As a first time mother, you have a lot of things to research and decide upon. One of these things is whether you will be using herbs and natural treatments to help cure your baby’s ills. Using herbal remedies is not without controversy. While some may be easily used for infants, others can cause significant problems. You will want to bear the following things in mind.
Your Baby Is Still Developing
Certain herbs and plants such as lemon and green tea help to purge the liver and kidneys. It’s one of the reasons that they are so popular among adults. However, your baby will still be developing significantly, and his organs will not be all prepared. Breaking down the compounds in cleansing herbs like this can be painful. This also makes your baby more sensitive to the various remedies. While most parents obviously realize that they should administer smaller or milder doses, you must bear in mind that your baby could have a bad reaction to even a small amount. You’ll have to watch your baby carefully, particularly when you first administer it.
Your Baby Will Only Take Herbs in Liquid Form
Babies cannot take pills. They cannot take powders either unless the powder is mixed into liquid form. That said, however, babies generally do not like to drink anything that is bitter or foul tasting. Since many herbs tend to have stronger flavors, even when weakened with water, it can be difficult to convince your baby to swallow. “Herbal Medicine for Infants” recommends using stevia or other natural sweeteners. The one exception to this is honey. While honey might be the perfect addition to sweeten a diaper cake, it can cause serious health issues for any child under the age of one. More specifically, the spores in the honey can create bacterial growths and infections throughout your baby’s digestive tract.
Your Baby Will Not Be Able to Tell You How He Feels
Crying is the only way that your baby can communicate, but even that is not enough. When you use herbs on your baby, you must make sure that you monitor him regularly. Watch for improvements or relapses. Tree Lite, a natural health site, recommends checking in on an infant every 15-20 minutes until you are certain that the herbal remedy has not created an adverse side effect. Watch for flushing of the cheeks and face, overheating, increased fussiness, diarrhea, and the like. Do not administer any more of an herbal remedy until you are sure that it has not harmed your baby.
As a new mother, you have to determine what you will use to treat your baby. Herbal remedies are becoming quite popular, and they hearken back to times when these were the primary medical forms. However, if you use them, you must remember that your baby is still developing. His organs are not fully formed. Additionally, your baby can only take the remedy in liquid form, but most babies will only take it if it is sweeter. Since your baby cannot talk outside of crying, you must monitor him carefully, watching for any problems that may develop.
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