Vancouver: April Showers Bring May Flowers...

Hello all!

A quick hello, on a rainy day where we're trying to catch up on housework/renos/decluttering and I seem to be procrastinating by checking mothering!!!!!! But I wanted to post a few responses to all the discussion going around!!!!

Ksenia - thanks so much for the intro, I wonder if we wanted to add something like "We are brought together by our passion for 'good','attachment','respectful','insert better phrase!' parenting, not always agreeing on the path but agreeing to respectfully discuss, share and learn together"! Also, now that we're getting into spring and summer, hopefully we can start up meeting at parks again!

Mastisis - I don't remember exactly what the brand of clay was, I think it was grey clay and Jamie bought it at Finlandia but I've also seen it at Gaia. I've had my share of mastisis, and have tried soaking in hot marshmallow root, covering with raw potato overnight, etc - all fine for minor inflamations, but not so much once it got worse. With the clay I could feel it actually drawing the infection out - just amazing! I've gotten mastisis from overdoing things, from wearing too tight bras and from getting my breast banged. I immediately go to bed, take ecchinaccea and drink lots of water, and take lots of hot hot shower, with massage to try to clear it out!!!!

Alternative remedies - pure lavender is great for bruises with broken skin, arnica is great for bruising/bumps without broken skin. We use tea tree oil for tonnes of stuff, and I second oregano oil. You actually don't need to get your kids to drink it, mix it in oil and rub on their feet and their bodies will absorb it. With colds we up our doses of garlic big time, we use a Children's winter health compound from Herb Pharm, cod liver oil, and then have hot baths with eucalyptus, thyme and lavendar essential oils.

Well doctor visits - unless you're following the suggested schedule for vaxing, I'm not sure it makes sense to do the 2, 4, 6 month well-baby visits. However, I do believe that if you're going to use a doctor or a naturopath consistantly for your family, that it is beneficial for them to see your kids when they're healthy and not just when you're concerned about something.

Battles with cat! - I think that it's two-fold, 1)teaching your child to respect cats and 2)keeping your cat and child safe. From my experience of toddlers, I think you may just need to focus on 2, and trust that as he grows, he'll learn! I think you could remove yourselves from the room that he is tormenting the cat, telling him why, without the time-out aspect. And I guess also make sure that the cat can always get away and hide if it wants!

Okay, I'm sure there were a billion other things that I wanted to comment on, but that's enough procrastination for now!!!!!!!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
ERica

Hi all,

I'm new to the area (living in North Van) and am looking for a good family doctor, or a good pediatrician and a good doctor for myself.

I have moved from the states and battled with my son's pediatrician there over vaccinations. I would like to avoid that battle here!

Ideally this doctor would be on the North Shore somewhere, since we are carless during the week, but I would travel out of my way to get someone good...

Thanks!

Erin.

Subbing

Welcome Erin!!

Erica - I'm curious about where you get the children's winter health compound - is Herb Pharm - Finlandia?

I have wanted to try Oil of Oregano - is it safe while nursing? How about for infants? I like the idea of putting it on their feet.

Speaking of feet, has anyone here tried the -wet cotton socks covered with wool socks- while you sleep method for getting rid of a cold? How did you find it?

As for vaccinations in our family, we did the first DPT shots for dd because my dh was REALLY worried about pertussis. Fair enough. But we have not done anymore with her. With ds we have not done any, and at this point will continue to delay until we can get our hands on research that makes sense to both of us. Thanks for posting the links eper. I am always interested in reading info on both sides of the argument. Now I've just got to get me some time to do it

Subbing... thanks Ksenia

Eva, thank you for posting your links... I have looked through them. It is good to revisit our decisions periodically and especially inlight of the possibility of new information... so we can continue to have confidence in our choices or have opportunity to change our minds. I will refrain from commenting on the articles as I feel we could sideline the main discussion for a long time as someone mentioned earlier perhaps that would be better left for the vax forum... so for now I will respectfully agree to disagree

we are in the midst of a spring clean and I just love it!! I love marking the change of seasons... putting away our winter gear and getting out all the spring stuff, gardening, tuning the lawnmowering... planning our landscaping... I want to get some flowers planted this week if we get a sunny afternoon

Malcolm is sick right now... so we are going to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie... I need him to rest up... its his birthday next weekend

Jen

Quote:
Hey Lisa! I got the compound at Choices, actually! And I know that Gaia Herbs has their own version as well. As for Oil of Oregano - it says on it that you shouldn't take it while nursing, but I do know some moms who do it anyways. I probably wouldn't give it to kids themselves until maybe 18months(and even then, just on their feet), but they're getting so much nutrition from you anyways!

It's so funny that I started an 'end of the world' discussion, I actually had not been in that frame of mind at all!!!! I tend to not stress about the end of the world, or my mortality - rather I am determined to fully enjoy my life in the present so hopefully I have no regrets! Easier some days than others, but I've actually been feeling very positive lately, and amazed at how many incredible things people are doing to make the world a better place for others! Also, just coming to realize that there *must* be more to life than this rat race where J. is gone so much, so we're just starting to seek out other paths!

Speaking of which, I know that there had been some discussion here about intentional communities and I wanted to mention that there's a small group meeting for the first time this Fri, looking at setting one up near but not in Vancouver so if anyone wants any information, please just pm me!

Okay, off to a naughty nautical themed party, where we are dressed up in nautical knots.......ahhhhhhhhhhh, I kill me! Have a great night!
Erica

Favorite Herbal/Healing Books

Paul Pitchford's Healing With Whole Foods - Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition (love love love this book!!)

Dr. Andrew Lockie's Family Guide to Homeopathy

I like to modify the 3 part cleanse in Letha Hadady's Asian Health Secrets (lots of other goodies in here if you're interested in Chinese Medicine at all)

Susun Weed's Herbals (which reminds me mine is on loan).

It's been years since i really was into this but this is also a book i loved;The Yoga of Herbs - An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad

Someone asked about essential oils in the March thread......i'm not super educated on this and would love to hear other recommendations but i do have and occassionally use The Art of Aromatherapy by Robert Tisserand