MINDFUL MAMA

9 Best Natural Teething Remedies to Help Soothe Your Baby

11/27/2019

Seeing your baby in pain is such a stressful part of motherhood, all we want to do is take it away from them. Teething is one of those things we can’t avoid but we can help our baby’s be more comfortable, here are my favorite tips for a teething toddler or baby.

Snuggle Up– Give your child lots of extra cuddles, attention and kisses. I know this sounds obvious but when your child is unwell or in pain, they really just need as much unlimited access to you as possible. If you’re breastfeeding you may notice your child wanting to feed more frequently, try to follow their lead and feed as often as needed, some of it may be comfort feeding and this is perfectly natural. If you’re not breastfeeding, take the time to snuggle with your little one and hold them close to your heart, let them smell you and find comfort in the closeness, this will have a very similar soothing affect. Research shows, when we touch and cuddle our little ones, their cortisol decreases, which helps reduce pain and stimulates brain development.

We love these Baltic Amber beads from Baltic Mermaid, which can be found here

Baltic Amber Beads- I sometimes hear mixed reviews about amber beads but I’ve experienced the relief they bring to babies over and over again and I swear by them. Amber contains an anti-inflammatory agent called Succinic Acid, which releases when the beads are warmed by the skin. The Succinic Acid then gets absorbed by the skin, which helps ease the discomfort of teething and reduces the amount of saliva your baby produces. I find it’s the excess saliva that aggravates a teething baby and exacerbates their pain. The trick to amber and the one thing a lot of people don’t realize (which might be why some people report no benefit) is that it works best when it’s ‘recharged’ by leaving it out in the sun every other day. I recommend having 2 amber necklaces or bracelets so you can alternate and recharge them on your windowsill. I also recommend putting them around your child’s ankles with a sock over the top, as oppose to around their neck, for safety reasons.

Homeopathic Remedies– There are a lot of effective homeopathic remedies that contain the very potent ingredient chamomilla. I love Weleda’s Teething Powder and we've also had a lot of success with Puraforce Remedies, which you can find here. I also have a Homeopathic kit from my local homeopath, it’s filled with the most popular remedies and when we need it I will take out a Chamomilla pilule and pop it under Summer’s tongue (when we was a baby, I would crush it between 2 spoons and put the powder on her tongue.

Copaiba essential oil and Thieves Oil from Young Living– I’ll often rub some Copaiba straight onto my little one’s gums to reduce inflammation and help them settle more easily but I recommend talking to an experienced Aromatherapist first. To step it up a notch, I’ll combine Thieves oil, Copaiba and Coconut oil to make a super healing teething remedy, check out my homemade teething recipes here. Both these oils are in the Young Living starter kit, along with 9 other of my most used oils, click here if you’re interested in buying a starter kit.

Calming Chamomile- Chamomile is soothing on little gums (and also little tummies). Make some organic chamomile tea in purified, sterilized water and soak some clean organic cotton face washers in it. Place the soaked face washers in sterile containers in the fridge or freezer to make them cold and then give them to your baby to suck or chew on.

Sour Gummies- Lemon toughens little gums, cut a lemon into quarters and supervise your baby while they chew on it. Or alternatively, you can put a few drops directly onto their gums. It’s believed the acidity from the lemon combined with the rind help little ones gently cut through the gum more easily

Ice Ice Baby– Anything cold is soothing for sore gums. Celery and apple are known to be anti-inflammatory, try refrigerating or freezing a few pieces and offer them to your baby to chew on, make sure you’re supervising so they don’t choke. You can also put the cold pieces in a mesh teething feeder to limit the potential of choking on a bigger piece of food.

A Modern Tincture- I love this amazing teething tincture from Modern Alternative Mama. I found it when Sophia was a baby

Frozen Mama Milk Slushies– If you’re able to express some breast milk you can make it into Mumsicles by pouring some breast milk into a popsicle mould or a baby solids mould. You can either hold the Mumsicle for your little one to gnaw on or you can let it melt a bit, break it up and gently spoon feed it like a slushie!

Click here for my 2 most used natural handmade teething remedies using my fave essential oils

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My 2 Favourite Homemade Baby + Toddler Teething Remedies

11/27/2019

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I hate seeing my babies in pain, especially from teething. I used to feel so helpless and then I did a crazy amount of research and armed myself with every remedy I needed to make them as comfortavle as possible. (Check out my other baby teething article here where I list everything I use). Here are my 2 most favourite homemade teething remedies that will bring peace and calm into the house.

Teething Roller

What you’ll need:

3 drops Young Living Thieves Essential Oil (I only ever use Young Living, read why here)
3 drops Young Living Copaiba Essential Oil (you can buy some here)
3 drops Young Living Roman Chamomile Essential Oil (you can buy some here)
Fractionated Coconut Oil
10ml roller bottle

How to make it
In a 10ml roller bottle combine the 9 drops of oil and top up with the Coconut oil. Roll the blend all around your little ones jaw line, behind their ears and down their spine.

Teething Paste
You can also make a gum paste by combining the oils into 5 teaspoons of un-fractionated coconut oil (the harder one) and combining and rubbing gently onto sore gums.

A note about using Thieves Oil. Please only ever use Young Living Thieves Oil on your little ones. Every other knock off version of Thieves Oil is made with Eucalyptus Globulus and is not safe for children or animals. The authentic original Thieves Oil from Young Living is the only one that contains Eucalyptus Radiata, which is safe for children.

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How to Make Natural Homemade Baby Wipes

11/20/2019

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Most baby wipes available these days are filled with a chemical cocktail that can do a lot of harm to our beautiful little ones’ bodies both now and in the future. A lot of wipes include harmful ingredients like Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Phthalates, Triclosan, Propylene Glycol, PEG’s (polyethylene glycols), Bronopol, Parabens, Phenoxyethanol, DMDM hydantoin, Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and Fragrance or perfumeeven some of the, so called “natural” wipes contain perfumes that are damaging to the health of our babes. If you see any of these ingredients listed on your wipes of choice, get rid of them and try one of the recommendations here or have a go at making your own.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 roll of strong paper towel (not the cheap ones, they need to be thick)
An old but clean wipes container or another repurposed container to put them in
2 Cups of boiled cooled water (you can use regular purified water but they must be used within a week or so, so they don’t get bacteria growing on them
1 tablespoon of Dr Bronner’s liquid Castile Soap
1 tablespoon of 100% pure Aloe Vera
1 tablespoon of pure Witch Hazel Extract
2 teaspoons of organic coconut oil
4 drops of lavender essential oil (the most pure you can afford, I only use Young Living oils because they’re not fractionated, you can find them here)
4 drops of Copaiba essential oil (the most pure you can afford, I only use Young Living oils because they’re not fractionated, you can find them here)
4 drops of Chamomile essential oil (the most pure you can afford, I only use Young Living oils because they’re not fractionated, you can find them here). If you don’t have a good quality essential oil, just skip them for now and contact me and I can help you get your hands on the right oils for your family. If you have a child with particularly sensitive skin, most brands can cause irritation

Method

Cut the roll of paper towel in half using a sharp knife or an electric meat calving knife if you have one (the latter is much easier)
Fold the paper towel accordion-style down into your container
In a bowl or jar mix all the ingredients together
Pour the mixture over the paper towels in the container and let them absorb the mixture for 10 minutes
Turn the container upside down and make sure they are thoroughly saturated
If there is much excess water, carefully pour it off, you don’t want them to be drenched and dripping

Want to make reusable wipes?
Instead of paper towel, use some natural cotton fabric, maybe a repurposed item of clothing or old baby singlets and fold them into the container, then pour the mix over them, use and reuse

If the thought of making your own wipes freaks you out head over here and check out my guide to buying the best and most natural wipes around.

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The Best 11 Natural Low Tox Baby Wipes I Buy When I Don’t Have Time to Make My Own

11/20/2019

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Seedlings - Young Living’s Seedling’s range is so delicious and completely free from chemicals, they contain the most pure essential oils available, they’re thick, soft and they smell divine. They have other beautiful baby products here too. Contact me directly to place an order or buy a starter kit here

Cost: They’re not cheap however and retail for $19.15 but for members they’re $14.55 for 72 wipes, making them roughly 20c per wipe, I think this is a lot to pay for baby wipes but if you’re buying their other products on their monthly wellness bundle (essential oils, other baby products, home and skincare that is completely free from toxins), you end up getting big discounts and 25% in points back to repurchase, so they end up being very reasonable and roughly 15c per wipe. Contact me to learn more about the monthly wellness bundle and swap out all your toxins from your home.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Phenethyl alcohol, Pyrus malus (Apple) fruit extract, Sapindus mukorossi (Soapberry) fruit extract, Lavandula angustifolia† (Lavender) oil, Calendula officinalis (Marigold) flower extract, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) leaf extract, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Coriandrum sativum† (Coriander) seed oil, Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf juice, Citrus aurantium bergamia† (Bergamot) peel oil (Furocoumarin-free), Cananga odorata† (Ylang ylang) flower oil, Pelargonium graveolens† (Geranium) flower oil

Ecoriginals
These yummy wipes are made from biodegradable bamboo, are nice and thick and are completely pure

Cost: $6.25 for 70 wipes, making them roughly 8c per wipe

Ingredients: Purified water, Citric acid, Sodium Citrate, Silver dihydrogen citrate, Organic glyceryl caprylate, Lauryl glucoside, grapeseed extract, green tea extract, chamomile extract, cucumber extract, aloe vera oil.

Kinder By Nature Jackson Reece Baby Wipes
These lovely soft wipes are made from biodegradable and compostable material, which is a big plus

Cost is $6.50 for 56 wipes, making them roughly 12c a wipe

Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Betaine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate

Wotnot
Biodegradable and compostable, they have a lovely texture, are a generous size and have a simple aloe scent

Cost is $7 for 70 wipes, making them 10c a wipe

Ingredients: Purified water, glycerine, certified organic aloe barbadensis*, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), decyl glucoside, citric acid, polyaminopropyl biguanide. (*organic)

Waterwipes
These wipes are an old favourite, they only have 2 ingredients!! I prefer a natural and pure essential oil scent personally but for those who don’t want any scent, these are amazing.

Cost is $8 for 60 wipes, making them around 13c per wipe

Ingredients: 99.9% purified water, 0.1% citrus grandis seed extract

Tooshies By Tom Baby Wipes
Another favourite of ours when we run out of our Seedlings, these wipes are thick, textured to grip, even the biggest of poos and they smell simple but good

Cost: $7 for 70 wipes, making them 10c a wipe

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Silver Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract*, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (*organic)

Jac Organics Baby Cleansing Oil Wipes and Aqua Wipes
I haven’t used these ones yet but I’m told they’re great. They’re made out of soft biodegradable bamboo

Cost: $8 for 80 wipes, making them 10c a wipe

Ingredients: Purified Water, Certified Organic Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Certified Organic Propanediol, Citric Acid, Certified Organic Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Certified Organic Jojoba Seed Oil, Certified Organic Calendula Oil, Certified Organic Aloe Vera, Xantam Gum, Sunflower Oil, Certified Organic Vitamin E, Certified Organic Sodium Levulinate, Certified Organic Potassium Sorbate

Luv Me Eco Bamboo Wet Wipes
These wipes are great value, they are biodegradable, compostable and made from bamboo. I prefer a bit more of a pure essential oil fragrance but for those who prefer no fragrance, these are great.

Cost: $5 for 80 wipes, making them about 6c per wipe

Ingredients: Purified Water, Aloe, Vitamin E, Vegetable Glycerin, Citric Extract, Polyaminopropyl, Decyl glucoside

Joonya Eco Baby Wipes
Textured for easy gripping, biodegradable, with no fragrance. I prefer a slight pure essential oil fragrance but many don’t, so this would be another great choice.

Cost: $8 for 80 wipes, making them 10c a wipe

Ingredients: Jojoba oil, Silver Dihydrogen Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid.

Naty Baby Wipes
A nice simple wipe, no scent and by now you probably know I like a slight essential oil scent but a great wipe nonetheless. Weirdly there are lots of negative reviews about these wipes causing rashes but they reviews look very suss and were all written around the same time, making it look like a rival company may have tried to sabotage them. Baby wipe wars, bizarre haha!

Cost: $5 for 56 wipes, making them about 9c per wipe

Ingredients: Water, Gluconolactone, Potassium Sorbate, Propanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Maltodextrin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calcium Gluconate, Citric Acid.

Little Innocents Baby Wipes
We love these wipes at my house, they’re soft, textured and are nice and strong.

Cost: $6 for 80 wipes, making them about 7c per wipe

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Coco Glucoside, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citric Acid

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6 Simple Steps to Reducing Plastic Waste from our Lives for Good

11/13/2019

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It’s time to reduce our plastic waste, we’ve heard it over and over again and yet it’s so hard for many of us to make a lasting change, simply because we lead busy lives, we need things to be quick and easy and convenient and our supermarkets and stores cant seem to stop wrapping everything in plastic. Here are some small changes we can start to make together, that will reduce our footprint upon this beautiful earth.

Say no to plastic straws – We’re finding straws everywhere, on land and sea and the thing that really hit home for me is the thought that the very first straw I ever used as a small child is still floating around somewhere in this world and every plastic straw I’ve ever used will outlive me, this just blows my mind. . In our house we use stainless steel straws and bamboo straws, which you can find at Nourished Life and Biome. We also love our silicone straws from Little Earth Nest for when we're out and about. We say no to all other straws, even if that means missing out on a nice treat and having a grouchy child. Sophia is well on board though and will often tell shop keepers or food servers why she doesn’t want the straw they’re offering and suggests they buy paper straws for their customers.

Refuse to buy plastic disposable water bottles - Instead buy a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle and get a great home filter. There have been times I’ve forgotten my water bottle and to avoid the old last minute plastic water bottle purchase, I’ve bought a glass bottle of juice or mineral water just to get me by. We have an under the counter Reverse Osmosis water filter and remineraliser from The Water Shop in Sydney, it cleans out everything, including fluoride, which is one of the baddies! It was expensive but so worth it to our family. If you’re renting or need something cheaper I love the Southern Cross Pottery Filters, with the fluoride filter added, you can find them at Biome and the Waters Co Bio counter filters, found at both Nourished Life and Biome. The Waters Co AcePot Bio and water filter jug from both Nourished Life and Biome is an even cheaper option. If you’re really stuck, a simple Britta water jug is cheap and will at least filter out some of the nasties as the first line of protection, they can be purchased at most supermarkets and really are better than nothing.

We love these water bottles from Kleen Kanteen, Cheeki and LifeFactory Glass. some stainless steel bottles can have an aftertaste and some glass bottles can be too thin, lets just say, you get what you pay for, so invest a little extra and you’ll get great quality.

Ban plastic shopping bags – I know, I know, you’ve already done this and our supermarkets are making a big effort to help with it BUT how many times do we still forget to take them? Plus, the reusable bags from the supermarkets are also made with plastic, they just last a bit longer but eventually they break down and form micro plastics. What about the little fruit and veg plastic bags? A lot of people are still using these too. I love using cotton shopping bags and my absolute favourites are Alexx Stuart's organic cotton bags below and these beauties from Seed and Sprout (left)

yes they cost money, they aren’t cheap and when I first bought some, I wasn’t really in a financial position to spend money on random cotton bags, however I wanted to make a very tangible commitment to the earth and I felt that if I put my money where my mouth was and spent big on these babies, there was no way I was going to leave them at home. Fast forward a few years and yes I still occasionally leave them at home but not nearly as much as I used to. They are also certified organic, made sustainably and they’re really strong and huge, they literally fit everything in them.

Say nup to plastic lunchboxes – they break easily and they’re full of chemicals. Evidence is now showing that even BPA-free plastic might be worse for us because the alternatives like BPF could be causing more harm to our bodies. Studies are also starting to show some plastics are obesogenic, which means they are causing us to put on weight. We love Planet Box and Lunch Bots for our lunch box’s, they last forever, are super sturdy and come in all different shapes and sizes to suit kids and adults. Biome and Shop Naturally have a great range of lunch boxes, I’m also liking the look of Seed and Sprout’s Crunch Box but I'm yet to try it.

Wave goodbye to cling film and Glad Wrap – gone are the days where we need to use that awful stuff, in fact I don’t think I’ve used any for several years now and I’m pretty sure no one else needs to be using it either. I either store leftovers in containers or in a bowl with a plate over the top. My other favourites are wrapping food with beeswax wraps, you can make them yourself (my 7 year old recently made some at school) or they can be purchased at your local markets, Nourished Life, Biome and Shop Naturally

Vote with our money - Unfortunately supermarkets are still insisting on covering every item in plastic, I get annoyed when I see produce covered in plastic wrap and bundled into bags, there’s no need for it and I would rather have the choice. The best way to beat this is to vote with our money and buy locally at farmers markets and local co-ops. Look for your local co-ops online, do a Google search or ask on your local “natural parenting”, “baby wearing” and even “Buy Swap Sell” facebook groups.

Ditching plastic is all the rage but its not a one-size-fits-all and its not a quick fad. It takes a commitment to finding new solutions to old problems and spending a few extra dollars to save dollars and the earth down the track. If we do this together, we’re going to make a huge difference to our human footprint on this beautiful earth.

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9 Best Natural Teething Remedies to Help Soothe Your Baby

My 2 Favourite Homemade Baby + Toddler Teething Remedies

How to Make Natural Homemade Baby Wipes

The Best 11 Natural Low Tox Baby Wipes I Buy When I Don’t Have Time to Make My Own

6 Simple Steps to Reducing Plastic Waste from our Lives for Good

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