I remember the first time R rolled off the bed. One minute he was drifting off to sleep while nursing and the next minute - THUD! I awake to a piercing scream and find my baby face down on the floor. "I AM A TERRIBLE MOM!" - the words were stuck in my head like one of those songs you annoyingly keep singing despite best efforts (Achy, Breaky Heart, anyone?). When Z was born, I was confident and almost cocky in my mothering abilities. I wasn't about to repeat the same mistake twice, oh no. We bought a bed rail and pushed the other side of the bed against the wall. When I travelled, I even put a mattress on the floor next to the bed, just in case she did, via some circus act, manage to make it to the floor. Guess what? She managed to roll off two connected twin beds, on to the mattress and then on to the floor under the bed. I found her a few minutes later on her elbows, under the bed, looking rather pleased with herself. SERIOUSLY?!!! Point is that getting injured is a rite of a passage every child goes through at one point or another; no point beating your head against the wall (sorry couldn't resist!) and ditch the mommy guilt too please!
Bumps 'n' Bruises
Time to revisit our ol' friend, Arnica! Arnica is one of those things no one should be without. You can rub some ointment gently into the bruise a few times a day and you'll be amazed at how quickly the swelling goes down. Better yet, keep some in the fridge so you can attack the swelling from all fronts. You can also administer Arnica in tablet form (30C or 30X a few times a day) for very severe bruises similar to the egg shaped one R acquired in Gym class. Sigh. There are some other simple remedies you can try like using lavender oil and also ice of course. There's also a folk remedy my mom swears by which is a 1/4 tsp or so of Turmeric powder mixed in hot milk - it's supposed to heal deep injuries from within. The milk is the carrier because apparently Turmeric works best when mixed with high fat content foods - you could substitute the milk for something else that has similar properties. This works well for injuries to the bone. The herb Comfrey is also known to aid in healing of bones and muscles and can be used as an external soak for inflammation. Add some Epsom Salts to a hot bath (Magnesium Sulfate) and the heat combined with the properties of the salts will also aid in reducing any associated pain. My final remedy for aches and pains general is a rice sock - take an old cotton sock, fill it with uncooked rice, microwave and voila! You have a home made heat pack.
Here is the link to a post from a fellow mommy blogger who details the things to watch out for when your baby gets a bump on his/her head. Dizziness/concussion is an alarm bell and any signs that your child is behaving out of the ordinary after an injury should be treated seriously and addressed by a doctor.
Cuts 'n' Scrapes
I've talked about Calendula being great for wounds before so I won't go on like a broken Billy Ray Cyrus record (tee hee). Clean the wound with some witch hazel or my favourite, California Baby's Boo Boo spray a.k.a diaper wash first because Calendula tends to seal wounds with alarming speed. In my embarrassing post about my cut lip, I also mentioned raw honey working well for cuts - it arrested the bleeding immediately so it's a good one for wounds that don't respond to pressure or ice. If after a cut, you notice bruising or inflammation around the wound, it is likely the wound is infected and you should have a doctor see it (although Calendula and honey will work to prevent infection so if you catch it in time, this should not happen).
Burns
Raw honey works equally well for burns. Another great homeopathic cream like Arnica & Calendula is Urtica Urens. Great for burns and has helped me avoid blisters if used immediately. Vitamin E oil (break open a capsule or buy the oil itself) can help prevent scarring and also helps in healing the skin. This is really for first degree burns only. For more severe burns, take your child to the doctor to be on the safe side and use homeopathy to help help with the healing. The more common remedies for burns (with a young child, symptoms will be difficult to determine however) are:
-- Cantharis (restlessness associated with burn, better from cold)
-- Hypericum (shooting pains in nerves)
-- Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum (infection associated with a burn)
-- Urtica Urens (stinging pain, worse from cold)
AOBs (Any Other Business..I have to use my Project Management skills somehow!)
-- For insect bites, try applying a drop of neat lavender oil (this is the only essential oil you can apply undiluted) directly on the bite. Also use a baking soda paste to help with itching.
-- For splinters, tape a piece of banana peel onto the affected area and leave for 5 mins. The properties of the peel are supposed to help draw the splinter out
-- For bee/wasp stings, try homeopathic Apis Mellifica especially if the area is hot and swollen.
-- For nosebleeds, try a pinch of organic Cayenne pepper on a moistened q tip. Doesn't sting much contrary to belief and works immediately.
I'll leave you with a quote from one of my favourite Mr. Men stories, Mr. Bump ;-)
"The trouble was that Mr.Bump just could not help having little accidents. If there was something for Mr. Bump to bump into, he'd bump into it all right."
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