My collection of this list of natural cold remedies came out of desperation when my husband and I were international students living in Australia. We often had very little money, especially after the birth of our daughter Esperanza within our first year of studies.
Because of this, in moments when Esperanza would suddenly fall ill we would have to do a lot of research into methods other than over the counter medication. I also received most of my natural cold remedies from my mother who raised me in a developing nation where medication was not easily accessible.
I’m not a doctor but I’ve found that it actually is quite beneficial to give babies natural cold remedies than over the counter medication. It’s what my doctor has recommended I do even now with my second daughter when we can afford medication. So now I give you my compiled knowledge of natural cold remedies that is especially useful for babies under the age of one. (They do work just as well for adults too). However again I must remind you I am not a doctor so if you are very concerned about your child’s cold or flu like symptoms, it’s worth it to get off this website and get your kid to the hospital ASAP:
For A Terrible Cough
Steam – Turn the shower on full heat. DO NOT put your baby under the shower. Simply sit with him in the bathroom on the floor or toilet with the door closed for 20mins or more. The steam helps calm the cough and clear up congestion.
Honey, Lime/Lemon & Garlic – This concoction is mixed together in hot water. For babies under the age of one it’s best not to included the honey, (you can research why that is). Let the mixture cool of course before giving it to the baby in a bottle. Just little sips will do. The entire bottle doesn’t need to be downed in order for it to work. My mom would give my sisters and I a spoonful of this that was very concentrated. We would literally be eating chunks of garlic. You can research all these ingredients individually. You’ll find they’re all jam packed with vitamin C and helps to reduce flu symptoms.
Humidifier – A humidifier is the best item to ask for in your baby registry the moment you find out you’re pregnant. Often times I would have this going for two full nights and my daughter’s cold would suddenly be gone. Because of course while sick the most important thing you need is rest. This is hard to get when you can’t breathe and keep being woken up by a chronic cough. I actually used this myself while I was pregnant. Towards the end of my pregnancy I got a really bad cold and didn’t want to take any medication so I just kept the humidifier going and got the Vicks vapour rub insert for it. It was the only way I got any sleep.
For A Fever
A Bath – My mom always had this idea that a bath is all it took to get a rid of a fever and it seemed to always work. Not even a cold bath or a piping hot bath. Just a luke warm bath. I go the extra mile and give my kids a green tea bath when they’re sick because it’s an antioxidant. You literally just put four green tea bags into the bath and let the kids soak in it for a minimum of 15mins. I add coconut oil to it as well for soft skin. But I believe the bath takes away their aches and pains and then lowers the temperature so they’re comfortable enough to sleep. Of course if your baby’s fever is too high and like this for too long, the emergency room is the best option for you.
At the end of the day, when in doubt just go to the hospital. If this is difficult to do, then get on the phone with a nurse hotline. They are out there, you just search it up on google. You can discuss these remedies with them to find out what would work best for your little one.
