Homeopathy with my family

Arnica Gel for pain relief, Hyland's Teething tablets, and Boiron Cocyntal colic/gas drops ROCK!
Thank goodness for our homeopathic teething tablets!!! My little girl has recently cut her first two teeth. Exciting? Yes! Wet with drool?? Yes! New? Yes! Sad to watch? Yes!
Maya was a real trooper during the day while teething. She would chew on her sophie giraffe or other cool teething rings (I know, I know, I mentioned these already). I just wanted to emphasize how much our homeopathic meds have helped our baby already. Just the sight of the teething tab bottle now assures Maya that her discomfort will soon be soothed by the chamomile and extract of coffee that are some of the main ingredients of the tabs.
When Maya was first born my mom was staying with us and she made me all my old favorite foods: meat loaf, veggie casseroles, creamy rice with raisins..yum. My husband was also making some of my newer favorites: veggie pizza with cheese, vegetable pasta.. Well, we started noticing that every night around the same time Maya started arching her back and just screaming! I looked at my Nursing Mother's Companion book (you can check that out at: http://shop.nurturecenter.com/nurmotcom.html) and put two and two together---I was causing my baby to have A LOT of gas. Her face would get bright red and her whole body was angry. I remembered that a friend of mine had recommended the Boiron gas drops. As I slowly started an elimination diet for baby's gas I began cutting out dairy, dark green veggies, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and beans, we would use these drops for the residual gassiness. The diet change made a dramatic difference for Maya and I just found other versions of my fave foods. Now that Maya's stomach is "hardier" and more mature I just give her some of the drops if I have had something that is hurting my stomach to make sure it doesn't hurt hers as well.
Arnica gel--is awesome. I use it for bruising and soreness and have used it on Maya since her first set of shots. On a side note we are doing an alternative vaccine plan and Maya has had only two rounds of shots each session having only two vaccines. That said, we would bring the arnica gel and apply it to her thighs immediately after getting the shot. The combination of the gel and cool compresses have really helped ease the discomfort of those shots in the pudgy thigh.
I will be looking for homeopathic remedies for cold and flu symptoms as winter approaches to continue this more holistic approach to healing my little one. One that I am excited to try when the need arises is warm chamomile tea for baby with cough or sore throat. My pediatrician highly recommended it.
I also wanted to mention our good old friend Rescue Remedy by Bach's (http://www.bachflower.com/) and Motherlove Sitz Bath (http://www.motherlove.com/pressrelease-2004-11.php). I am pretty much a stress case and have had anxiety for my whole life and this really does help me as well as my baby AND my dogs. Let me tell you how the product works:
Rescue remedy "gently restore(s) the balance between mind and body by casting out negative emotions, such as, fear, worry, hatred and indecision which interfere with the equilibrium of the being as a whole. The Bach Flower Essences® allow peace and happiness to return to the sufferer so that the body is free to heal itself."
It seems like something that would have a placebo effect, right? Well it has worked for baby and dogs when they have no cognitive ability to anticipate that it is something good for them or helpful. Here are some situations where I used the Rescue Remedy on my baby girl (rubbed it on her forehead) and it calmed her and/or helped her sleep:
-When we were boarding a plane past her bedtime (aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!)
-When we were going to the Pediatrician
-When she was having a meltdown of terribly sad proportions.
Here are some times where I used it on my dogs (in case you are interested):
-When my chihuahua was attacking our new dog trainer. The trainer suggested it, I put several drops on the pup's nose, and she layed down on-leash next to the trainer
-During holidays or big gatherings at my house
-Car rides
-Times when we are anticipating separation anxiety (having someone dog-sit them)
Times when I've used it:
-During near-panic attack mode
-When not able to sleep
-When I'm feeling rushed or anxious in general
Sitz baths:
After my baby girl was born I had some stitches that needed to heal (from a vaginal delivery). At a certain point the skin/stitch area starts to feel tight and dry as the skin truly starts to heal through all layers of the dermis. Motherlove's Sitz Bath was great for this. It is made with: sea salt, sustainably crafted witch hazel leaf, certified organic yarrow and uva ursi. You can get either mesh bags for steeping or use loose-tea spoons and let them steep in your bath. I also used this sitz bath in baby girl's bath when her diaper rash was starting to heal and just looked so uncomfortable. We take baths with her (we take turns each evening) in our bath tub and I used about two of the spoons worth for half a tub full of water.