Strengthen your Baby's Lungs Naturally

Every Mom knows all to well the almost obsessive habit of checking your baby's breathing. Whether it be in the middle of the night or during your baby's first cold, those precious breaths seem to matter more than your very own.

Our Little Bear was born during cold season and unfortunately got Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) within his first few months of life.  This meant he was introduced to a nebulizer and steroids early on.  As a first time mom, all I wanted was for my baby to be well and clear up that crunchy, congested breathing. We followed the prescribed regiment and within a week he was well. 

Once our routine stabilized again, the granola mom in me surfaced. His doctor had explained that babies who contract RSV are often prone to recurrent broncholitis and the treatment, of course, would be to resume use of the nebulizer and steroids.  A sick baby is hard on any mom, and for me, the thought of recurrent steroid use for Little Bear's lungs just did not sit well. So I did what I do and dove straight into my next researching binge. 

What could I do to naturally strengthen my baby's lungs and help prevent or treat any congestion or broncholitis and reduce future risk of asthma?

I found some good simple solutions. No medications needed, all they involved was adding some key ingredients to our Little Bear's plate. These were the top three ingredients we chose to integrate. 

1. Vitamin C
According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information, people with asthma are usually deficient in vitamin C.  Increasing one's intake of vitamin C can reduce the number of attacks and or prevent and/or treat asthma. Vitamin C can be easily increased in your baby's diet by adding lemon to purees or water, choosing orange juice, eating foods high in vitamin C (broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, etc.), or adding a multivitamin with Vitamin C to your baby's daily diet.

2. Ginger
Top 10 Home Remedies highlighted, "the anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties present in ginger help relieve irritated, inflamed and swollen bronchial tubes."  I just mix a little ginger in with Little Bear's apple juice. It's actually delicious! When I'm feeling fancy, I also throw in some cinnamon (it helps fight common colds, is sweet, and safe for babies - no sugar). But, be careful not to add too much seasoning. Babies are much more sensitive to spices and if its too evident, they will reject it. You can also add ginger to applesauce or carrots. It's truly yummy! 

3.  Turmeric
I guarantee I will soon be dedicating an entire post to this bad boy. Turmeric, in our household, is regularly referred to as the "elixir of life."  One of its many, many qualities is its ability to effectively resolve inflammation. We mix a small amount of turmeric in Little Bear's "orange vegetables," (sweet potatoes or carrots). It tastes great. Countries like India introduce spices into their children's diets prior to year one of age (not salt or sugar, of course), and turmeric is one of their first. 

What is better than using food to cure baby?

We have been practicing these habits along with the regular use of eucalyptus oil and regular hydration since our first illness. At our nine month, check up the doctor was very impressed that Little Bear hadn't been sick more often.  I, of course, attribute these gems as mentioned above. 

More Coconut Oil Please

Trader Joe's Coconut Oil

The use of coconut oil has been on the rise over the last few years, which makes perfect sense considering all of its wonderful qualities. It's aides in digestion, builds immunity, treats skin conditions and it's an oil with nutritional qualities. As if that's not enough to make you want to run out and buy some, coconut oil has so many amazing uses for new mommy and baby. It's natural, affordable and versatile. Here are just a few of the ways I use it regularly with my Little Bear.

1. Nipple Cream

Skip those expensive pharmacy products and go straight to the kitchen. Coconut oil does the job of helping ease the pain and assist in the healing process of dry and cracked nipples. It's naturally high in vitamin E and it is safe to ingest. Meaning, if your Little Bear gets a taste, you know he or she is just getting and early introduction to a super food as oppose to toxic or synthetic ingredients.

2. Diaper Cream

Forget the petroleum based products. Don't get me wrong, they can be great but are generally pretty pricey. And remember, baby powder is no longer recommended for use on babies (they should reconsider rebranding now, don't you think?). Go straight for the coconut oil. It smells divine, is gentle enough for allergenic babies, and keeps their little booty protected and baby soft. Plus it washes out well from cloth diapers. My Little Bear has never had a diaper rash and I certainly credit the coconut oil.  

3. Hair Oil

My Little Bear was born with a full head of curly hair. I hated the idea of introducing products to his baby head, but found that his curls needed a little love and support. After use of baby shampoo, I simply comb in a little oil and viola! It holds his curls very nicely. It also serves a double purposes by keeping his scalp hydrated preventing and/or treating cradle cap. As an additional side, it works just as effectively on eczema. I mean, it a natural product that just keeps on giving. 

My Little Bear's coconut oil styling. 

There are of course so many more uses, but these three have been my go to constistently since Little Bear's Birth. I personally buy my coconut oil from Trader Joes. It's a 16 fluid oz jar of organic oil for just over $5.00. It's a great steal and it allows me to support a business I truly love. 

We would love to hear your uses for coconut oil as well. 

8 Baby Register Items We Often Forget

Its one of the best parts of pregnancy. You are most likely in that second trimester, feeling better finally, and ready to shop for your little one. You may even know if that fashionable bump is a precious girl, bouncing boy, or both! I know you have the cuteness covered. The tiny crib shoes, the baby mobile, the bath seat, and all of the other items you have been window shopping for months now. But often, we forget to register for a couple small items that help round out our nursery. Here are some recommendations.

1. Heating Pad

If you have a winter newborn or keep your AC at an Arctic level, a heating pad under the changing table's mat will help make baby more comfortable after baths or during diaper changes. I love to lotion my little bear after each bath and the heating pad allows him to fully enjoy the process no matter the weather.

2.  Remedies Kit

Okay, no one wants to imagine that baby becoming sick. We have done everything to keep them healthy and perfect. However, regardless of our obsessive cleaning during the nesting stage, thoughtfully purchased humidifier, and the plan to monitor hand washing, sooner or later our babies will encounter a bug. Having a small remedies kit on hand with a thermometer, baby acetaminophen, gas relief, saline drops, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, and a medicine dispenser will help ease your anxiety and safe you a hasty trip to the store when those first signs of illness arrive.

These are the items we used during my Little Bear's first illness (in addition to acetaminophen). 

3. Wet Bag

You may have picked out the perfect laundry basket to match your nursery theme. Or perhaps you are saving space by planning to add your baby's clothes to your hamper. Either way, I highly recommend a wet bag for the soiled clothes from the not so occasional poop-plosion.  This will help protect your other items from getting stains, will reduce the chance of smell seeping out into your living areas, and serve as a reminder to treat those little items with a second round of stain treatment before washing.

4. Diaper Pail Refills

On that note, diaper pails are the go to way for keeping diapers (cloth or disposable) from smelling up the entire house. But, don't forget to register for refill bags. Some pails allow you to use any bag type, so you can just pull out a new garbage bag and viola! You're done, but others require a specific refill. There is usually a cloth reusable option or a disposable depending on your budget, philosophy, and of course, pail. Either way, you will need more than what comes with your pail and sooner than you think.

5. Baby Hangers

Most of those cute adorable outfits come with a hanger, but they will soon be worn, washed, and ready for rehanging.  Oops! Not enough baby hangers? These little items are super inexpensive and come in a variety of colors. Don't forget to fill baby's closet.

6. Nursing Pads

We think so much about baby, that we sometimes forget mommy needs baby supplies too. Nursing pads are a definite essential for breastfeeding moms. You can register for reusable, cloth pads or disposable pads.

7. Travel Changing Pad

Okay. So maybe a pad came with your diaper bag of choice. However, where is the changing table? My guess is the nursery. Now where is newborn baby? My guess is with you in your bedroom. Right?!? Who can handle that little one being that far away? An extra travel changing pad in your night stand will make midnight diaper changes so much easier. You can safely change baby on your bed in those wee hours.

8. Solid Colored Onesies

Its impossible to not fall in love with the cuteness of the baby clothes available today. Now, you can dress your baby like a tiny adult or a fluffy little bundle. Either way, don't forget to register for some solid color onesies (long and short sleeve). These onesies will double the use of your babies wardrobe by allowing you to layer and mix and match those cute outfits. Plus, when baby starts teething, bibs become an essential accessory.  I am one to always have the bib matching the outfit. Which means, simple outfits get crazy bibs, or crazy bibs get simple outfits (hence the second need for a solid onesies).


We can of course spend a small fortune preparing for our little one's arrival and outside of diapers and mommy's love and boobs, they don't need much. But, these items are often forgotten about and can really make caring for little one a little easier. Did any current moms quickly realize they were missing an item week one?

Here is Little Bear showing off his solid white onesie.
Packs are sold at Target!
Teething is in full effect and bibs are the leading accessory in his wardrobe these days.

Welcome!

Welcome to Mom-ease Bear! Being a mom, whether you're expecting or already on the ground running is a busy and exhausting investment. But boy, is it worth it! And by "boy", I mean I recently began my journey as the first time mom to the precious baby boy featured below, my little bear. Feel free to swoon.

My Little Bear
1 Month Old
December 2015

While everyone's experience as a mother is her own, one universal factor that seems to surface right away is the plethora of advice that is so generously given by our beloved family members, friends and the occasional-random stranger. I found that while this advice was always well intended, I often had one of two reactions:

(1) I felt the advice reflected different choices than what I wanted for my child, or

(2) My confidence as a parent was shaken, driving me on a research binge.

Most of my research escapades occurred in the wee hours of the night during the oh so beloved pregnancy insomnia or baby's night time feedings. The Internet today has so many wonderful resources making it really a special time to raise a child.  Research and information that wasn't readily available to our parent's is now just a couple of clicks away.

Through my research, I found that I fit comfortably in the middle of two parenting types, the granola all natural mother and the modern consumer mother.  I've really enjoyed the tips and tricks I have learned but I have not been able to find a single source for this hybrid type of parenting. Therefore, I decided to make a collection of some of the most helpful items for other Millennial Moms.  So basically, this blog is for you if you want to go as natural as possible with your kiddos without breaking the bank on the pretentious, natural products and believe it would be silly to always avoid the helpful, traditional name brand products. So to return to my earlier thought, this blog is designed to satisfy other Moms' late night binge research by collecting it all in one easy place.

Welcome to Mom-ease Bear: Natural Parenting for the Millennial Mom. Enjoy!

Hydration! Water for Mommy

One of the easiest ways for you and your baby to stay healthy when you're pregnant or nursing is to stay hydrated. Hydration slows aging, prevents stretch marks, reduces swelling and fatigue, prevents constipation, reduces chances of hemorrhoids, UTIs and other infections; aids your immune functions, treats headaches, and prevents early labor.  I mean really the list can go on. Despite these benefits, hydration is still one of the hardest things for us Moms to commit to consistently. 

In fact, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "43% of adults drink less than 4 cups of water a day." This is less than half of the Institute of Medicine's 9 cup a day recommendation for woman. 

Pregnant and nursing mothers, not only have to drink enough water for them, but also for their baby. The H4H Initiative recommends an additional 2 cups for pregnant women daily, and minimum of three additional cups for nursing Moms.

So how do we manage this? Here are 3 hydration tips.

1. Invest in a good water bottle. I personally love the CamelBak Groove because of its built in water filter. It allows me to refill my water bottle anywhere and one water bottle equals almost 3 cups. I got mine from Amazon for less than $20. Its durable, comes in a variety of colors, and has a hook handle on it. I added a mountain climbing hook to mine too, so I could easily hook it to a diaper bag or backpack when I am on the go. 

Photo from Amazon.com

2. Eat Hydrating Foods. Many foods have a high water content. For example, watermelon is almost 90% water. Other foods high in water content also include: celery, cucumber, grapefruit, orange and honeydew. A busy Mom can cut a plate of fresh fruit at the start of her day and place it in a central location (like on the way to the restroom). Commit to one bite every time you pass by and it will help you make your hydration goal, as well as feed your body with essential vitamins and minerals. What I also love most about this hydration method is that solidifying the personal habit of munching on healthy foods is ideal modeling for our babies. 

Warning: Pineapple may also induce uterine activity and jeopardize the stability of the pregnancy.

3. Identify a drinking trigger. Sometimes that motherly instinct kicks in so strong, that all we calculate is caring for our little one. Whether it be nesting prior to their arrival or gushing over those tiny features, it is so easy to forget that part of caring for baby is caring for Mommy. We honestly forget about ourselves and next thing you know, three hours have passed since our last hydration. It helps to find a consistent marker to trigger your drinking. Many women sit down with a glass of water every time they sit to nurse. Baby hydration time = mommy hydration time. Other suggestions include: drinking every time you pee (great for pregnancy) or drinking every time you change a diaper. These consistent sips add up quickly! 

I hope these tips are just as helpful for you as they were for me. We would love to also hear your hydration tips below.