Raising a family is hard. Really, really, hard — and some of the HARDEST times is trying to balance not going to the doctor every third day vs when you can stay home and take care of things on your own. Family health is SO important, and today I hope to give you some great tips!
The reality is that doctors just have procedures they recommend if something happens, and very rarely does that require a prescription (and by all means, talk to your doctor, for sure). BUT, I have a few posts that can really help you combat things at home.
BTW, I’m Hilary, an RN since 1998. I’ve worked pediatric triage which gave me tons of awesome info on keeping families HOME (vs coming to the doctor) that I’m excited to share with you (of course, never take my advice over something your own doctor/provider says — and be sure to consult them for your specific case).
Family Health Tips:
Medicine You Should Have On Hand
Having your own “pharmacy” of the things you need can help relieve anxiety and late-night trips to the 24-hour pharmacy. I have a whole podcast episode on the medicine I keep in my medicine cabinet, and I have a post on how I organize it. I also have a post on medicine I keep on hand JUST for children (that post links out to the medicine I keep on hand for other things as well).
I am also a big fan of essential oils. I must admit that I started into them as a HUGE skeptic, and I do think that a lot of them still do nothing, but there are a few essential oils I find useful for families.
I also have a post on essential oils for sore muscles that might be interesting/helpful to some of you (that post also compares some different brands, so that’s interesting as well).
Skin Problems
Our body is covered in a layer of delicate material we call skin. There are LOTS of ways that can have issues/problems.
Childhood rashes are SUPER annoying, and hard to decipher what’s normal and what’s something that you need to take seriously.
Warts are something that a LOT of people deal with, and I have friends going back and back to the doctor because they can’t seem to get a fix for them. I found that with a combination of essential oils and vinegar I was able to get rid of them at home, so that was pretty snazzy.
I also suffer from a super itchy scalp that was dry and flaky so I share how I fixed that as well.
Common Health Problems
My mom is a huge sufferer of restless leg, and she found that a bar of soap would help her restless leg. If you’re thinking (?) I encourage you to check-out the comments and realize that even when people don’t know it’s there is helping!
Sore throats are super annoying, but strep throat can actually be deadly. As a pediatric nurse, I did countless cultures for strep, and I share that you can actually keep the tests at home!
The stomach flu can be so hard. When I worked for pediatricians I realized that their protocol really worked — and I shared it in a post on stomach flu. By really limiting what/when you eat and drink you (or your kids) will be feeling better much quicker. I also have a post on fever and vomiting as that puts a few kinks in the road.
Did you know that pinworms are the #1 parasite and that many kids are infected each year? I also share in that post how to treat it.
AND, while we’re on the subject, dont forget our good friend lice. Did you know that the prescription treatments are basically bug killer, and you can likely get rid of it in other ways at home? it’s a process, but certainly safer for those little brains.
Now that we’re done screaming {lice and pinworms…. am I right}…. let’s talk about….
Sleeep
New moms quickly realize that your child’s sleep directly affects your own. I have a whole post on baby sleep written years after I was in the trenches of being up with little ones, and what I wished I would have done.
Of course, it’s not like you’re ever out of the woods. I thought I had great sleepers until a bout of sleep regression threw me over the edge.
And, I don’t know why it took me so long to replace our poor, nasty ill-bought mattress with a nicer new one, but our 5 Little Monkeys Mattress made me wish I’d paid a bit more attention to what kids were sleeping on.
Insurance
And, I wouldn’t be a nurse in the US if I didn’t acknowledge that insurance and health costs in general are killing US families. I have a whole post on how to pick out an insurance
I, on the other hand switched to a Christian Healthshare. We just couldn’t handle the costs of traditional insurance as a small business owner, so I share why we switched, and then also why we left liberty and switched to Zion Healthshare.
Pregnancy
As a labor and delivery nurse, I have a huge stake in pregnant woman and their health in general. I have a TON of pregnancy info.
Preeclampsia is a condition that many pregnant get. I experienced pubis symphysis dysfunction (where your pelvis basially falls apart and takes years to “re-attach”).
I also get asked ALL the time what pregnant women can take for a cold, and I have to say there isn’t a whole lot besides hydration.
I also have a thought or two on how far apart you should space your babies.
Stay Well
Finally, let’s talk about prevention — and how to NOT get sick.
and, helping others. I’m a huge fan of blood donation (as we give it quite a lt in the hospital) but I always felt sick when I gave it — until I followed a few simple steps.
AND, that’s that. Hopefully, some of those posts get you on the right track to being able to treat a few more things at home, or knowing when to call your doctor when you’re over your head.
Grab what I recommend keeping in your first aid kit right here:
