your face. It will turn from a face scrub to a face wash. You can adjust it to fit the needs of your face for individual washings.
My face reacts very well to the baking soda. I don’t get acne flare-ups like I often do with other products, including “natural” ones. The one caveat is that it is a little drying to do the scrub (I think using it as a wash isn’t so drying). You don’t want to beat up your skin, so only do the scrub as often as you need it, and use a moisturizer afterward.
Over at 5 Seed, the philosophy is to just leave your face alone, putting as little stuff on it as possible. Maybe one day I won’t need to use the baking soda every day, but I think it’s a great option for when you do need to use something.
Filed under: Breast Infections, Breastfeeding, Trouble-shooting | Tags: grapefruit seed extract, nursing pain, thrush, yeast
A question came up today from one of the members in the parenting/breastfeeding group that I belong to. Upon responding, I realized I needed to put that information here.
Thrush is such a huge obstacle when it comes to breastfeeding. One of the moms in my parenting group actually gave up nursing because of it (though she diligently pumped and fed her baby breastmilk for six months, bless her heart!). Thrush can be very painful, and sometimes you can’t even tell that you have it. For example, one of the symptoms is pink nipples (which doesn’t help much if your nipples are normally pink!). Here is a list of symptoms from Dr Jay Gordon’s website:
- Unusually pink or red nipples.
- Cracked or bleeding nipples
- Itching or burning nipples
- A shooting pain deep within the breast
- Pain that continues throughout a nursing session
- White patches inside the baby’s mouth. (the inside of his cheeks is a “thrive” zone and an easy to identify location)
- Yeast infections in other locations (diaper area, vaginal)
I’ll add that the nipples can get white “flakes” on them, looking like dead skin cells that won’t come off.
I had noticed in my son that his lips looked like they had a whitish translucent film on the inner side of them. I didn’t really think much of it, it was pretty faint. It wasn’t until it got worse and he also developed patches inside his cheeks that I realized what it was. The very first symptom was nipple pain, though. Nursing hurt, which I originally attributed to latch problems. After I noticed the thrush, I realized it was probably the thrush that was making it hurt so bad!
I diligently searched the web for a natural remedy. The remedies I found were gentian violet, Nystatin (this is an anti-fungal drug), and grapefruit seed extract (GSE). I couldn’t find the GSE at first, so we got a prescription for Nystatin. Nystatin is a gentle drug and it goes right through the baby’s digestive tract without being absorbed into the bloodstream, so it is very safe. It is squirted into the cheeks of the baby. It can also be used on your nipples. But most brands are made with sugar, and sugar feeds yeast. My son’s thrush actually got worse after I gave him this. I was going to try gentian violet next, but then I read of an Australian study that linked over-use of gentian violet to mouth cancer. It’s very powerful, and will probably work, but I don’t recommend it as a first option. It also stains purple. I tried vinegar on my nipples (a home remedy) but that just irritated it, and Clortrimazole anti-fungal cream (recommended by my baby’s doctor) which furthur irritated it and didn’t work. Plus, I didn’t like the idea of my baby nursing from a nipple coated in that stuff.
So, I looked again for the GSE and found it at a supermarket that is stocked with natural remedies. It’s not very expensive, and works great as a natural antiseptic, so it’s good to have on hand, anyway. Basically, to use it for thrush, you put 10-20 drops (depending on resistence of the thrush) into one ounce of distilled water and apply it to the nipple. I only had to apply it once or twice a day, but if your thrush is really bad you may have to do it more. It worked quickly and effectively for me. I also let my nipples dry out completely after each feeding (at night I would leave them uncovered). Go braless if possible. Get some sunlight on your breasts (sunlight kills yeasts and other germs). For more information on treating with GSE see this article by Dr Jay Gordon.
To prevent recurrence (yeast is very stubborn) go braless when possible, and always let your nipples dry as much as possible after a feeding. Eating a healthy diet with probiotics and low in sugar and processed foods may help, too. Avoid unneccessary antibiotics. The friendly bacteria in your body helps keep yeast in check.
For more tips on treating thrush, see Dr Sears website. Try not to let the yeast get out of hand. If any yeast infection is allowed to worsen excessively, it can cause serious problems. If the treatment you try doesn’t work, please try another. See a health care professional if your thrush (or other yeast infection) does not clear up.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Hello Readers,
Sorry there isn’t much on my blog yet. I keep thinking of stuff to put on here, but I have been so busy “being pregnant.” Pregnancy has been an incredible journey for me, and I can’t wait to share all the stuff I’ve learned. But for now, my mind is very dedicated to the upcoming birth of my child.
Hopefully, after I get settled into life with my new baby, I will get on board filling this blog with lots of useful information and links. It’s amazing the info you can find out there, if you just look hard enough. There are some real treasures of knowledge that somehow just slip by unnoticed by the general public. It’s sad, but true. My goal is to collect these treasures and put them here for others to access. Soon, I hope.
Long ago I became concerned with the toxicity of household cleaners. Luckily, many “green cleaners” are on the market today. But did you know you can save money by cleaning with some common household items? One of these is vinegar. If vinegar is safe to consume, then it’s definitely safe to clean with. I personally don’t like the smell, but it washes away pretty easily. It kills bacteria, mold and other germs, unclogs drains, cuts grease, and even deordorizes. For 10 ways of using vinegar to clean your home, and other healthy home tips, visit Care2.com.
