Winter...the dreaded season of sickness. Before having Blake, I didn't think too much about the cold season being a big deal. I typically get one cold a year and I push through it usually without even taking any medications for it. (When Collin gets a cold, it's a different story...can anyone say MAN COLD?! :) ) But since having Blake, Collin and I have gotten several colds along with Blake and because of that, I have learned a few natural ways of getting through a cold. 

Let me preface this by saying that there is nothing wrong with going to the doctor. If you have have flu symptoms or cold symptoms lasting longer than a week, I would recommend giving your doctor a call. Modern medicine can be a good thing! However, when my family has the common cold, I am confident in these few natural remedies to get us through!

When the first signs of a cold appear...

I break out the Vitamin C. We eat oranges, drink orange juice, and Collin & I take Vitamin C supplements. This gives us a boost of antioxidants and it allows us to get a jump start on the sickness. For Blake, I give her Hyland's Ferrum Phosphoricum tablets. Ferrum Phos. is one of the 12 mineral cell salts and it helps to stimulate the body's natural healing process. When the cell salts are replenished, your body is better prepared to fight off sickness. The other thing we do right away is turn on our humidifier. We run this overnight in our bedroom and it helps to keep the air more moist (sorry to anyone who hates this word!) which helps us breathe easier. Your indoor humidity level should be around 40%-50% in the winter months and a humidifier really helps to keep it within this range. Most newer thermostats will have a humidity reading on it. We use the Nest Thermostat and we can see the humidity level right from our phones!

Because babies can be prone to ear infections...

I bought an otoscope. I spent an hour or so watching YouTube videos to figure out how to use an otoscope and learn what to look for in a healthy eardrum versus an infected ear drum. I also begged Collin to let me practice by looking in his ears about 100 times. Sorry babe! Once I figured out what I was looking for, I was set. When Blake has a cold, I will check her ears once a day. As soon as I notice an infection starting, I will put two drops of Mullein Oil in each ear and so far, it has helped her from getting an ear infection! To me, preventing an ear infection naturally is important because I hate pumping a bunch of antibiotics into Blake's little body when the antibiotic may not even help anyways because most ear infections are due to a virus. 

Other things I have on hand to get through a cold...

• Kinsa Thermometer : we actually have two Kinsa brand thermometers. I love them because they sync to an app on my phone so I can monitor each person's temperature. Collin and I use the Smart Stick Digital Thermometer and we use the Digital Smart Ear Thermometer for Blake. (We actually have this one that looks like Elmo and Blake LOVES it!)
• Hall's Cough Drops : Collin particularly loves these when he is sick. He keeps a handful in his pocket and it gives his throat temporary relief from coughing. 
• Throat Coat Tea : This is one of my favorite teas! I sometimes drink it even when I'm not sick because it is just that good! It is very soothing on your throat and we like to add a spoonful of honey for an extra boost for the immune system.
• Nose Frida : Blake is not a fan of this one, but when she has a runny nose, it helps so much! We usually do this a few times a day and it cuts down on the amount of times we have to wipe Blake's nose. I like it much better than the bulb aspirators because it is much less invasive.
• A big water bottle : I can't say how important it is to stay hydrated when you are sick! We all have a water bottle that we have with us pretty much 24/7 and when we are sick, you better believe we are filling it up more often!

These are just a few of the ways I have learned to help us get through sickness in my almost 4 years of being a wife and 13 months of being a mother. Surely you have other ways of preventing sickness in your household. Please let me know in the comments what works for you and your family as I am always looking for more natural ways to fend off the dreaded MAN COLD! ;) 

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