Natural Cold Care

Welcome to a weekly series on Traveling with Baby, Health Happy Round-Up that  focuses on multiple aspects of wholesome living and optimal health for the entire family.  Each weekend, Traveling with Baby will share some insightful news, recipes, and tips to help you consider fresh new perspectives on wholesome and happy health.

I’ve had my fair share of colds during my pregnancy – really though, is it ever “fair” to be pregnant and sick at the same time?! You probably already know you shouldn’t be taking over the counter medicine while pregnant if you can avoid it, so here is my list of natural home remedies that can help relieve your symptoms and lessen your recover time.

• Badger Balm. This stuff is the natural equivalent of Vick’s Vapor Rub. It smells great, when you can smell, and relieves congestion when you can’t.
• Essential Oils. Cinnamon essential oils help break up phlegm in your chest and reduce coughing. I’ll often walk around the house just sniffing from the bottle, or you can also drop some into a pot of steaming water and the scent from the steam will permeate your house (smells like Christmas!). Hang over the pot and breathe in – what a relief! If you don’t like the smell of cinnamon, consider giving eucalyptus oil a try.
• Herbal Expec. This is another natural remedy for coughing. No more robatussin needed.
• Homeopathy. When I was miserably sick and pregnant I was given free reign from my midwives to try whatever homeopathic remedies I wanted in my search for relief. A lot of the remedies you’ll find on the shelves at your natural food store contain what they termed “buckshot” homeopathy – meaning it contains several different cures for congestion, runny nose, etc, assuming that you don’t know which one you specifically need to address. I certainly had no idea, so buckshot homeopathy worked well for me.

We’re coming up on cold and flu season, so I hope this information is helpful. Feel free to post your comments on what natural remedies worked well for you and your family!