Mediceine and Homeopathic Med Questions????

When my daughter was going through teething or had gas,I got through it w/Homeopathics.Hylands has remedies that I was more comfortable with then the otc's.Teething tabs and colic for gas.It always did the trick!!
Best of luck!

HIGHLANDS ( i think ) or ask the store - it's over the counter at the rite aid store or drug store - baby section
great for teething - it's calms them down .

OMG! I remember when my son was getting his teeth, and I felt like unless I gave him something he wouldn't sleep because the teething, gas or whatever was making his life miserable. I have an Aunt who is so the same way as your Mom, and it's awful to see how her medicine cabinet is full of the most random meds and her routine of pill popping is insane!

However, I will tell you what my son's pediatrician told me...relax, you're doing the best you can. Your baby is need of comfort to help her feel better and right now that means teething tablets and whatever else works. My son's pediatrician recommended Motrian vs. Tylenol, as it lasts for longer periods of time...and my son hated orajel, so that was out. You aren't teaching her bad habits, and making her chemical dependent...my son is now two and is past the need of any of that stuff for comfort. In fact, we only break it out if he says, 'I hurt, Mommy' and he tells me where and we figure out if it warrents pain reliever.

This is one of the tough periods in your little girl's first year, and it sounds like you are trying your very best to make it comfortable and happy.

If as a toddler, or school age child, you give her meds for every little thing I can see that dependency occurring, but for now I think you're doing what you can and making a good effort to remain chemical free as much as possible...

Keep doing what you're doing!! Best wishes.

Articles you might want to browse for other homeopathic remedies...

http://www.parenttime.com/babyarticles/teethingnaturalrel...

http://www.providence.org/healthlibrary/contentViewer.asp...

when my daughter started teething bad her dr said to give her tylenol every four hours which i did because the teethinh tablets only last a few minutes. what i found that i absolutly love for teething is the gentle naturals teething drops (they are non chemical and work for 2 hours). now i hardly ever have to use tylenol when my daughter is teething unless she has a fever. i would try the drops :) they were a life saver for me! my daughter also started teething that 4.5 months and didnt break teeth through till 7. good luck!

You sound like a mom who is really trying her best to be attentive to little Jadzia's needs. Your heart is in the right place!

I'd encourage you to consider that Jadzia is growing in her needs for stimulation and awareness of her surroundings. I'd like to suggest you adding some steps to your routine ahead of offering any homeopathics or medications.
1. If she is cranky, fussy, or crying try a change of scene before reaching for any medicines. Especially heading outdoors! The fresh air and delight over all the wonders of the outdoors can really perk up moms and babies.
2. As a nursing mama, try to see if she will comfort at your breast. The close connection and action of nursing actually decreases the stress chemicals within both mom and baby's bodies; decreases any actual pain she may be in; and allows you to stop and assess all the other possiblities for her fussiness to come up with other (non-medicated) alternatives.
3. Please check out The Happiest Baby on the Block. It offers multiple practical ways for you to soothe your fussy baby. Once you figure out the combination that works for your baby, it is almost magical how quickly you can soothe your little one! Especially as a first time mom, it can really increase your confidence to have proven tools of soothing that you can use with immediate success.

Blessings as you grow in your ability to sooth, nurture and care for your precious Jadzia!

My son is 15 months and is a teething crazy monster! He needs soemthing to chew on a lot or a pacifier. He does usually get the teething drops (same as the teething tablets) or tylenol at least once a day. He is in a lot of pain and once he has the "medicine" in his system (either one) his attitude improves dramatically. I do try to avioid giving to him if at all possible and have lots of toys in the freezer for him to chew on or simply crushed ice wrapped in a rag. It's messy but is such a great way to numb them up without giving them any chemicals. hey, our parents used to use whiskey or brandy on us before all the new things that are out. If you are following the package and it's helping your daughter, don't feel bad. Be confident that you are being a great mom and helping your little sweetie feel better!

T., you are a SMART mother to be looking at the future of your actions now. I would like to refraim your definition of a hypochondriac. It is a person who has never had an ACURATE diagnosis of symptoms so that they could be treated. They keep experiencing symptoms, feelings, and fears that become more and more compounded. In working with real symptoms, you want to seek out expert guidance and find someone that gives you real answers. A naturalpath (or naturopath) who diagnoses with muscle testing, can get to the CAUSE of the symptom and recommend natural remedies, supplements, and food-as-medicine to bring balance to the whole body. The symptoms will disappear once the cause is addressed. If your baby is having gas, there may be foods that he/she is eating that don't agree with his/her body. You might want to keep a food diary journal to discover when he/she is having gas. Is it related to a food or food group? If you come up with your own answer, that will solve it. If not, the food journal can still be a helpful tool when you are working with a professional.

My mother is the exact same way so I completely understand your concern. It has caused me to not take meds even when I need them. I realized this recently when I pulled my back out and suffered needlessly for months until my doctor told me that a simple advil would do wonders. It worked and it made me think that I have been depriving not only myself, but my daughter from something that might make her feel better because of my own issues. I think a little Tylenol, or Motrin when needed will make them feel better, sleep better and ease their suffering. I only use it when nothing else works..and usually only at night when we all need some sleep. Just remember though, she will be teething for a LONG time. I swear it starts at 4 months and just keeps on going getting harder with each bigger tooth. Good Luck!

Do you KNOW that it is because of gas and/or teething?

If it is teething, it won't go on forever and as a regular routine for "weeks." And, if giving her Tylenol and Oragel does "not" seem to help...then there is no reason to keep doing it.
Also, for "pain" sometimes infant Motrin works better. But ask your Ped about the amount.

Also, babies also cry for no reason as well... they cry and we cannot always know "why" or nor do we "have to" give them something for it. Sometimes they just need a cuddle or us, as they are going through normal developmental changes, monthly.

And too, since she is only 4.5 months old and on "solids", even if per Doctor's "okay"...maybe she is just getting indigestion sometimes? A baby's digestive system is STILL developing at this age... and it may simply not be ready for solids yet.

There is also something called "Hyland's Colic Tabs." (it is homeopathic) It is not just for "colic" but for any type of gas and/or indigestion problems for infants. Try that... my girl had BAD BAD gas problems as a baby and she was just high-needs... but this helped her and us. You can get it from amazon.com

Good luck,
Susan

How often is she crying like she is in pain? Have you noticed any pattern with sleep after any of the treatments? I've been able to figure some things out with my kids by keeping a little journal entry to figure out patterns of food, activity and sleep. It's helped me figure out how to best avoid and treat headaches, tummy aches, tooth aches, etc. It also helps doctors as they may see a pattern that has been overlooked.

I have a 16-year old son and an almost 2-year old daughter. I find that kids generally go through bouts of sickness for a month and then they're good for a few months until they get sick again. There have been times when they get (or got) about 3 different types of medicine for quite a while but they survive.

Just remember this too shall pass!

Soon she will have most of her teeth and then there will be something else to worry about.

I am sort of funny about medication. I have 4 children, the oldest is 9 and the youngest is 1. I made it a rule to give my children (and myself) medicine only if it is at all necessary. If there is any way to avoid it I will do so. I know tylanol can be damaging to the liver and kidneys if overdosed and at such a young age it is hard to measure right...especially since your baby was a bit early and might be lighter and younger than what it states for her age. I would be careful to give it to her.

I might sound like a terrible mom but I also feel that a bit of uncomfortable-ness is good for growth and I want my children to learn that they can get through it on their own.

At least during the day, and I will do my best to take the time to cuddle them and play and take their mind off of the issue.

At night, if they cannot sleep, keep waking up and I know it is their gums I will do only a tiny bit of oragel for theething. you should try it on your own gums for dosing since a teeny tiny bit goes a long way. I always go with the size of a seed bead. or the top bump of the letter B on your keyboard...I massage it in where I know it hurts and it completely numbs the gums. My babies always fell fast asleep after that. Most of the time so quickly that they did not even remember that I did anything to them.

Nowadays I feel that even adults grab medicine too quickly, no one works through things anymore. That is
not a good habit and definitely not one you want to instill in your child.
Either way, I would not worry too much about the "normal" little pains she goes through, try to keep your cool and keep the use medicine for the times that she is really sick. Most of all be excited about the sweet little teeth that your baby is working so hard for!
good luck!
sincerly,
C.

Hi T.,
I am a mother of two children, ages 4 and 8. I gave both my son and daughter the same treatment you are giving your baby when they were babies and they did just fine. Its okay to give them homeopathic remedies and often if needed. You are following the doses on the package so you are not overmedicating them. Dependency is a good question. I look at it this way. The baby is reaching out to you for something because something is making them uncomfortable or they are in pain. A baby will become dependent on many things such as love, hugs, kisses, etc... I wouldn't worry about giving too much of something. Paying attention to the baby's needs is most important and that you are doing. She will be okay. My son started on gripe water for gas when he was 3 weeks old and it helped tremendously. I didn't need to give gripe water to my daughter but, I had to start her on protein at 4 months because her body needed it. I was very concerned about giving her baby food at such a young age but, I was nursing her every hour for several days and finally talked with the homeopathic pharmacist who made the conclusion. My daughter is A+ like me and that blood type needs protein. Both of my children are doing great. I have also worked in the healthcare industry for almost 18 years so I feel very comfortable sharing this advice with you. Keep doing what you are doing.

D. V.

I wouldn't worry about your baby being in the habit of taking stuff to feel better. She is too young for that. If anything it sounds like it's you that's in the habit (I don't want that to sound rude) but you also seem to be conscious of it so it is in check. this teething stuff will pass. good luck!

same with my baby. I let her tough it out. While doing so, I spend extra time with her. When she is in pain, we hug and play together. She is kind of funny because during the process she cries, stops, hugs, play, cry, stops, hugs, play. It goes on until she feels better. It can be tiring because it leaves you little time for yourself. When my husbands comes home to a messy house, he knows baby was teething for the day. I call it extra needy.

Please go to www.kygoldmine.com that page will open to skin care but go to the top of the page and read about the juice. I gave this to my grandson when he was teething. i just put it on my finger and rubbed it on his gums. Now they have single packs that you can freeze and put a little in the mouth at a time. This is a natural antiinflammatory so you don't have to use the tylenol and you don't have to worry about side effects. He is 5 now and when he has allergies or coughs or is sick we give it to him first. His Mom and Dad do too but not as much as we do , but I have noticed they give it to him more frequently.

You can call me ###-###-####

S.

Have you tried gripe water - it does wonders, especially for gas. Although it does not work for teething directly, it has a calming effect on babies. It is natural and can be bought online. Woodwards is the best brand.

T.,

If she's that miserable, I'd be asking your doctor about reflux and I'd recommend that you try cutting dairy out of your diet. My son was low-grade miserable to flat out miserable until I cut all both dairy and soy out of my diet (obvious and hidden). Turns out he's allergic to both. He went from a fussy, uncomfortable baby to a happy smiley boy. We were also able to dramatically reduce and then eliminate his reflux medication once all the dairy and soy got out of my system and his. He didn't have obvious reflux - he didn't spit up a lot. It was just backing up into his esophagus and making him miserable, not coming out his mouth. That is called silent reflux.

But, in my experience, when you've got a gassy, miserable breastfed baby, chances are it is something in your diet bothering her and it is most likely dairy. Check out www.askdrsears.com and look under "colic causing foods" for a list of the other most likely problem foods. An elimination diet isn't the most fun thing to do but you really only need to commit a few weeks to it. In 3 weeks you'll have a good idea if it is working or not.

:-)T.