10 Natural Tips To Help When Fever Strikes
When our one-year old had the start of a fever, I told myself NOT to panic & chanted "fevers are a good thing, it means the immune system is working" repeatedly in my mind.
That night though, as his fever started to creep near 103 degrees, telling myself not to panic wasn't exactly working. Being first time parents & not having had dealt with this before, we decided to give him children's Motrin, even though something in me just wasn't feeling right about it. I didn't like the idea of just "masking" the problem -- I wanted something that would work with him, help him feel more comfortable, as well as keep the fever from continuing to rise.
Sure enough, his fever went down just a bit for a couple of hours & then sky-rocketed right back up once the Motrin wore off. (sigh) He seemed more irritated & uncomfortable, and we as parents felt even more concerned.
*Please note : I am not against medicine at all! I just want to do what is BEST for my child (as all of us parents do) & tend to seek natural ways first. In this case, Motrin just wasn't cutting it so doing another 'dose' wasn't an option for us.
By the next day, his temperature had risen to 103.9. Now I was definitely feeling a bit more panicked, so I got the first available appointment with our family doctor & while I was there, thought to reach out to our chiropractor, too. Between these two trusty resources and Young Living Essential Oils, my husband & I did a couple of things that were SO incredibly helpful with not only lowering his fever within 24 hours (and completely back to normal within 48-72 hours) but also giving him great comfort, all the while working with his body to do so.
With that said,
I have been wanting to share everything that we learned & did in case other parents find it helpful, as well.
{ Disclaimer : The following advice/tips worked for us & a lot of it was given to us by doctors that we trust,
however I am not a doctor, nurse or medical professional. Always check with a doctor/medical professional if a medical need arises. }
Without further ado & in no particular order, below are
10 tips that are our "go-to's" whenever fever strikes!
1 // I diffused Young Living Lemon, Lavender, Stress Away & Peppermint Essential Oils (just a drop or two of each).
2 // I created a "FEVER BE GONE" roller bottle mix with Young Living Peppermint, Lemon & Lavender Essential Oils plus Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil as the carrier oil, and rolled it on the bottom of his feet throughout the day (usually just at a diaper changing).
That night though, as his fever started to creep near 103 degrees, telling myself not to panic wasn't exactly working. Being first time parents & not having had dealt with this before, we decided to give him children's Motrin, even though something in me just wasn't feeling right about it. I didn't like the idea of just "masking" the problem -- I wanted something that would work with him, help him feel more comfortable, as well as keep the fever from continuing to rise.
Sure enough, his fever went down just a bit for a couple of hours & then sky-rocketed right back up once the Motrin wore off. (sigh) He seemed more irritated & uncomfortable, and we as parents felt even more concerned.
*Please note : I am not against medicine at all! I just want to do what is BEST for my child (as all of us parents do) & tend to seek natural ways first. In this case, Motrin just wasn't cutting it so doing another 'dose' wasn't an option for us.
By the next day, his temperature had risen to 103.9. Now I was definitely feeling a bit more panicked, so I got the first available appointment with our family doctor & while I was there, thought to reach out to our chiropractor, too. Between these two trusty resources and Young Living Essential Oils, my husband & I did a couple of things that were SO incredibly helpful with not only lowering his fever within 24 hours (and completely back to normal within 48-72 hours) but also giving him great comfort, all the while working with his body to do so.
I have been wanting to share everything that we learned & did in case other parents find it helpful, as well.
{ Disclaimer : The following advice/tips worked for us & a lot of it was given to us by doctors that we trust,
however I am not a doctor, nurse or medical professional. Always check with a doctor/medical professional if a medical need arises. }
Without further ado & in no particular order, below are
10 tips that are our "go-to's" whenever fever strikes!
1 // I diffused Young Living Lemon, Lavender, Stress Away & Peppermint Essential Oils (just a drop or two of each).
2 // I created a "FEVER BE GONE" roller bottle mix with Young Living Peppermint, Lemon & Lavender Essential Oils plus Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil as the carrier oil, and rolled it on the bottom of his feet throughout the day (usually just at a diaper changing).
3 // We added 2 cups of Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar to his daily bath. If you are not aware already, apple cider vinegar has long been known by folk medicine as one of nature’s greatest healing agents -- we ALWAYS have this in our house. My husband and I take a shot of it daily, too.
4 // I was told that putting onions in his socks would help, however I knew he wouldn't keep his socks on & I was worried he would try to then eat the raw onion, so instead we put a bowl of chopped onions next to his bed (but not within reach ). I know this may sound a little old school and maybe even cooky, but honestly, it worked! I later found a helpful article about the healing benefits of onions here.
5 // When he was particularly fussy/uncomfortable we gave him Boiron Camilia (which are normally used for teething relief however we were told by our chiropractor that they are great for in general discomfort/pain relief, as well).
6 // I kept him well-hydrated & also added Vitamin C to his water throughout the day, offered him popsicles (Ruby Rocket Popsicles are our favorites here) & gave him plenty of organic chicken bone broth filled with nutrients that provide such great healing benefits.
7 // Every day, I make sure he gets in his Probiotic Supplement, his Plant Based Omega's Oil, his Vitamin D, his Vitamin C & his Organic Black Elderberry Sryup.
8 // If the fever is high-rising with sudden onset and/or perspiration, I would give him 5 Boiron Belladonna 30c pellets every 15 minutes until the fever lowers a bit just to make him more comfortable (remember, you want to allow the fever to do it's thing!). Usually I only have to do the 5 pellets once every few hours, though -- FYI. If the fever is low or mild, I would give him 5 Boiron Ferrum Phosphoricum 6c pellets every 15 minutes as needed. If you haven't tried these homeopathic fever reducers, I personally think they are amazing. It feels so good knowing you are helping your child & not giving them something that can be too harsh or possibly work against them.
PLEASE NOTE : Important safety clarification -- raw Belladonna is a potent anticholinergic that is lethal in small doses. Just to be clear, no one should ever take actual, raw belladonna -- ONLY in pellet form as mentioned above!
***UPDATED -- Another great one to have on hand is Aconitum Napellus 30C -- these pellets are used when there is a sudden onset of fever, along with dry skin and/or agitation/anxiety. I also LOVE Hyland's Bioplasma Cell Salts. These little powerhouses provide daily supply of each cell salt to bring balance to overall cell function. They also naturally relief symptoms of colds, simple nervous tension, fatigue & headaches! They are super easy to take, quick-dissolving tablets that melt in your mouth almost instantly. Our entire family takes them every day for maintenance & more frequently throughout the day if not feeling well -- just follow the dosing on the bottle!
9 // I rotated cooking his food in either organic olive oil or organic coconut oil due to their healing, antibacterial & nourishing properties.
10 // We do plenty of skin-to-skin time!!! This one is so important & one that I think we forget the power of as our babies become toddlers. I am here to remind you, though, that skin-to-skin time is INCREDIBLY healing, soothing & body regulating... they are never too old! Truly, so helpful... it amazes me every time.
4 // I was told that putting onions in his socks would help, however I knew he wouldn't keep his socks on & I was worried he would try to then eat the raw onion, so instead we put a bowl of chopped onions next to his bed (but not within reach ). I know this may sound a little old school and maybe even cooky, but honestly, it worked! I later found a helpful article about the healing benefits of onions here.
5 // When he was particularly fussy/uncomfortable we gave him Boiron Camilia (which are normally used for teething relief however we were told by our chiropractor that they are great for in general discomfort/pain relief, as well).
6 // I kept him well-hydrated & also added Vitamin C to his water throughout the day, offered him popsicles (Ruby Rocket Popsicles are our favorites here) & gave him plenty of organic chicken bone broth filled with nutrients that provide such great healing benefits.
7 // Every day, I make sure he gets in his Probiotic Supplement, his Plant Based Omega's Oil, his Vitamin D, his Vitamin C & his Organic Black Elderberry Sryup.
8 // If the fever is high-rising with sudden onset and/or perspiration, I would give him 5 Boiron Belladonna 30c pellets every 15 minutes until the fever lowers a bit just to make him more comfortable (remember, you want to allow the fever to do it's thing!). Usually I only have to do the 5 pellets once every few hours, though -- FYI. If the fever is low or mild, I would give him 5 Boiron Ferrum Phosphoricum 6c pellets every 15 minutes as needed. If you haven't tried these homeopathic fever reducers, I personally think they are amazing. It feels so good knowing you are helping your child & not giving them something that can be too harsh or possibly work against them.
PLEASE NOTE : Important safety clarification -- raw Belladonna is a potent anticholinergic that is lethal in small doses. Just to be clear, no one should ever take actual, raw belladonna -- ONLY in pellet form as mentioned above!
***UPDATED -- Another great one to have on hand is Aconitum Napellus 30C -- these pellets are used when there is a sudden onset of fever, along with dry skin and/or agitation/anxiety. I also LOVE Hyland's Bioplasma Cell Salts. These little powerhouses provide daily supply of each cell salt to bring balance to overall cell function. They also naturally relief symptoms of colds, simple nervous tension, fatigue & headaches! They are super easy to take, quick-dissolving tablets that melt in your mouth almost instantly. Our entire family takes them every day for maintenance & more frequently throughout the day if not feeling well -- just follow the dosing on the bottle!
9 // I rotated cooking his food in either organic olive oil or organic coconut oil due to their healing, antibacterial & nourishing properties.
10 // We do plenty of skin-to-skin time!!! This one is so important & one that I think we forget the power of as our babies become toddlers. I am here to remind you, though, that skin-to-skin time is INCREDIBLY healing, soothing & body regulating... they are never too old! Truly, so helpful... it amazes me every time.
Have any tips you want to share?
Please leave in the comment section below!
As a mama, I am ALWAYS up for connecting & growing.
much love & happy monday!
ksen