Before we get going — who am I? Hi, I’m Hilary — lots of people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse®, but Pulling Curls is my first site and it’s about all things family. I have been a nurse since 1997, I have 20 years of labor and delivery experience and I worked pediatrics for a couple of years before going to L&D — so I have a few ideas on babies that you might want to hear out. I’ve also had 3 kids of my own, so I understand that much of it is just trying to survive.

BTW, if you’re still pregnant — check out my Online Prenatal Class for Couples not only will it prepare you for birth, but it has one of the most realistic and helpful sections on managing life postpartum that people just love.

And before you worry that I’m selling you a high-priced baby sleep class, I am not. I’m not a fan of them, and I think they are really hurting a vulnerable population. I do include a short baby sleep section in my class though (and the price is NOT insane).

Back in 2000 when I had my first baby (yes, I am a dinosaur) the big sleep book out was “Babywise” and I really clung to it.  It was something that showed me there could be some semblence of a schedule.  I flounder when I’m without a schedule and Babywise really worked for me.  On the first one I followed it fairly strictly and it slowly loosened up with each child, but this is what I wish I would’ve done for baby sleep patterns.

Before you lose your mind about Babywise, I get it — that book is horrible. BUT in 2000 it was my option, and it was one of the first books to recommend getting baby into a routine — and that REALLY worked for me. The whole strict schedule didn’t work and his insane parenting advice was left to the side as well.

BTW, if you love routines — you’ll love this:

Here are a few things I wish I would’ve done:

1.  I love the feed, play, sleep cycle.  That is the foundation of Babywise for me.  At least, what it bubbled down to, by baby #3.  The baby wakes up, you feed them, they play and then you put them down for a nap.  The whole day works in those cycles.  I think my kids appreciated knowing what was coming next and I appreciated having a routine.  I also was grateful that I was never the mom who would put them in the crib and tiptoe out.

BTW wondering what to do during PLAY time I love KiwiCo’s Panda Crate — it teachings you how to play with baby (may even help them sleep better too if they’re engaged during play).

2.  I wish I could have dropped the balls around me more, and I wish I could have been a better napper.  I would get rushes of anxiety after I napped during the day, which would make my problems even worse — so I made the choice to only get my sleep at night and just try to stay active during the day.  I guess maybe I wish I had gone on drugs for it.  I also couldn’t stop my cleaning routine.  I felt compelled to keep up the routine even when I was basically a zombie.  I have been using Brain.fm to kind of help me turn my brain off to sleep lately.  I think it would’ve helped back in the baby days.  Maybe?  I also think Owlet would’ve helped a lot.  Anxiety always hangs in my back pocket after a new baby.

3.  I wish I would’ve picked them up more, and worried about their long term sleep patterns less.  Babywise makes it SO important that your kid is getting great sleep.  When in reality I maybe just needed to cuddle that baby a little more.  However, my babies are not particularly cuddly and I am NOT much of a baby wearer (although I did love my Ergo pack).  I will say that all my babies were VERY happy, and I think that comes from #1 and getting good sleep.  But every now and then they maybe needed a cuddle I didn’t give.

4.  I wish I would’ve clung to the schedule less and listened to the baby more.  I was so set into 7, 11, 3, 7.  It also kind of ruined my life as those times we HAD to be eating or sleeping or whatnot.  I mean, simma down now Hilary.  Again, I’m a HUGE slave to routine, and I needed it. But, I maybe could’ve been a little looser, in my 6 years 20/20 vision.

5.  I wish I would’ve owned my own Otoscope and learned how to use it back then.  My oldest had horrible ear infections which made him a poor sleeper and I never knew if it was the infections or him just being a horrible sleeper.  I will say I often just turned up the Enya and had a 10 minute cat nap while he whimpered and I don’t think there’s any shame in that.

A lot of friends say the secret to great baby sleep is this or this.  What’s your favorite thing to help a baby sleep — tell me in the comments!

I am frustrated by how people are sellig high-priced baby sleep programs that ultimately tell you the same things as a book. I feel like it’s a money grab against new parents when they’re vulnerable, makes me sad.

I am a huge fan of safe sleep, but I 100% understand why some parents bend the rules — they’re literally just dying inside!

The reality is that you’re trying to bend to another person.  And you can’t always do that because you are STILL a person.  You have to make it work for both of you.  I’m sure a lot of moms can’t believe I let babies cry it out.  And I did, and I also would pick up.  I just wish I hadn’t stressed so much about it.  I do think there are moms who don’t stress ENOUGH About it, but I went the other way.  What a surprise.

Hang in there, new moms.  I promise that if you keep up good routines and lots of love they WILL sleep someday.  And then they’ll be out late like my 15 year old and you won’t sleep again.  Actually, on second thought, kiss sleep goodbye, totally overrated.

The post Help! My Baby Won’t Sleep — my epiphany! appeared first on Pulling Curls.

**If you are concerned that breastfeeding really isn’t working — my friend Katie (actual friend) has a course on troubleshooting breastfeeding and the price is right!

First off, let me state CATEGORICALLY, I am a STRONG proponent of breastfeeding. I think it is the A#1 best way to feed your child.  There are so many wonderful things about it.  

I won’t get into all that here (because I have a lot of other awesome breastfeeding posts).  But suffice it to say that I push breastfeeding hard as a labor nurse & prenatal educator.

There are times when breastfeeding isn’t working – it didn’t work myself and my first baby (or any of my other kids).  And I didn’t know it for days.  I had a constantly screaming baby, bleeding nipples, and emotions that could’ve exploded our 2 bedroom apartment.  

I had been told that breastfeeding ALWAYS works — it’s the most natural thing in the world! Sadly, that is a lie we tell a lot of new mothers, sometimes it truly just doesn’t work.

In fact, I just recorded a podcast about it (it’s with Katie that does that troubleshooting class)

Before we get going, who am I and why do I know so much about breastfeeding?

Hi, I’m Hilary — many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse . I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of OB nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. ​ I’ve helped troubleshoot a LOT of breastfeeding in that timeframe and honestly I’m best at knowing when it is NOT working — so I’m a good resource on this!

Signs That Breastfeeding Isn’t Working

Hilary is a nurse who has worked in various medical fields for the past 26 years, however, none of the information on this blog should be substituted for the care of a physician. The information provided on this blog is informational only and shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you have questions, please ask your doctor or a certified lactation consultant. Also, please don’t delay contacting a physician due to something you have read on here. Please read my full terms here.

There are a few basic ways to feel like breastfeeding isn’t working (although it is better/easier to look for signs that it IS working in general — and we will cover that next):

** Keep in mind that understanding milk flow with breastfeeding is HARD so don’t be tough on yourself. You can’t see what baby is eating like you could with a bottle — but these are some serious signs:

1. Baby cries a lot, even after a feeding.
2. Baby isn’t having frequent wet/poopy diapers (we’ll talk about what to watch for in a second)
3. Baby isn’t gaining weight — and that is likely something you would see at a pediatrician’s or a lactation visit.

Pro Tip: It is VERY normal to think you’re not giving your baby milk in the early days, or that they aren’t getting enough. In the vast majority of cases your body works perfectly and you do have a supply for them. Baby nurses make it look so easy in the hospital, and it always seems like it’s falling apart when you get home. Totally normal.

Keep in mind that these things are all important to keep an eye on through the first month as your milk supply is regulating. Good milk supply doesn’t always stay that way — especially until you get into a great breastfeeding groove.

BTW, if you’re reading this article pre-birth just to get an idea of what’s to come and what to watch for — come join me in here!

Signs Breast-Feeding IS Working

One quick tip is that baby needs very little milk in those first few days. Their stomach is the size of a marble when they’re born, and it slowly expands as they get large.

1.  Wet Diapers is a sign breastfeeding IS working

Babies should have 6-8 wet diapers/day.  Newborns should have a wet diaper per day of age up until they’re getting 6-8).  So, on day two — they should have 2 wet diapers.  If they’re not producing that much, you need to think about what is not working.  

There are reasons BESIDES breastfeeding, why this might be — but breastfeeding is something you should consider. Babies poop should also start to change from the black tar to another color (depending on your feeding method — but mustard yellow if you’re nursing).  

These are my favorite newborn diapers, love the line that shows if they pee’d (because you can’t always tell).

2. Engorgement is a sign that you have milk!

On day 2-5 (sometimes longer) you’ll feel your breasts “turn-on” and fill with milk.  If you don’t feel any differences with your breasts, it may not be filling with the milk. Many providers will ask “has your milk come in” — so just be honest with what you are feeling.

I get hot boobs, but I never feel them fill.  I never have them over-fill, they just don’t fill.  Don’t forget some washable breastpads while we talk engorgement!

3.  Milk in their mouth is a sign breastfeeding IS working

If you pull them off, you should see milk in their mouth (once your milk has come in).  Make sure you use your finger to break the latch, don’t just yank them off.  Babies tongues already look a little white, but if you SEE milk, you know you’ve struck gold.  Mind at ease.

Please note, you won’t see this as much before your milk comes in, because colostrum looks fairly clear.

4.  Weight gain is a sign breastfeeding is working

I would guess most pediatricians will come let you do a weight every day to see if they’re gaining.  At Kaiser (where I had my last 2 babies) they do a weight check, let you feed, and weigh again — to see how they’re doing. 

They often do those at in-person lactation consults (not just at Kaiser). It is a downfall of internet-supported lactation consults. You can always go to your pediatrician’s for a weight check though (or buy a baby scale — it’s actually a lot cheaper than I thought it would be!)

This one from Hatch Baby is pretty cool!

Princess P was such a great sucker, and we had a good latch.  I’d latch her on for half an hour and she’d go to town.  I thought for sure she was getting milk and it was GOING TO WORK that time!  She would lose weight instead of gaining — just because she was working so hard to suck with no reward.

5.  Swallowing is a sign breastfeeding is working

This is actually one of the very best, and the easiest ways to tell.  My oldest never swallowed.

You need to have a quiet room to hear this one, but you’ll kind of hear a whispered letter “C” sound when they swallow.  You can also, sometimes — depending on your position — see their Adam’s apple bob when they swallow.  Baby’s mouth should swallow every 3-4 sucks.

If they’re not swallowing, either you’re not noticing it, or something is wrong.

If all of these are overwhelming you and frankly, the whole baby thing is overwhelming you I do have a course called Newborns Made Easy (I realize that title is a lie, but it will make them EASIER) — it goes over these signs to watch for, as well as newborn care and SLEEP in those first few weeks!

When breastfeeding doesn’t work

The thing, with nursing, is that the more you stress out about it, the worse the problem gets.

You’re the cow.  You need to be healthy and happy to produce for your little wonder.  But, the worse it got and the more he cried I just felt like the biggest failure that God ever created.  The simple truth is that sometimes breastfeeding doesn’t work.  It’s a small percentage (although I hear it is on the rise), but it’s true.

I say try, try, try, but if it’s not working, the good news is that there is infant formula.  It isn’t poison, it won’t kill your baby and it may put your mind at ease remembering it’s an option.

The most important thing is truly a healthy, happy mom and baby. That’s it. Long term studies don’t show that breastfeeding actually has that big of a change on a child’s health/well-being (especially when compared with twins who one was breastfed and the other one wasn’t).

Pro tip: Baby having difficulty latching isn’t always a sign that breastfeeding IS or is is NOT working. How baby latches has to do more with their suck, their mouth and your boob — it doesn’t always mean they’re getting milk (and difficulty latching doesn’t mean you don’t have milk — it is a reason to seek help though). My friend Katie also offers virtual consults as well!

Ways to Make Breastfeeding Work

If you do think a lack of milk production is your problem, you will likely need help troubleshooting. There are things they can recommend to increase your supply (fenugreek, nipple shields, different positions, increasing fluids, skin to skin contact) — I even tried Reglan — which made me crazy — so be mindful).  It is certainly worth it to try to build it up.

You can start with any helpful family members, or friends — but you will likely need someone with more experience if it’s really a problem.

With lactation consultants being so available anymore, the best thing is to schedule an appointment with an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant).

Reasons you can’t breastfeed

There are LOADS of reasons that breastfeeding may or may not work.  The reality is that you really need to try.  Give the breasts lots of stimulation, even if you think it won’t work.  Reasons I have seen (and there are a lot more than this)

• Previous breast surgery (implants or reductions)
• Hormonal imbalances
• Tubular breasts (you’ll often have less milk ducts, which isn’t really apparent on a visual assessment).
• Stress (more women can’t breastfeeding during war time vs non-war time — in historical studies)
• Lack of stimulation (you’re not doing frequent feedings)
• Baby needs a tongue release or a lip release
• Nipple Issues (often make it a lot more difficult but usually can be worked around if you work hard at it and seek help from a lactation consultant) — really sore nipples are not a good sign. If you’re in severe pain you need to contact someone ASAP.
• You go back to work and pumping just isn’t something you want to do (and frankly, very valid).
• It is driving you crazy… {also valid}

Blood vessels and breast tissue are tricky things!

We do talk about some of the reasons in that podcast I mentioned above.

Why to try a Lactation Consult

I would try a consult with a IBCLC. You will find a LOT of people who say they have credentials to teach you how to breastfeed, but as an RN the IBCLC is truly the gold standards for help you out on a one on one basis. They can check baby’s mouth, talk to you about nipple pain, show you how to express milk, look for any breast infection, and make sure that baby’s needs are being taken care of (while also balancing mom’s needs).

Let me say it one more time — IBCLC’s are the ones trained to troubleshoot. That is different than a lactation educator or a lactation consultant. In the land of breastfeeding education online experience REALLY varies and you want to stick with someone who is super experienced and knowledgeable.

They are really skilled at looking at the mother’s nipples to see if THAT is the problem, and what they can do to fix it. They can also talk to you about your baby’s current weight vs their birth weight. AND they are experts at checking out baby’s mouth to see if that is the issue (including a tongue tie or lip ties and any palate issues).

Most of all they are great at assessing baby’s latch to make sure THAT isn’t the issue. Keep in mind that the latch is just a portion of your breastfeeding scenario (and they are trained to assess the whole thing).

They’re also going to be the most helpful for any medical conditions that are causing an issue. They are truly your breastfeeding expert (keep in mind that most pediatricians are not). Many IBCLC’s are also RN’s (and have a lot of breastfeeding experience across many types of people) and can just have a really good handle on your entire needs.

Breastfeeding Didn’t Work For Me

For my first time, I thought breastfeeding would just work.  I had heard countless times that breastfeeding works for everyone if you work hard enough when I was in nursing school.

So, I just tried and tried.  He screamed and screamed. Our first week together was a real doozy.

I finally noticed a lack of wet diapers and no poop… so I started to get a little nervous.

But, I kept trying… I called lactation.  We were really poor, so having an in-person consult was out of our price range (this is back before insurance even considered paying for it).  We did rent a hospital pump (remember you can get one free).

I THOUGHT I was getting breast engorgement, but I think I just had some hormonal fluctuations (they never got hard or really painful). Breast fullness can be hard to assess (especially if you’ve never felt it before).

In retrospect, I spent a 20-minute call with a woman, spent the majority of it crying — and her advice was to get up every 2 hours at night to pump, and to finger feed so I could prevent nipple confusion (I finger fed so much my finger nails started to hurt).

Keep in mind that when you pump you might not get much milk. It IS stimulating your breasts, but because you don’t love the pump like you love your baby, production is often less.

To a woman who was clearly on the edge (because I was also crying for the majority of the time I wasn’t on the phone with her), she told me to basically stop getting sleep and put every last ounce of myself into a bottle.

**AS an L&D RN of almost 20 years I can tell you that this was 100% the WRONG ADVICE** At no point should someone’s mental well-being come before their low milk supply.

Simply put (and I can say this now that I’ve been an L&D RN for 17 years), Her advice was not the right advice.

At a certain point, you may need to throw in the towel and do what works for you.  Some lactation consultants aren’t very good at remembering that you aren’t a cow, and you have feelings and a brain.

And breastfeeding isn’t worth losing your mind over.

I remember fighting the urge to shake him when he wouldn’t latch right or would just sit there and scream at me.

No mom should be at that point.  I should have popped a bottle in his mouth.  He was starving.  And I 100% believe that fed is best (although I don’t find that page to be particularly breastfeeding-friendly).

Studies do reveal that a mom with good mental health is much more important than breastfeeding. Taking care of YOU is just as important (if not more important) than taking care of them.

Unable to breastfeed guilt

I feel this every. time. On my second child I was sure the second time would be the charm…. that I’d just not tried hard enough time #1.

Somehow, during those 9 months, I somehow think it WILL work this time.  I will get more than just a small amount of breast milk when I pump.  Everything will work out this time.

But, it doesn’t.

And I cry and cry (this post shows that pretty clearly, and I actually wrote it RIGHT after my 3rd baby), it just feeding my postpartum depression.  And then I pop in that formula bottle.

With my last one, I already had two successful readers by the age 3.  It didn’t make a difference, I still felt guilty.

Just recently my formula-fed baby (that I almost starved) scored on the 99th percentile on the ACT, so I guess I still made smart little brains with formula (I can’t tell you how many times I’d burst into tears when I’d see a news story about how much smarter breastfeed babies are than formula babies).

Hang in there new moms.  It’s a tough, long, journey.

Breastfeeding Isn’t Working FAQ’s

Here is my promise to you:  (and I can 100% promise this) that your choice to breast or bottle feed your baby (as long as you FEED your baby) is not the worst parenting choice you’ll make — not by a longshot. 

Just wait til’ they’re teenagers (I want to shake him a lot now too — and yes, he does still scream at me).

The Online Prenatal Class for Couples does come with a breastfeeding class, but if you’ve already had your baby I would recommend having a consult with a local IBCLC, or a virtual consult.

I have a whole post on when to take a breastfeeding class, where I go over those options a bit more thoroughly.

Don’t forget to get my best tips to make sure breastfeeding IS working.

The post Breastfeeding Not Working: Transition from breastmilk to formula? appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Sore throats are the worst!  Especially in kids. Their heads are so small that EVERYTHING just hurts, their eyes, their throat, their ears.  It’s all connected and they’re so miserable (although, frankly as an adult I felt pretty miserable as well).

I just did a podcast on strep throat that you might enjoy:

How do you know if it’s just your basic sore throat (which is usually just a viral infection) or strep — where you need to see a doctor?  How is a mom ever to know all of this?  Also, how do you get rid of it?  Take a deep breath, I’m going to go over all of that!

Hi, I’m Hilary, a lot of people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse®, but I used to work for a pediatrician right out of nursing school so I did a lot of phone triage and learned a LOT about strep throat (and did a LOT of strep tests).

I moved around a few times and landed in labor and delivery. I now have 20 years of L&D experience and am the creator of The Online Prenatal Class for Couples.

Normal Sore Throat vs Strep Throat:

My daughter woke up sick this morning.  It all hurt and her throat was awfully red, with some possible white patches ( a tell-tale sign of strep).  It was hard to tell because she’s so miserable, she’s unwilling to open up much (I am guessing this is sounding familiar if you’re reading this article)

So, we took her into the office (offices USED to provide strep tests as a walk-in, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore) to test for strep.

FYI, Actual Strep throat is something that truly needs to be seen by a physician (or healthcare provider).  They will need antibiotics and people often died of it before antibiotics because it can attack your heart causing serious issues.

Pro Tip: Viral infections do NOT respond to antibiotics, ONLY bacterial infections will do that. There are also risks to taking an antibiotic, so you want to be sure which you have going on (which is why you see a doctor).

Strep Throat – Symptoms

Sometimes the symptoms of it, especially in children can be masked.  In adults, it’s just the usual REALLY painful sore throat (and tonsils, and glands and often ears — as they’re all connected).

Get out a flashlight, open wide, say ahh and check down that throat of yours (or have your spouse do it — although I can do mine in a mirror pretty well).

Instead of looking just red, it will also look white (and, likely also red).  That’s because there is pus in your throat, on your tonsils.

** Keep in mind, you’re looking at the THROAT, not the TONGUE — many people’s tongue is white, and that is not it!** You are looking at the back of the throat, there are two small blobs of tissue on the left and right — those are your tonsils.

You may have to have them tilt their head back and forward to really get a good view of the throat. Tell them to touch you with their tongue (or try — don’t be close enough they can). That way the tongue gets out of the way.

You could also try this in a cooperative child (sometimes it’s good to do this when you’re healthy also, just to have a good idea on what regularly lurks down there).

Symptoms of Strep Throat in Children

1.  Nausea and vomiting (fun, I know)
2.  Headaches
3.  Sometimes rashes, but if that’s the case you need to be seen by a doctor ASAP.

It may or may not include a fever (this thermometer is good for all ages!).

Signs of Strep throat in Adults:

In adults it is usually seen as a sore throat with no other major symptoms, besides extreme (often radiating to the ears and glands) pain in their throat.

I am talking a REALLY sore throat, not like just a mildly scratchy throat.

Pro Tip: Glands are also called lymph nodes, and may feel like swollen balls underneath your chin and the sides of your neck.

You will still see white patches on the tonsils/throat though.

I have a whole post on a sore throat in pregnancy also if that is you!

Symptoms that are likely not strep:

Do you/your child have a cough?  It is likely not it.  Strep doesn’t feel like a cold, it feels like a VERY sore throat, and possibly the other symptoms.

If you/your kid has common symptoms of a cold (a runny nose, cough, etc.) it is likely not strep.  Most of those are viral sore throats.

Unless, they have strep AND a cold — then double whammy. Which can totally happen, kids are incubators.

Most often, we don’t see it in kids under 2. Although it’s possible, it’s not as likely (probably from immunity from the mom/womb).

Sore Throat and a Rash

This could possibly be Scarlet Fever (or rheumatic fever), which is when the strep goes through your whole body. It must be seen by a doctor ASAP so you can be placed on antibiotics for treatment. Scarlet Fever normally looks like a “sandpaper” rash (the skin looks red and rough)…

My Great Grandma actually died from this because it can attack your heart and cause life-long issues. Hence, strep is really serious.

Strep throat without a fever?

Strep throat doesn’t always have a fever, especially if it’s early (btw, this is my favorite kind of thermometer).

Pro Tip: Fevers themselves aren’t bad — they’re just your immune system revving up to FIGHT — and we WANT that. But, if kids are feeling miserable, talk to your provider about what medication to give. High fevers can be scary though, so be sure to contact your provider if you have questions.

The main symptom is the sore throat, and it must be confirmed by a rapid strep test or throat culture.

Sore throat with NO other symptoms?

This could be strep. Often, the sore throat is the main symptom (although it can extend to ear and gland pain because the throat is so sore).

But, it could also be allergies, or poor air quality.

How to diagnose strep throat:

In order to know for SURE that you or your child doesn’t just have tonsillitis (and not use antibiotics unnecessarily), you’ll need a strep test.

**Strep throat can NOT be diagnosed just by looking at it.

Strep Test Types

• Rapid Strep test — which results can be told within 5 minutes
• Overnight Strep culture where you have to wait til’ the next day.

Both of those tests are looking for Group A Streptococcus (also called Strep A — which is the strep which causes step throat (vs Beta strep, which is what they culture for in Pregnancy).

On the day our daughter was sick, we took her to the doctor and they did a rapid test.

The visit ended up costing around 100 dollars — just to find out it was viral.  Then, you just treat the symptoms with plenty of fluids and maybe some Lolleez

Viral sore throat is called tonsilitis — or an infection of the tonsils.  It should NOT be treated with antibiotics, as that can only help a sore throat that is bacterial (vs viral).

Tonsillitis can be due to a variety of issues — allergies, yelling too much, viral infections like colds.

It seems like doctors no longer offer strep tests without seeing a provider (we saw a very nice nurse practitioner), which is a shame (and a waste of our health care dollar, but I digress…).

Diagnosis of Strep Throat at Home

I really wasn’t a fan of paying so much, just find out the sore throat was viral.

BUT, then I googled it, and guess what I found:

That’s right, my very own tests

They go in and out of stock (and often can only be bought by a small business), so I have a few other places you can find them (which also go in and out of stock).

• Walmart

I’m not afraid to culture a kid.  It sounds like everything’s in the box (mostly a giant Q-tip, the solutions, and a vial to mix it all in).  SO, if you’re willing to swab your own family I think this could save you some serious dough.

** Keep in mind these tests are only accurate if you do/read them correctly, so take them at your own risk and if you have ANY concerns, call your healthcare provider!

On the few occasions that I get a positive, I do need to go see a doctor.  However, when I have hauled in my positive test they have always taken my word and not had to re-swab me (saving me about $20 dollars). You could also try an online consult.

Personally, I have a DPC with a Healthshare and you can easily either see him or do a virtual visit.

Of course, you might be wondering how to swab your child — and YouTube (as always) has some helpful tips!

I should also say that these rapid tests sometimes give a false negative.  So, if the tonsils have a white or pussy spots and it was still negative I think I’d have no choice but to take them in and shell out the cash.

You can also swab too early or not well enough, and that can lead to other false negatives — if your child is really miserable, it would be worth it to take them to a doctor.

**A note, if you plan to get these for your family you need to be willing to get back to their tonsils and really give it a good swab with the q-tip thing.  Maybe have a nurse friend show you the first time.  It isn’t hard, but it does need to be done right.  Swabbing their cheek won’t get you the info you need!

The true standard of a strep test is a culture on the ol’ petrie dishes

Strep Throat Remedies

Natural Sore Throat Remedies

There is nothing natural that can cure strep throat. However, there are some natural ways to help with the throat/gland pain.

Essential Oils for Strep Throat

While it HAS to be treated with antibiotics (and I can’t say that any more strongly) you can use some essential oils to mitigate symptoms.  I really like using some diluted lemon oil on my neck to help my glands process their swelling and go back down.

Natural Throat Remedies for Kids:

Momeez Choice reached out to me about their Lolleez product line and I thought it was the perfect addition to this conversation!  Let’s talk about sore throats and how this organic remedy on a stick can help ease sick days for kids and moms (sponsored by Momeez Choice).

Lolleez are organic throat soothing lollipops for kids and my secret weapon on sick days. I can very much relate to the founder’s story, as she didn’t feel comfortable giving her kids a throat lozenge because of the risk of choking and artificial ingredients they are usually made with, so she invented Lolleez!  Go mom! They are flattened suckers, which make them less of a choking hazard than a round ball.

Note on how I’d use them:  If your kid has a sore throat, of course, I’d see if it was strep FIRST (as that needs an antibiotic).  But, once it’s negative — you just need to treat the symptoms. These are a GREAT option for that! Especially because sometimes sore throats are from environmental things drying their throat, so these effective suckers really help!

Strep Throat Treatment

Strep has to be treated by antiobiotics.  I have seen some people mentioning that they will treat it at home, but my own great-grandmother died from a strep infection, so it really does need treatment.

It is also really important that strep be positively identified with a test or culture — BUT, once those are positive, you really need treatment via penicillin (that is the recommended treatment — there is no reason to get a really broad-spectrum antibiotic).

It’s just my “culture.” {wah-wah}

What antibiotics treat strep throat?

The gold standard is a routine dosage of penicillin to treat strep bacteria.  It’s best to just get that vs a broader-spectrum Z-pack.

You MUST take the entire course of antibiotics that you are given.  It helps it not come back even worse!  Make sure to set a reminder in your phone for the duration!

How do you get strep throat?

It is passed by

• Anything that was in your mouth — utensils, cups and then someone uses those items
• Coughing
• Improper/infrequent hand washing

It is SUPER contagious.  Often if one family member gets it — I’d ask your doctor if you can call to get a prescription for the rest if others get a sore throat.

Pro tip: Many people recommend changing out your toothbrush once you’re no longer contagious as you could re-infect yourself (they recommend this with all sore throats, actually).

How Long is Strep Throat Contagious?

It is super contagious, so be sure to watch your other children if one of them gets it.  It is contagious until you have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. Tonsilitis is contagious while you have throat pain.

Is strep throat contagious?

YES, very much so. If one child has it make sure to quarantine them as MUCH as possible, but also talk with your provider about what to do if your other kids get it (or if YOU get it).

Strep Throat FAQ’s

This post was originally written in Sept 2012 and has been updated.

The post Sore Throat vs STREP throat: How to tell the difference appeared first on Pulling Curls.

As an L&D nurse for 16 year I’ve educated countless families on SIDS precautions and I’m excited to share them with you!

Looking for more advice before you have your baby — do not miss this Online Prenatal Class for Couples — created for busy couples to allow them to easily get in their important childbirth education.

I am a huge safe sleep advocate, and if you’re a listener — don’t miss this podcast I did recently on safe sleep:

SIDS seems to be without cause at this point. It seems to be a hot button topic on facebook lately (at least in my feed). It’s when a baby dies without any apparent medical cause. Here are 8 things you can do in your own home that scientific studies have shown seem to help reduce your baby’s risk of sudden unexpected infant death.

What is sids and how to prevent it

1. Back to sleep. They will beat this sleep position into you in the hospital. Most of our moms laid us on our bellies when we were babies. It sort of makes sense, if you spit-up it just comes out on the sheet instead of making the baby gag. However, science has now proven that putting the baby on their back to sleep is the safest way. SIDS deaths have totally fallen since this initiative. Be SURE your little one gets tons of tummy time so they use all their muscles.

2. Use a fan. Kaiser Permanente was relentless on their SIDS precautions when I had Princess P. I thought this one was interesting. I know some of the major theories involve the baby unable to move their air very far when they breathe out (hence, they just keep breathing in and out the same air, slowly taking all the oxygen) and the fan will help circulate the air more. We usually used something like this.

3.  Use a pacifier.  I haven’t really figured this one out, but studies show it is true.  We used these.

4. Don’t fall asleep with the baby in your bed. I’ve seen a lot of things on Facebook about co-sleeping is great. The reality is, that your baby isn’t much bigger than a stuffed animal and you are going to be TIRED. I’ve seen parents who have suffocated their own baby. You will never get over it. You’ll just have to decide what works for you. But generally you can reduce the risk of accidental suffocation by having a separate sleep area for your baby.

5. Have the baby sleep in your room. There are awesome ways like bassinets, a portable crib or co sleepers that allow the baby to sleep very close to you in a safe sleep environment without the dangers. This will promote breastfeeding and bonding. For me, it didn’t work. I counted respirations on the baby and I couldn’t sleep with the thought of sleep-related deaths looming in my head (and it looms hard). I ultimately had to let it go and put them in their own room. Again, you have to decide what works for you. I also was unable to breastfeed, so I had to get up to get a bottle anyway. Parents who decide your baby’s crib needs to be in another room LOVE the Owlet Monitor (find it here).

6. No bumper pads, pillows, stuffed animals, or other soft objects in the crib. I know, your baby doesn’t move — surely it’s fine to have a pile of adorable stuffed animals at the bottom of the crib, but it’s just not. Babies don’t need a pillow or crib bumpers. Save them for their big kid bed. A fitted sheet (you want to avoid loose bedding) on a firm mattress is perfect for your baby’s sleep area. Also, a safety-approved crib is the best way to help create a safe place for your baby to sleep.

7. There is some evidence that swaddling can be an issue. Using something like a halo sleep sac or other sleep sack can keep your baby warm without the risks.

8. Don’t Smoke. Cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke really increases the incidence of sids cases. A great reason to quit if you have a little one!

SIDS is currently not preventable!

While no one can PREVENT SIDS (we can’t prevent something we don’t understand) I have recently taken note of the Owlet baby monitor (that’s my post about it). I think that it might help moms, like my friend — Michelle (I helped deliver her first baby) sleep a little more soundly knowing the Owlet will alarm if baby’s oxygen saturation levels get too low during sleep times. It’s VERY cool! You can learn more about it here too. We don’t know the unknown causes of sids, but the good news is there are products like this to help prevent crib death.

So, that’s it. 8 fairly easy safe sleep practices to reduce SIDS risk that might give you some peace of mind. Hopefully knowing what can cause increased risk of unexpected infant deaths can help continue to lower the cases. And again, to any family ever affected by SIDS my heart goes out to you. It’s a silent killer that hurts so very much.

*Never take advice given here on Pulling Curls over those of your physician.  If you have questions, please ask your doctor.

The post What is SIDS and how to prevent It appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Fever & Vomiting in Child

You hold your baby close, the fever is high. They’re miserable, you’re miserable for them. Their hot little head next to yours, beaded with sweat. You wonder how the night will go — when the unthinkable happens… Your child vomits all over you. Fever & vomiting is one of my least favorite parts as a parent, but they often go together like Abbott and Costello. Just not nearly as funny. How can you keep their temperature down if they can’t get medicine in? Let’s find out.

Fever in Babies & Infants

Fever is usually defined as anything above 100.4 — yes, your baby might run 98.7 as all the books say, but normal fluctuations including outside temperature, number of layers you have them in, as well as where they are in their circadian rhythms can make it go up and down throughout the day.

Babies under 2 months of age should not have a fever. If they do, you need to take them to the pediatrician. Call to make an appointment right now. They just don’t have the germ-fighting ability that an older child will have and their risk of dehydration is higher.

For young babies from 2 to six months of age, you need to be really thoughtful about fevers. If they’re too high or concerning, getting medical care is never a bad option. Check with your doctor about what over-the-counter medicines you can give your baby, and at what point you should call them.

How to check for fever in children

An axillary thermometer is the easiest way to take a baby or child’s temperature. It’s less invasive and the easiest to get. However, the gold standard for a temperature is a rectal temperature. However, if you plan to take a rectal temp, make sure you have a thermometer meant for that. It should have safeguards so that you don’t go too deep. Really big problems can happen if you take a rectal temperature incorrectly, so be sure to follow the packaging instructions.

Pro tip: I just use axillary, and that’s what we use in the hospital.

How to reduce a fever in babies & children

Fever is usually helped by a couple of things:

• Hydration
• Medication

Medicine for fever and vomiting

Fever is usually reduced in a number of ways, but the #1 way to reduce it for children is acetaminophen or ibuprofen (ibuprofen is not for small babies).

You can find it easily as a liquid (and you likely take it as a tablet when you have a headache, they also have chewable options).

But, the main problem with babies is that they often won’t eat at the same time they don’t feel well. So, not only do you have a miserable child, but you also don’t know how to get anything in them to help them feel better.

Acetaminophen has been used for years in the treatment of fever, aches, and pains in kids. Ask your child’s doctor about it on your next visit if you have further questions.

Pro Tip: Recent literature shows that allowing a fever to rage may have some positive effects towards fighting off the illness, so don’t feel like you have to give Tylenol. I would just see how they’re doing and talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.

Fever & Vomiting

What can you do if your child refuses the liquid medication or if they’re vomiting, so it won’t stay down anyway?

For us, we’ve always used FeverAll. FeverAll is acetaminophen but in a suppository form. For those who’ve never had one, — a suppository goes into your rectum and is quickly absorbed that way.

Pro Tip: We (nurses) actually give a fair number of drugs in suppository form in the hospital. When people are sick, it’s often the best way to get medication in them. Even if the thought makes you cringe.

Putting in a suppository is easy and your baby won’t cringe like you do since you’re always wiping their cute bums.  Just follow the instructions in the package.

With FeverAll you don’t have to be worried if your child “got it all” (hard to know if they throw up within the hour that they get the medication).

We always kept FeverAll on hand for our kids. I have even used it on my daughter (who is 9) because she will get a severe headache and throw up — the only way to get anything for the headache in her is a suppository.

Fever and vomiting in a baby/infant

Unless your child feels miserable, some of the most recent research shows that allowing the fever to continue (vs giving medication) can be helpful. Make sure you’re getting them plenty of fluids – fruit juice, sports drinks, clear fluids, and breast milk, all of these can help prevent dehydration. I would start with small amounts of fluids to begin with to make sure they can keep it down. I don’t recommend ice chips or water, even warm water until they’ve been able to keep things down. Water seems to really increase stomach aches.

However, babies & infants can get VERY high fevers which can make them miserable and you quite uncomfortable as well. You want to make sure that a dose of Tylenol is bringing it down — I have tons more info on this in my children’s fever post.

I would follow the protocol in my stomach flu post to only give clear liquids after an hour. Trying to hydrate them, but not over-hydrating them to where they vomit again is a fine balance you’ll have to watch.

Alarm tip: If your child is under 2 months with a fever, you need to call your doctor.

Fever and vomiting 3-year-olds & toddlers

It’s very similar to how you deal with a baby/infant, except that at this point they can hopefully give you some indication of how they feel.

They may also beg for water after they throw up. DO NOT GIVE IN. Nothing by mouth for the first hour after they vomit. If they’re miserable with the taste they could swish, but encourage them to spit it out. Their stomach needs time to rest.

If they’re just miserable, you could try regular liquid Tylenol (after the hour), that small amount shouldn’t do anything, but you can also try that FeverAll suppository as well.

Fever and vomiting blood

If you vomit frequently, you could see small streaks of blood in your vomit. As long as it’s a small amount and bright red, I’d just keep an eye on it — but if it changes to look more like coffee grounds or is a larger amount of bright red blood, you should call your doctor or head to insta care or the Emergency Room.

Vomiting in children

If you’re looking for more info on vomiting in children, I follow a very specific diet so that my kids get over it quite quickly. Parents can do a lot to make this worse — so, follow this stomach flu diet and your little one should feel better soon. The brat diet is gentle bland foods that shouldn’t irritate their stomach no matter your child’s age.

How to stop vomiting in children

The best way to stop it is to allow the stomach to rest.

It is important that kids expel the virus/cause of whatever is making them throw up. I don’t recommend anything for their nausea as there is a reason our bodies make us vomit — and that’s to get out whatever is bad in it. Whether it’s a stomach virus, stomach pain, or a random stomach bug our bodies want those bad things out.

Following the tips in my stomach flu post will help a lot.

Vomiting causes

Vomiting can happen for a few reasons. A common cause can be –

• Viral infection (like the stomach flu)
• Food poisoning
• Kids often get so much mucus in their tummies with a cold/flu that they will vomit to get it out
• Other serious illness – but those are the most common.

High fever and vomiting in adults

The most important thing is to rehydrate yourself as soon as possible. I follow my stomach flu diet as well, and it helps. Hydration will help fevers, as will Tylenol. I don’t recommend ibuprofen too much when vomiting is happening. Really watch for signs of dehydration, severe dehydration can cause other side effects.

Nausea and headache

It isn’t unusual to have nausea with a headache. I usually treat that with Tylenol and rest as possible.

Could it be Meningitis?

The #1 symptom of meningitis is neck pain. Not like a stiff neck but actual pain when you move your head. If your child is having severe neck pain with these other symptoms, you’d want to get medical help.

If you liked that post –be sure to grab my stomach flu tips — and check out my other family health tips below that!

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The post Fever & Vomiting in Child: Babies, infants & toddlers vomiting with a fever — when to worry, what to do. appeared first on Pulling Curls.

You know it, it’s the middle of the night, no one is getting sleep.
Everyone is crying
{screaming baby}….
Oh crap… is it an ear infection, or something else?
{Sigh}
That was a good part of my life with baby #1.  Have you ever lived this situation out in your own home?  Here are some ear infection symptoms to look for!

Ear infections can be SO miserable.  Let’s give you a few things to watch for to know if that might be the problem, especially in non-verbal babies/early toddlers (it’s petty easy to know it’s an ear infection if they can say “my ears hurt” — it’s always so nice once kids can tell you their symptoms!).

Ear infections are caused by fluid collecting behind the ear drum (often from a cold or allergies)  and then bacteria/viruses growing in there.  It causes the ear drum to bulge and that’s painful.

Ok, how do I know all this?

Well, long before I worked labor and delivery, I worked phone triage for a huge pediatric office.  I also worked their late night emergency clinic.  It was a GREAT job for a person to learn a lot about children’s health.  I feel really blessed to have been able to learn all that I did, and now I can share those lessons with you!

What does an ear infection feel like?

1. Ear Pain — like down your ear, your tympanic membrane bulging making the area around it hurt
2. Throat pain — a lot of times it hurts in your throat.  Your throat and ears are SO close together, it can feel like it hurts all over
3. Gland pain — your glands are located on both sides of your neck, and they can bulge and hurt as well

Even though we all feel our ear, throat, and neck as distinct places — our body doesn’t always distinguish where the pain is — so all/some of those places can hurt with an ear infection.

Kids may say their neck hurts, when it’s an ear infection as well — beacuse in reality it’s all very close together.

Ear Infection Symptoms in Babies:

Pulling at their ears is an ear infection symptom

This one SEEMS like it makes sense, but a lot of kids pull their ears when they’re tired or their throat hurts or sometimes even when they find a lot of joy in pulling at their ears.  This isn’t a tell-tale, but often when done WHILE whining or doing it out of character along with the other two can be a sign…

Cry when you lay them down is an ear infection symptom

This isn’t when you lay them down in their crib.  This is when they lay down on your lap or on the couch by you.  The fluid behind their eardrum is especially painful when they lay down — that’s what causes this.

Cry when they’re eating is an ear infection symptom

Babies often cry when they’re eating, but when they have an ear infection, they’ll take a few hungry sucks and then start to cry.

This was usually the more tell-tale sign for me.  If they only have an irritated throat they’ll cry on the first suck.  Again, this is because the fluid behind their ears (you have to remember that ears and throat are REALLY close in a baby) moves in a way that irritates them after those first couple of sucks.

It will also hurt more to eat laying down (see above) than if you sit them up and have them eat.

Ear infection cures:

Studies seem to show that ear infections are frequently viral.  That means that antibiotics aren’t helpful for them.  BUT, in kids under 2-3, most of the time your provider will recommend an antibiotic.  However, after age 3, or so, you might want to consider holding off.

I’m a huge proponent of not using antibiotics unless you REALLY need to!

Personally, I will ask my provider to give me a script, and then watch them for a couple of days.  If the ear pain gets considerably worse or they’re just not getting better, then we can start it at my discretion.

NOTE:  I’m talking about an inner ear infection.  That means infection behind your eardrum.  You can also have an outer-ear infection (often you talk about that as “swimmer’s ear”) that is treated with topical drop.

There are drops you can use to help make the eardrum less painful.  I have yet to find one that works well for us, but I have friends that rave about them.

El Presidente got tubes after an ear infection that was taking months to get rid of.  They usually recommend tubes after either repetitive ear infections or ones that won’t go away.  Just one or two isn’t an indication that tubes are worthwhile — be sure to ask your doctor any questions you have, though!

Home Remedies for Ear Infections:

The main home remedy is to help them feel better.

The main thing I’ve ever had luck with is some mild heat on that side.  So, take a warm microwaveable heat pack and just lay on it.  That helps quite a lot.

Clearly, Tylenol or Ibuprofen can help as well (check with your doctor to make sure they’re safe to take).

If you’ve ever used something else to treat an ear infection, I’d love to know in the comments!

Essential Oils for Ear Infections:

Personally, the only thing I’ve ever had luck with is some lemon oil below my ear area and down onto my neck.  I would guess, because it smells lemon-y you could also try Pain Ease.

Note:  I would dilute both of those into a roller bottle with some type of carrier oil (I usually use fractionated coconut oil).

To make a roller bottle, you decide how concentrated you want the oil to be (I usually eyeball about 1/3 essential oil to 2/3 carrier oil in the roller bottle).  BUT, it depends on how “hot” the oil feels so you might want to consult where you purchased the oil.

Roller bottles save you MONEY, but using less of the more-expensive essential oil, AND they make it easier to use the oil as it spreads better over your body.

How can you know if your child has an ear infection?

The #1 best thing to know if your child has an ear infection is buying an otoscope and using it frequently to know what a normal eardrum looks like, vs an infected one.

I wish I had bought this otoscope when my first was little.  It would’ve saved a lot of co-pays.

PRO TIP with Otoscopes:  The key is looking in their ears frequently (especially when they’re feeling fine) to figure out how to do it and what their normal eardrum looks like.  The beauty about that otoscope is that it comes with a guide of what to look for.  Super handy!

The reason I write these types of articles is to prevent unnecessary visits to your pediatrician.  Any more, whenever I call I feel like they tell me to just come in.

The reality is that there are a LOT of childhood illnesses that do NOT need to be seen by a doctor.  It just isn’t a good use of your health care dollar.  That’s my perspective, but there’s nothing wrong — if you’re concerned, to have your doctor take a peek at your child.  An ear infection can easily turn into an eye infection as well.

As always NEVER take any advice given here over the advice of your doctor and if you are concerned you should always seek help from a healthcare professional.

Related Post:  How to cure the stomach flu.

If your child has a fever be sure to check out children’s fever — that post is super informational!

If you’re looking for more tips on keeping your family health, be sure to sign up for my family health newsletter — and check out my other tips below:

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The post What does an ear infection feel like? Symptoms, in babies, adults and cures! appeared first on Pulling Curls.

He is like a boil on the butt of humanity…..

A favorite from Steel Magnolias.  Because, I love rashes.

Ok, I don’t.  I just think it’s funny. J

But I do want to talk about skin rashes today.  I get a lot of email from people asking me what I think a rash is.

First off, thank goodness for Google.  I think it’s pretty easy to get on the ol’ Dr Google and try to match your rash with other’s.

Rashes, quite frequently, aren’t something that we want in the doctor’s office.   When we thought it might be something less-savory the doctor would even go out to see it in the person’s car.

 FYI, I worked for a pediatrician doing phone triage for a few years, so that is where the majority of this info comes from.

BTW a lot of times giving information on things like this can feel like mom shaming — I have a favorite podcast on that:

Chicken Pox:

Although rarely seen anymore (thanks to the Varicella immunization) Chicken Pox itches like crazy.  It looks like a red mark about the size of a tip of a pencil eraser, with a  little pimple (or pustule) on the top of it.  It is not usually just in one area, tends to be all over the body, but starts on the trunk (your abdomen/chest/back area).

Roseola and other Viral Rashes

Most viral rashes start as a fever for a day or two (usually pretty high) and then you’ll see the rash break out a few days after that.  Often I’ll have friends who call me concerned about a high fever with no other symptoms and then a few days later I get a text that they have a red rash all over.  They are usually contagious when they have the fever, and no longer contagious once they break out, but most parents don’t love to see a kid with a weird rash at playgroup — so I tend to keep them home until they are looking more normal.

Allergic Rash

These can look many different ways.  Sometimes it’s just redness (with or without a roughness to the skin), sometimes it’s many hives.  They usually itch and I recommend some Benadryl to help with the itching and start to quiet the allergy.

Allergic rashes are most often caused by a change in detergent, something in their sheets, something outside that they rolled in or something that bit them or even something they ate.  All of them are treated the same way (although, if you think it’s the detergent, you might want to change back for a bit to see if helps).

It can also be caused by antibiotics (or any other medicine), so if your child breaks out at the same time they’re on antibiotics, stop giving the medication and call your doctor.

A note on allergic rashes:  My kids tend to get an allergic-type rash more easily when they have a cold or another virus.  Don’t eliminate some particular detergent for good if they are just extra sensitive as their body fights off the virus.  I often try it again once they’re well with no issues.

Also, the majority of rashes are allergic rash.  When I initially see a rash (unless there are other symptoms) I give the kid some Benadryl.  It usually goes away.  If it’s really itchy, I use a little hydro-cortisone cream.

Scarlet Fever

This is a rash caused by strep (the same one that causes strep throat).  It sort of looks like burns all over the child’s body.  This is pretty serious and needs to be treated with antibiotics asap.  It can end-up causing heart issues.  You’d see it with other symptoms of strep like fever, headache, nausea and sore throat.

There are a BUNCH of different rashes, but hopefully this gives you an overview of what to watch for.

Obviously, Measles has been an issue in the US lately.  If you think your child has that, call your doctor immediately.  You can read more about that from the CDC here.

Now, things like Eczema would need to be seen by your doctor, although my friend Kristina at Mother’s Niche has a great post on Eczema how she’s healing it at her house.

Please don’t take the advice of anything here at Pulling Curls, or anywhere else on the internet over the advice of your doctor.  And certainly, if you have a question about a rash, especially if Benadryl isn’t helping – call your doctor!

If you liked informative posts like this, be sure to sign up for my family health newsletter

The post Skin Rashes 101 appeared first on Pulling Curls.

When your child (or baby or toddler) bumps their head or has a head injury you WORRY.  Find out the facts about WHEN to worry, signs of a concussion and how long it will take for the swelling to disappear?

Head injury in children can be scary!  Whether it’s a fall from the grocery cart, hitting their head on the hardwood or simple toddler friends clanking noggins on the playground it makes parents nervous.

They’re going to need those brains for a long time!

First, I really want to preface this by listening to your inner mother voice.  If something is telling you that something is wrong, head trauma is the time to listen to it.  BUT, I even worry a lot when they get a big bonk on the head.  Here are a few simple things to watch for when your child hurts their head:

**(Trauma is any time your body is hit, it’s how we term it in the hospital, I couldn’t think of a better way to say it — but this is any head bonk — not when they REALLY hit your head and you KNOW something is wrong).

Child bumped head when to worry?

(These are also the head injury signs of concussions)

1.  Is the area still firm?  If they have skull fracture, you might be able to feel it, or it may feel mushy (eww, I know).  Just gently palpate (or press) the area.  Is it all firm?

2.  Head trauma swells.  Big bumps  (or goose eggs) are normal and fine.  You can ice them if that’s something your child is OK with.  Most of mine tended to not want ice in it (and the fight to get the ice on is worse then it would be if I just left it alone).  The ice may help it to be smaller but that’s the only thing you’re doing with ice.  It doesn’t treat an actual issue.

3.  Are they acting OK?  Do they know their name, who their teacher is, just appropriate questions?  Things they readily know the answer to before, they should be fine to answer.  However, my kids tend to be more in the crying until their eyes bleed type situation after this.  They’re not in the mood to answer questions, so this doesn’t always work for me.

4.  Are they vomiting?  Now, if they’re crying their eyes out and suddenly gag on their tears and it makes them heave…. that is something questionable.  BUT, if they throw-up out of the blue, that’s something that needs to head to the doctor, most likely the ER.

5.  PERLA.  Pupils Equally Responsive to Light… Those medical people… they like to make up anacronyms for everything.  If you shine a flashlight in their eyes, the pupil should adjust.  Also, both pupils should be about the same size.  Drew was always checking our kids eyes after they fell, but I haven’t a clue what he was looking for.  This is a pretty slow sign if there’s a problem, you’ll probably notice other things wrong with them before this.

When should you worry about a bump on the head

The main thing to watch is if they’re acting normal.  Sure, you’ll have enough tears to clog your bathtub, but after that’s over do they act OK?  If they fall asleep, maybe wake them up after 15 minutes and make sure they’re responsive and all that jazz.

How long for the bump on the head to disappear

Ice will help the bump not swell so much — and it may help it go away faster if you apply it in the first 24 hours.

However, every person heals at different rates.  Kids heal faster than adults, for the most part.  It should be down quite a bit within the week.

Baby falling of bed — is it a brain injury

With babies you want to do an initial assessment. Make sure nothing else is broken.

Then, watch for the symptoms above, make sure the skull feels firm.  Because babies don’t talk you might feel more comfortable taking them in, and plenty of doctor visits are made for this.

Delayed Symptoms

Kids may feel fine initially, but then start to show some of the symptoms above.  You’ll still want to take those seriously.  Actual brain injury often takes a few hours to show up.

Head trauma can be really serious though, and if you have a question that’s the time to call the doctor.  They’ll give you better/more specific advice, but this is a brief overview.  I hope it’s helpful.

Hilary is an RN, BSN who has worked in various medical fields since 1997, however, none of the information on this blog, should be substituted for the care of a physician. The information provided on this blog is informational only and shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you have questions, please ask your doctor. If you think you have a medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911. Also, please don’t delay contacting a physician due to something you have read on here. Pulling Curls doesn’t take responsibility for your health. That’s your job. We’re just a nice read.

If you liked this post, be sure to grab my first aid kit list too:

The post My Child Bumped His Head — when should I worry? appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Note: While I am an RN and I’ve seen a LOT of in-office wart remedies fail, I can’t recommend this until you talk with your provider. It may or may not work for you! There are no studies that this method will work (or not work). You may also experience some irritation from the method as well. So keep that in mind before you attempt it.

Warts.  They are so nasty.  And that’s coming from someone who’s seen a lot of nasties in her many years as a nurse.  But, when my son came to me with a “big lump” on his toe I was totally grossed out.  

Did he touch a frog, or did a witch kiss him?  Either way I knew that it would be super pricey to go to the doctor and get common warts removed (we have a super high deductible).  I started to mull over some natural wart home remedies.  And by jove, I found one that did it!

Before we get started– Hi, I’m Hilary — the curly head behind Pulling Curls®. I’ve been a nurse since 1997 (many people know me as The Pregnancy Nurse®) and I’ve seen a LOT of failed wart removals. We also have a really high deductible (learn more about our Healthshare here) and I really wanted to avoid a doctor’s visit so I thought we’d at least try some stuff at home — and that’s how I found this recipe.

Want to get in better routines so you’re easily able to handle stuff like this? Join me in Family Routines!

Note: Before trying anything you should talk with your provider about anything particular about you or your needs, I am just sharing what worked for me and my family.

Wart Removal with Essential Oils

What are warts?

Warts are an infection of the top layer of the skin by a virus from the HPV (human papillomavirus) family.  It usually gets in through a small scratch.

HPV is everywhere, so it’s easy to come into contact with, and most people will get at least one common wart.

That means we need something with anti-viral, or antimicrobial properties in order to kill the virus.

Warts on your hands and feet are different types of warts than genital warts, but we don’t want to follow me down that wormhole.

BTW, if you’re looking to START with essential oils, I love this kit.  It may seem pricey but it includes all the stuff you’re going to want to try out to start!  The use of essential oils has been around for centuries and can treat a variety of conditions in natural ways, and have benefits for skin, hair, and more!

Back to the removal….

Natural Wart Remedy

So, in my searching on the internet, I found a few things that might help with treat warts.  I used a combination, as it was on his foot (and totally grossing me out). As a note, this wart was on his TOE not the bottom of his foot (like a plantar wart) — but we’ll talk more about those too.

Keep in mind that these treatments (especially the oils) might burn a bit.

ALSO, these remedies should only be used on the hands and feet.  Any more sensitive skin or part of the body and you could have skin irritation or a pretty serious reaction.  Also, not meant for genital warts.  Yes, I did just say that.

Be sure to take the medical advice of your doctor over any advice here at Pulling Curls.  You take your own responsibility by using a tool, like essential oils and this remedy.  Please contact a doctor if you feel like the wart treatment isn’t working or harming your skin.  

Wondering what ELSE essential oils can help — check out these posts:

• Apple Cider Vinegar for Itchy Scalp: Also includes Essential Oils & More
• Top Essential Oils: Top 5 to keep on hand for families
• Essential Oils & Essential Oil Uses
• Sore Throat vs STREP throat: How to tell the difference

Essential Oils to Get Rid of Warts

I made a mixture of oils (I used an old oil bottle to put this all in):

BTW, I’m not a fan of having to buy essential oils through a MLM (looking at you Doterra) I have also seen many other essential oil companies just have shady business practices (and frankly, how on EARTH do we know what they’re actually putting in them)… so, I get my natural essential oils from Plant Therapy off Amazon most often.

• Oregano Oil (this is the one that would burn — it’s a hot oil!) 1 drop
• Tea Tree Oil (melaleuca oil) 5 drops
• Lavender Oil 5 drops
• Frankincense 1 drop because this oil is pricey!

Pro Tip: not in the mood to mix-up oils — you could try this mix that has good reviews.

Let’s talk about what each of those do for warts:

Essential Oils as Effective Treatment for Warts:

I used a combination of these oils to get rid of warts:

Oregano Essential Oil: Best Essential Oils for Warts

This is a HOT oil, and has a lot of antibacterial/antiviral/anti-all-things properties. I think it kills the virus that got you there in the first place. It’s an effective essential oil.

Tea Tree Oil to Remove Warts

This one also has a lot of antibacterial and antiviral properties. It’s a great one for lots of different things (we’ve also used it with lice and ringworm at our house…. which is apparently full of disgusting children). This oil is not AS hot as Oregano, but I still encourage you to be careful with it!

Lavender Oil to Calm Your Skin

This is an anti-inflammatory. As the HPV gets into the skin it is causing an inflammatory reaction in the affected area. Also, as you kill the wart it can cause inflammation. Lavender’s anti-inflammatory properties help quell all of that.

Frankincense Oil to make Warts Disappear

As far as I have read, Frankincense just often makes all other oils work better. So, it just heightens all the regular properties it has. We’ve used this one for a lot of things, including scorpion stings (see #4 on my about me page).

Essential Oil Wart Remover Recipe

I would 100% recommend you talk with your provider about doing this, and test a small amount of skin with a small amount of what you plan to use before using a lot. some people are more sensitive to this than others, but this is what I did:

I put these into a dropper bottle (you could probably do a roller ball too, but I didn’t like the idea of it touching the wart, so I preferred the dropper bottle):

• Oregano Oil (this is the one that would burn — it’s a hot oil!) 1 drop
• Tea Tree Oil (melaleuca oil) 5 drops
• Lavender Oil 5 drops
• Frankincense 1 drop because this oil is pricey!
• 1 T of Coconut Oil

FYI, coconut oil is a carrier oil –it’s an oil that dilutes the essential oils) and shook them up (you would not want to put straight Oregano on your skin, it would BURN!).

Take a cotton swab and get a few drops of the blend and smear it all over the wart.

After that, take about 1/4 of a cotton ball and soak it in apple cider vinegar, tape a bandaid over that and leave it on overnight.

In the morning take the cotton ball off, smear more oil on it and leave open to the air.

Now, I pretty much just left my teenage son to work on this on his own.  For best results, I asked him to do the oils morning and night and be sure to do the apple cider vinegar at night.  By 10 days the skin growth fell off and his skin looked like healthy skin, good as new (before that it turned brown and looked extra gross).  He said he did it daily (but I doubt it).

Frankly, no one was as surprised as me that it worked. Honestly, I was shocked that this actually was a wart remover.

Since then, we’ve tried this method on a couple weird spots my husband had (they looked sort of wart-ish) and when he sticks with it, it helps a lot!

I can send you this recipe right to your inbox:

Duct Tape for Warts

I’ve seen a lot of people recommending duct tape for warts. I think it’s just a way to get the vinegar and essential oils to stay on the warts (rather than coming off). Almost like a very sticky band aid!

Why don’t people use essential oils for warts?

I think a lot of people are afraid to try natural wart remedies because of a few reasons:

1.  It hurts — in fact, it also hurts at the doctor’s office — they either burn the wart off, cut it off or freeze it off.  They don’t have magic (the might put some Emla cream on it initially, but it’s not fun afterward either — I think, in general, this one hurts a LOT less).
2. It might not work — in fact, it often doesn’t work in the doctor’s office.  People would have to come back a few times to get warts frozen.
3. They don’t want to do it on their own — and say put your big girl panties on and give natural options a try.

Essential Oils for Warts FAQ’s

Essential oils can be SO useful!  I would totally recommend getting a set.  I have a whole post about the other essential oils that I love (and don’t love).

Be sure to grab my favorite essential oil recipe that fixes a lot of skin issues (itchy scalp, etc):

The post Essential Oils for Warts: What gets rid of them? appeared first on Pulling Curls.

I just found this lice cleaning checklist that I think looks awfully handy (and it’s free)

A couple weeks ago I found the dreaded creatures in my daughter’s hair.

She had lice.

And I died inside.

However, I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get it out.

I was lucky to have a friend who’d dealt with it a few times with her girls.  She let me borrow her nit comb and recommended we smother them with a super thick conditioner and then pick them out.

At first, I was pretending inside that maybe it was just dandruff — until I did the comb through her hair.

And there they were — little bugs staring back at me.

And again I died inside.

I wanted to hide, I wanted to hide it, and I wanted to run away.

But, I couldn’t.  I was the only adult home so I spent 2 hours combing through that hair.  I researched on the internet about how to get rid of it.  I asked a few smart friends what they had done and I found a way to stay alive by having a lot of actions to do.

The next day I finally realized I wanted to share this.  To share that good parent’s kids get lice and that it isn’t a death sentence.

Head Lice Vs Dandruff

Is it head lice or dandruff — a lot of people are going to have that question and it’s normal.

Head lice and dandruff aren’t linked at all. So, just because your kids have dandruff, it doesn’t mean they’ll get lice (or vice versa). Although, I have heard that Apple Cider Vinegar is great for dandruff (and a regular ol’ itchy scalp).

You’re not likely going to see the bugs on the scalp.  They’re pretty quick and they try to blend in with the hair.  A just-hatched nymph is the size of a pinhead — so they’re really small.  Nits are about the size of a sesame seed and are laid close to your scalp (for warmth, and to allow them to feed right after they hatch).

With all your soul you’ll hope that it’s just dandruff.  The big difference is that dandruff wipes right off.  Lice won’t.  Use your fingernail to poke at it, kind of move it along the hair shaft — if it doesn’t move, it very well could be lice, especially if there are neighboring strands that have similar issues.

Little white things in hair not lice or dandruff?

It could just be fuzz — but if your child has a lot of it, it is likely lice or dandruff (as an FYI, dandruff is just scalp skin cells flaking off — so if it’s scalp cells — that’s dandruff)

Dandruff on Nit Comb

You are likely to get some dandruff on your nit comb, as you as likely irritating their scalp the more you comb through their hair. But nits feel like something. They are solid — vs dandruff feeling just like shedded skin cells.

Nits look more like the things below.

Here are a few things I learned about taking care of lice

Be Prepared

I think she got it at the school carnival.  They had a helmet that kids were using in a little bike race.  As soon as she put it on I knew it was a licegiver.  But, I shoved it in the back of my head.  In reality — I think it would be smart for every mom to have one of these.  They’re fairly inexpensive and I could’ve gone home and combed through it and not suffered them multiplying and replenishing her scalp.

You have to realize that it’s not unlikely that your child will get Lice.  It happens super frequently and the large majority of kids will get lice at some point during their life (especially girls).

If you’re already confused and want to die a bit — I did find a video course that can help walk you through the steps and know what to look for….

Home Remedies to Kill Head Lice

Does Mayo kill head lice?

Yes, it is what we recommended when I worked for a pediatrician.  It just makes it so the lice can’t breathe — you are basically smothering them.

I recommend using a FULL jar — so you are just going to SLATHER it on them and then wrap their head in a disposable shower cap or wrap it in saran wrap.

Does Vinegar Kill Lice?

Not really – but what I’ve read, it does help soften the “glue” that binds the head lice to the hair, making it easier to comb out.

Head Lice Shampoos

The medicated shampoos that are available both over the counter and with a prescription are basically SUPER harsh pesticides.  If you wouldn’t let your child run around as your pest control guy is spraying your house — I wouldn’t put it on their heads.

However, in talking with my friend, she recommended that I just load her hair up with conditioner.

I loaded a spray bottle with vinegar and a squirt of tea tree oil and sprayed her whole head with it and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Give them a paper towel to make sure they don’t get any in their eyes.

A word on essential oils:  It’s REALLY hard to find ones that seem legit. Ultimately, after a lot of research I am going with Eden’s Garden or Plant Therapy on Amazon. I was using Rocky Mountain Oils, but I got a few bottles that smelled stale (like the oil had gone bad) and a few that were too thick to drip out — so I switched.

After that, we used super thick conditioner to make sure and to suffocate any remaining lice.  I put a couple of handfuls of conditioner all through her hair making sure I got her scalp good and I left it on for about half an hour with saran wrap over it (so it didn’t glop off her head).

After that, it was time for the combing.

How to use a nit comb

The key is the comb.

In reality, the key to lice removal is combing, and combing and combing.

I killed the adult lice with the vinegar, conditioner, and the tea tree oil.

Then I started combing out (you could wash out the conditioner and the majority of the dead bugs before combing).  I left the conditioner in as it made it easier to comb.

You want to comb in several directions.  AND with each swipe of the comb, you want to wipe off any lice/nits onto a white towel/paper towel so you’re not re-putting them somewhere else!

My daughter has fairly short hair and super fine hair.  It still took me well over an hour and a half to comb through it.  If your child has more hair/thicker hair you need to think you’ll be combing for 2 or more hours.

So, get comfortable.  I’d recommend going to YouTube and watching some combing videos before you start.  There is certainly a technique to it!

I’d also recommend this tool — it really did work great!

Vinegar also loosens the “glue”that hold the nits to the hair — that will help you in the combing process as well!

This video gives some tips:

Does Head and Shoulders Kill Lice?

Nope.  It sure doesn’t.  Head and Shoulders shampoo is for dandruff, which is not lice.

Essential Oils for Lice: Tea Tree Oil

From what I read, some studies said tea tree oil killed the lice on contact, but other ones also said that the smell of tea tree oil repels them.  HENCE, it’s a great one to add to your shampoo all the time to prevent outbreaks in the future (I added a dropper full to everyone’s bottles).

The Life Cycle of a Louse

Lice can live for 30 days on a human’s head.  They live off blood from the scalp area.  They have to feed several times a day.  They can’t live without the blood more than 1 to 2 days.

They are killed with exposure of 5 minutes to more than 128 degrees.  So, time in a hot wash or in the dryer will kill them.

Nits (lice eggs) are laid fairly close to the scalp as they need an immediate blood meal (eww) to survive!  That means, if nits fall to the ground they will end up dying.

Nits take 7 days to hatch and another 7 days to mature and be able to lay their own eggs.  Female nits lay 3-5 eggs/day

How to Clean Linens after Lice

I don’t believe that you need to get ALL the linens out of your house, but I certainly washed all of her linens (including the comforter and shams) on the “sanitize” wash on my washing machine.

Some sites suggest you can just throw it in the dryer — but in the case of her bedding, towels and clothes I just coudn’t not wash it.  It made me feel better (and frankly, needed to be done anyway).

How to clean hair accessories after lice

I put all of her hair items (bows, etc) in a zip-lock bag in the garage.  They say to leave it quarantined for 10 days.

I also quarantined any stuffed animals she’d played with in the past couple of days (again, the lice can’t live off a human for more than 1-2 days).

I boiled her comb to kill them on there.

Head Lice Prevention

Clearly, the best way is to not have your child share headwear (hats, wigs, headbands, etc).  And to really DRILL that into them.

Beyond that, I have added a few drops of tea tree oil to her shampoo and conditioner (along with everyone’s in the house).

Other items

We took the time to vacuum her floor, her mattress and the couch.  You might also want to throw their backpack in the dryer if their hair is longer.

Lice Follow-Up

I am doing comb throughs twice a day at morning and bed time.  Every few days I’m going to do a milder version of the vinegar/conditioner routine I did on the first day.

So far I haven’t found a single other nit.  I’m on day 3 as I write this, so I am hopeful that things are looking up.

And don’t forget there’s that course if this all seems to overwhelming. She has some good tips on checking the rest of your family for lice too!

I hope it never happens to you — but if it does, you’ll be prepared!

Be sure to check out my other family health posts.

This post was originally written in 2017 but has been updated.

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