Our family has been utilizing homeopathy for common ailments since we were introduced to them during my first pregnancy by our midwives. Our knowledge has been somewhat limited as my internet research has turned up misleading news and contradictory information. The medical model of care was heavily relied on with our second son due to respiratory problems as a newborn and my lack of education regarding how homeopathy can treat long-term ailments like asthma, among other things. There is even some words written on how homeopathics can tame tantrums in young children. Our first daughter, Jaden has been very healthy and we hadn’t had a reason to learn about how homeopathy works.

I won’t pretend to be an expert when it comes to homeopathy, actually I find that it can be hard to understand but I do know enough to want to use them. And there is plenty to be learned by the beginner so that common ailments can be treated at home simply by taking note of the symptoms and behavior of the person to be diagnosed. When home diagnosis can not be done or one is uncomfortable with diagnosing at home, a naturopath can be called on.

But you can get a homeopathic kit for your home. They come in handy and are very affordable.

And so our real trust in homeopathy sprouted when we called on a naturopath with our third child, Annie, when we couldn’t calm her or her cough. We had tried a few different homeopathic remedies. With one, Allium cepa, we did see some hopeful results but those were short-lived. I just didn’t know enough about homeopathy to feel like I could just give her the next best remedy that fit her symptoms because we didn’t want superficial relief…she needed attention. At this point I usually would have called the pediatrician as we had done so many times before with Nathanael. But now we lived in a different place where the community demanded a more holistic approach to health care. We made our first visit ever to a Naturopathic Physician in over four-and-a-half years of parenting.

We found Dr. Borg is Eugene, Oregon just down the way from our house. We got in quick for an acute visit and it was great. She really cared about what was going on with Annie. She wanted to know everything that she had been doing that might be related to her sickness.  It was a great to have someone genuinely listen; I had so many times before told a pediatrician all of the things that we, as parents, would make mental notes about regarding changes in our little babies that we knew weren’t normal only to be dismissed with a prescription for some ‘blanket’ antibiotic or other prescription.

So we got our recommendation from the Eugene, OR Naturopath. Surprisingly enough it was common Chamomilia. I would have never guessed myself that Chamomilia could have been the remedy. She recommended it in a strength that probably only a professional or someone very versed in homeopathy should recommend and it did the job. Annie was shortly back to her old self. She still had the cough and the Naturopath followed up by calling us and letting me know she wanted me to come back in for a no-cost visit just so she could listen to Annie’s lungs again. Now I know that some pediatricians can be this attentive but I also know that kind of genuine interest is hard to come by in the modern world of western medicine.

Currently I am on a mission to teach myself as much as I can about homeopathic remedies that I can use at home. To help me collect the information I need I have chosen a couple of books to reference: Encyclopedia of Homeopathy
and The Complete Homeopathy Handbook: Safe and Effective Ways to Treat Fevers, Coughs, Colds and Sore Throats, Childhood Ailments, Food Poisoning, Flu, and a Wide Range of Everyday Complaints
and of course I will have my trusty Naturopathic Physician. And in the meanwhile, here are some links to information about homeopathy and homeopathic remedies that you might find educational.

What is Homeopathy? (This page explains homeopathy in a clear, organized manner.

And of course there is Wikipedia’s Homeopathy 101 (can’t leave them out)

I have found that having a homeopathic kit is the best idea since one really needs a small aresenal of remedies at their fingertips. Boiron makes the HomeoFamily Kit. It’s the best deal I have found for a kit. It is sugar pellets that need to be crushed between two spoons when giving to an infant which is not a big deal. They are the ones I use.

Update 8.2.09

Nathanael has taken well to the last remedy that Dr. Borg of Eugene, Oregon prescribed. Nathanael has also been dairy free for the last 8 weeks also which was recommended by our naturopath because when remedies appear to work and then fail it can sometimes be caused by underlying immune responses to allergens. Now that Nathanael’s immune system has been freed from the allergen it has the energy to correct his constitutional health.  This is the first 8 week spanse of time that Nathanael hasn’t had a breathing problem.

I’m part of a discussion board with a group of women that I became close with during my third pregnancy. For the most part, all of us are interested in things that have to do with natural family living. This discussion board is how I learned about this cheap, inexpensive, organic facial cleansing method called Oil Cleanse Method (OCM).

I guess the cleansing method isn’t necessarily organic unless you buy organic materials but at the very least it is as pure and natural as you can get. And it won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

When I tell people about this Oil Cleanse Method their reaction is one of surprise. Honestly, it was slightly out of my comfort zone when I heard about it. Not because I didn’t believe it would work and live up to all the rave reviews my internet buddies were giving it, but because I like to buy face care products and I really love the spendy ones. Recently though I have made a commitment to spend less and save more so I had to give the Oil Cleanse Method a try. If you don’t have any of the products on hand then you may need to spend about $25 to obtain them but I can’t even tell you how long that product will last you.

Here is what I use:

Recycled container (I have a small trial size container with a ‘pop’ lid that I use)
Organic Jojoba Oil
Castor Oil
Essential Oil of Lavender

Optional ingredients: Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil

I mix 20% Castor Oil to 80% Organic Jojoba Oil and then I add about 5-8 drops of lavender oil to approximately 3 oz. of mix. Grapeseed oil is known to reduce the signs of aging so if you want to mix some of that in you can. But, I highly recommend using Jojoba oil as the larger base because the oil of Jojoba is what is closest to our skin’s natural occurring sebum.

Now, here’s how to cleanse with this oil. Have a clean washcloth on hand. Splash your face with warm water and pat dry. Place a small amount of oil (maybe a quarter’s size) in the palm of your hand and apply to your face rubbing in a circular motion. Do this until it feels like your skin has absorbed some of the oils. Wet the clean washcloth with hot water, ring it out to be just damp and lay over your face while pressing on the cloth firmly. Once the cloth isn’t hot anymore use it to gently remove any excess oil.

That’s it. You are done.

After cleansing with this inexpensive organic cleansing method your face will feel so soft. And in the morning you most likely won’t feel overly oily which will prevent you from having to cleanse again, stripping away your skin’s precious oils. I recommend using just this Oil Cleanse Method for at least one week. You may notice some blemishes or pimples but just wait and see how fast they clear up. These are caused by your skin pushing out hardened sebum from overproduction because it now has a healthy supply of oils.

This Oil Cleanse Method is so easy I’ve actually done it in bed while nursing my baby. My husband simply brought me a hot washcloth. I prefer to do it at night because that is when I tend to have a little bit more time to pamper myself. Give this inexpensive organic facial cleanser a try and tell us what you think.

Neem oil is my favorite oil this year. With so many uses, you’ll be glad to have some around the house.

Neem oil is derived from the fruits and seeds of Neem trees. The smell isn’t great, some say it’s a nutty mix with some garlic and it has a bitter taste so don’t use it in the kitchen. Read more…

When babies are born and the umbilical cord is cut, it must be cared for until is falls off. Infection can be very dangerous to a newborn so it is important to be consistent with the care of the umbilical cord. Goldenseal powder works so well and is easy to use. Goldenseal has natural antibiotic properties and dries out the cord area quickly.

To use Goldenseal, just take a small pinch with clean hands and sprinkle on the cord area. As the cord becomes dry on the outside, use a cotton swab to get the powder down into the belly button. Do this about 3 times a day, cleaning the cord area with water and drying with cotton swabs before each application.

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This herbal after birth tea is meant to be drank soon after the birth of the placenta and for a few days after. It will help relieve after birth pains associated with childbirth and heal the uterus.

1/2 cup Comfrey
1 tb Shepard’s Purse Leaf
2 tb Nettle

Place herbs in a muslin bag or steep directly in 1 gallon of very hot distilled water. For best results, cover pot of water with a lid while herbs are steeping and steep for 6-8 hours. Drink tea over a 2-3 day period to relieve afterbirth pains. Store in refrigerator.