Hello all!

If anyone has experience with babies, it would be appreciated!

My son is 8 months old and has been struggling with chest gunk. We took him to the doctor, who perscribed amoxcicillin. I really don't want to give it to him, being that he's not breastfed (horrible hospital story - completely disregarded my wishes to breastfeed and never could get him off the bottle), and he is unvaccinated so I really don't want to wipe out all the good intestinal flora... what can I do to help move the mucus out? It's dark green and yellowish. Is there a juice or blender drink that babies are keen on that would help? Any tips would be appreciated!

Angie

so sorry honey, it feels yuck to have a sicky baby. good luck.

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so sorry to hear that - can you expel breast milk into a bottle?
If he is drinking cows milk in formula I'm pretty certain that that is not helping much.
Seeing as he is 8 months old he is pretty reliant on mothers milk right now so wouldn't know if he could consume anything other than that -
but African tribes sometimes chew food and feed the chewed food to their babies.
Their saliva helps as it passes on enzymes and other antibodies to the baby - just like milk would.
Maybe you could chew something like durian, or pineapple, or maybe something fatty and feed it to the baby off your finger?

while "food" at 8 months might not be optimal, it also isn't completely out of the question.

angie, would you mind my asking about the wee one's diet? perhaps we can help with suggestions to minimze mucus causing foods and boosting the immune system. i can do a little research for you if you like, i have a lot of books and resources available to me for baby info in particular.

To aid clearance of the mucus already present, maybe cranial sacral osteopathy as its so gentle and is very effective.

My daughter had similar symptoms plus ear congestion and like you, I did not wish to dose her up with antibiotics.
I found the cranial work amazing, it also improved her sleeping pattern.
I followed it up with homeopathy which also helped a great deal.

Lorretta

You could still breastfeed if you want, but if not that's ok too. Try to find the best formula to breastmilk you can afford.

I wouldn't give him food, just the warm formula, some little bit of pure fresh juice mixed with some distilled water or spring water, and of course plain water. Warm is good, it helps with softening up the mucous.

I also would clear out his nose with warm water mixed with some salt and use like nose drops, only don't quit after the first few drops..keep giving it to him until you can get the mucous up with a bulb syringe, and expell that into a large paper towel. Do that when he gets congested enough he can't eat, breath too well, or drink a bottle. Maybe just before his bottle, then he gets a reward of the bottle to soothe.

Also, placing him with you in a warm bath with steam helps break up the phlegm, but he can't take as warm as you can, so be careful how long he is in the tub.

With what I know now, I would also give my child a drop of Lugol's Iodine 5% or 2% solution would be ok, in his bottle of formula or juice, probably once a day for a couple days, then once a week for a while. That's my opinion though.

Also, adding a little more vit-c into a bottle of juice is good, or even 1/2 or 1/4 teaspoon of Bragg apple cider vinegar, must say it has "The Mother" in it.

You might also try 1 drop of food grade hydrogen peroxide in juice as that would help also clearing up the mucous.

If you feel that your baby will drink fresh juice you make, fresh fruits, bites or smashed, a little lemon in warm water with some blackstrap molasses, then you could forgo the formula for a couple days, and just give him those items as milk is mucous forming, and fresh fruits, juices, and molasses are very alkalizing.

Love,
Prism

Coco- His diet consists of soy formula. He has tried a few solids like bananas, apples (in food processor), avocado, apple juice (in juicer), grapes and grape juice in food processor/juicer, lemon juice in water . He really doesn't like any solids and mildly will tolerate drinking the apple juice but screams fanatically about 20 min. afterward for a "real" bottle. Same thing with watering it down - he hates that and can instantly tell. Feeding him has been frustrating! I wish breastfeeding had worked, but I tried SO hard over and over and just ended up with infection after infection (and if you ever have breastfed you know that those clogged milk ducts and mastitis are PAIN-FULL). I tried pumping but it hurt so bad it was either him crying from hunger or me crying from pain.. He absolutely would not latch on - I've tried every lactation consultant in town. So that's our story!!

girl, you don't need to explain or justify your choices to me, you have my full support in your parenting and i mean that. feel good about being such a terrific mama, ok? i think you're doing great.

prism's post reminded me about one thing i do use, it's pure saline spray in a small can from the drug store. be careful to get the one that ONLY has saline in it, there is another kind with all kinds of chemicals too. i know this because that's what i get for trusting the pharmacist to give me "pure" saline, apparently that means something different to them than it does to me

anyhow, this stuff sprayed into the nose loosens up the goo and it just dribbles right out. you hold them leaning slightly forward to spray it in and that position is the best for it to come out again too (a standard at the shoulder hold is good). you wouldn't think that adding more moisture to the nostrils would work but it just makes it all loose and watery.
babies can hate the nasal aspirator (bulb for sucking out mucus) but wee never complains about the spray.

a great expectorant is fenugreek. you can get it at the health food store or in indian markets, it looks like little pale brownish yellowy pebbles. made into a tea and sweetened with maybe maple syrup, stevia, agave or something of the sort (NO honey!! until after 1 year of age if you do honey) and given in small doses should do it. i can't find any info about giving fenugreek to infants but keep to small doses and i think it should be ok. better than antibiotics anyhow! why did the doc want to prescribe them, is there an infection? if so, bandaid small slices of garlic onto the bottoms of his feet and cover with socks. maybe do that when he is sleeping so he has no idea what you're up too

i am no fan of vicks but perhaps you can find a mentholated rub at the health food store. they do work.
simmering a pot of water with a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil is nice too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2007 09:18PM by coco.

Hi- I have always placed a onion on the chest and back and saran wrapped it in place. My children were always better by the next day. I always heard onions draw out the poison. Also, put cut, raw onions on a dish in a room and it will draw out the bad stuff in a room. Be sure and not touch it after 24 hrs. Just throw away.

That is why people always seem to get better when they eat chicken soup. The hot broth made with lots of onions.

www.hacres.com has books on what to feed raw/vegan babies.

hi angie

i don't have any babies but i just wanted to say that i hope your baby gets better

will be sending him some good energies

let us know how he is doing

Update -

I've noticed one thing - usually the darkest time is always right before dawn when it comes to some sort of cleansing reaction! The body truly knows what's best! Right around the time I consider using some big gun pharmaceutical or going to the dr. the next day is usually better... looks to be the same with my son!

Joseph seemed to be doing better, but then got REALLY REALLY cranky 3 nights ago and needed lots of cuddling. Took lots of hot showers and baths with him and he coughed and coughed (productive type) but generally seemed to feel like crud. Used some herbs in the bath, as suggested. Will probably try a drink made of fennugrek (I know that works good for me, but the trick will be getting HIM to like it!)

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! He is doing much better!

Angie

If breastfeeding isn't possible, the next best choices (in order) would be:

Raw goat's milk
Raw cow's milk
pasteurized goat's milk

Any of those are better than soy formula:

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If your baby receives the right fuel, there should be no congestion. Congestion is actually mucus being produced to protect the body from toxic food substances. Take away the toxic food substances and the congestion will disappear.

angie, is he cutting a tooth? that can make for a very cranky baby too, as i am Sure you know. ;P

I would try making a formula out of sesame milk or almond milk, even rice milk. You can add in your own items to make it richer..but he's older and doesn't have to depend only on milk now anyway.

Learningtofly is so right about the toxic food substances..mucous in a baby is not right. You are doing good with the steam baths, maybe add a couple drops of Eucalyptus in the water but not much since it can be very potent.

Love,
Prism

angie-

i feel for you. when the little one feels bad, the world literally crashes at your feet.

i found congestion to be related to teething often with my guy- he would get runny noses, slight fevers, etc, but if i reached in and rubbed his gums, there was always something going on. i never succumbed to antibiotics- not that his doc ever pushed them on me.....

good luck expanding his diet- just formula for anyone sounds rough. my little guy ate everything under the sun that i offered at this age. (well, i didn't offer him much other than the nipple, but he was already tired of that by 8 months)- but around 8 months i finally allowed him food (he had 8 teeth) and he ate EVERYTHING fruit. that's all i was interested in offering. that's what he had a taste for. i didn't even mash it, i just cut it up. he loved feeding himself. we went through a phase of three bananas a day. truly. as well as other foods. he ate five tangerines last night at a friend's b-day party- he's 21 months now. still a huge fruit eater, and he also likes lettuce. he would drink kale, apple, carrot juice, or any other juice i made except grapefruit.

but he loved eating. i don't know how to make a child enjoy that.

we also in the winter months when the heaters are drying the air and causing other nastiness, experienced a lot of family congestion upon awakening- humidifiers, (meaning i boil water and hang wet clothes around the house) have helped dramatically- but partially we just try and drink enough water and avoid mucus causing foods.

hope you're all doing better-

peace-

Another update -

He is sick AGAIN this month (he's 9 months on the 12th) - ugh. I so can not wait till he outgrows formula! Has anyone ever read the label? 40% high fruitcose corn syrup, 10% processed soy crap, 20% soybean oil. Gross. But I did want to report some good news! Although he still hates whole fruit, avocados, and veggies ... since I bought a Vita Mix for myself for Christmas, I've been "tricking" him by hiding it in his soy formula! Hee hee! He is doing REALLY good with it! With each 6 oz. bottle he gets 2 oz. of fresh raw smoothie. So far we have tried kale, orange, apple or pear, and avocado... so he gets 8-10 oz. of smoothie each day total. Whoopee! I am really happy with this. I was so dissapointed with my utter failure at breastfeeding, it feels good to be finally feeding him some better food. I hate to see him sick! And on a side note.... since I am now trying to drink a raw smoothie each day for myself I'm hoping the boils on my right breast where I had plugged milk ducts will finally heal. It's been 9 months now... I'm kinda sick of those unsightly and painful lumps (there's three of them).

-Angie

Doug Graham is an inspiring raw food teacher and a recent father so he has baby experience! You can check out his forum at Vegsource and ask some Qs there.

Love,
Uma

Why are you still feeding him soy formula? It is toxic.

If available, clean raw milk (preferably goat's) would be a superior choice.

Sorry your baby is sick. Do you know another nursing mom who could maybe give your baby some breast milk. it would give him a little extra immunity to heal faster. I know how it is to have infections and a non latching baby it is hard. You can relactate if you wanted. I agree saline drops in his nose will help. Good luck it is awful when your baby is sick.

vitamix! brilliant.

i'm glad your boils are clearing up. my friend swears by wearing cabbage in her bra. and if you can't get cabbage (it's really cute, frilly and green) raddichio is another option. These both draw out infection really well. and they look nice too...

my husband and i were given a free sample of formula when we left the hospital, and we decided we'd just give it to our dog, then we read the label, and we were thinking "Man, this sounds horrible. Do you think it would hurt our dog?" and then realized what we were saying....

we have used raw cow's milk, which works for our son, and also would probably use another mom's milk if necessary. i had enough milk frozen to feed my son for six months or so, but had to give it to the dog (poor critter) because he was bottle intolerant. and i have another friend who has also offered her other friends wet-nurse type assistance- but most people are kinda scared of breastmilk.

peace-

i co-nursed with another mom on occasion with my first, it was good. there is a local group of moms here who will supply eachother with booby juice when needed, perhaps you have a chapter of la leche league (LLL) near you that would know of some moms with frozen breast milk that they could spare? check them out anyhow, they are not just there for sucessful breastfeeders, they are an excellent support and source of information.