To Dr. Oz, with love

Tonight, my faith in the medical community was bolstered. I was watching an old episode of Oprah (from Aug. 11, 2009) saved on my DVR where Dr. Oz talked once again about medical wonders, ailments, and cures. But today, he gave natural/eastern/holistic medicine an endorsement. He highlighted, while rubbing on different points of Oprah's foot that correspond to different parts in the body, how acupressure and reflexology work. He said, "I don't know how those Chinese knew this stuff, but it works." I love that an American doctor can accept that the body is so interconnected and be humble enough to admit that another culture may know something about medicine that we don't. A credible witness to what we've known all along. Thanks Dr. Oz. We just need a few thousand more doctors like you and natural medicine doctors (like Naturopaths) in the states just may be able to get a claim paid by an insurance company.

Breast Milk and Ear Infections

I 100% breast fed my baby until she was old enough for solids. I thought that this would keep her super healthy and sickness-free, which it did. Until she woke up with a hot, red ear one morning. She had an ear infection! After frieking out for two seconds about her first real ailment, I remember my wise midwife's advise: Use your breast milk on your babies wounds, eye/ear infections, etc. as it is nature's best antibiotic with no side effects. I love no side effects. So I tried it. And it worked!!! I nursed my daughter to sleep which totally comforted her, and deliberately kept her infected ear facing up. As she slept, I expressed milk into her ear every few minutes and tugged on her ear lobe to make it go down. In thirty minutes she woke up infection free. For reals. Her ear was flesh colored, normal temperature, with no signs she ever had an infection. I couldn't believe it.

Since that experience I told some moms at a play group I went to, and one of the moms came back and said she tried it and it worked. I also later told my Pediatrician, who was so excited about it, too. So I thought I would put up the information on the blog, in an effort to help more babies/moms avoid going to the doctor for antibiotics for a simple outer ear infection. Remember, antibiotics should be used sparingly!

Disclaimer: This post is not intended as medical advise. Please consult your doctor before attempting this on your own baby.