Look, most people who know me will agree - I'm a bit of a hippy at heart. I'm quite happy to admit that.
If there is a natural alternative / option for to help Matilda I will give it a go. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to give just anything a go but if it is safe then why shouldn't we avoid the medical alternatives and keep them for the serious occasions?
I have been discussing this with some of the other Mums around me lately with the bubs all having a fever at one stage or another. The general advice we all get is to give them paracetamol or ibuprofen at the first sign of a temperature and to keep administering until the fever is gone.
But what if the temperature is the body's natural way of fighting the infection? Aren't we just extending the illness by putting it off? Now don't get me wrong, there is a limit - if they are in real pain, need sleep or if the temp is getting really high then of course I will give her some. I just wont do it as soon as she gets a little warm.
Teething is another area where everyone says "medicate, medicate, medicate" so when I noticed the Woolworths Baby Club promoting an article regarding the natural alternatives for teething relief I was intrigued and then really disappointed.
The article was written by Dr Ginni Mansberg, who I often enjoy watching on morning TV. I must admit that should have been a warning sign as I have rarely seen her 'approve' of alternatives (for example coconut oil) but still I went in blindly hopeful.
But there it was, every alternative was canned. What annoys me the most is that often it was canned because there was no evidence it worked - there is also no evidence it doesn't work!
Now, I am not saying we should all rely on the alternatives mentioned, I agree that putting lemon in a teething babies mouth seems quite cruel! But if so many of the mothers in her surgery swear by amber necklaces maybe, just maybe there is something in it??
As for frozen fruit, sure you have to be careful but for those bubs following the baby led weaning principles, a frozen piece of fruit or veg shouldn't be an issue. And surely that's better than sticking it in a mesh feeding bag and adding yet more plastic to their little bodies??
Well that's my rant for this Wednesday afternoon. I think the lesson in all of this is I should stick to my natural parenting sites and not the multinationals who are more concerned in selling more products I don't need!
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