Becoming pregnant changed my world! Yes it changes everyone's world but it sent me off on a tangent from everything I thought I knew.
Having been a nurse for many years before getting pregnant, I had experienced many facets of health and the system that we all allow to make us better. But being pregnant made me question everything I had experienced and believed in until this point. Deep down maybe I knew that it was not the best way. Not what was needed for my growing family.
So the question for me was, how do I make sure that my child does not have to experience the western medical system?
And the answer, by not needing it at all. Not by never getting sick, but by having a strong immunity, meaning that they would recover fast and that they would not have long lasting side effects.
So how do we build a strong immunity for our children?
Firstly, it all starts in utero.
Nutrition and health of every mother is vital to developing a strong immunity for the child. If you consider that everything that a mother eats, ingests and absorbs through her skin is all being picked up by bub in utero, you can see how important it is for the mother to look after herself.
So here are a few things to consider to build a strong immunity:
1. Nutrition - Eat unprocessed, organic, fresh food as much as possible. Stay away from the highly processed, high sugary foods. Remember, anything that you eat, your baby will be tasting too.
2. Consider what you put on your skin - Our skin is the largest organ in our body so everything we rub into it, put on it, come into contact with it is all absorbed through our skin and into our blood stream, then heads to baby. If we want a strong immunity for our bub, we need to consider all the toxins that we put into our bodies through our skin. Even the washing powders we use for our clothes, our cosmetics, our skin care, our shampoos etc etc. When you stop and look at everything that comes into contact with your skin, you may be surprised.
3. Our Environment- so many pollutants enter our bodies through the air we breathe. It is not something we can control everywhere we go, but we can look closely at the purity of the air in our homes. A good way to clean up the air we breathe at home is to get some indoor plants. Look at the type of heating and cooling you are using too as this can affect the quality of the air. Think about any chemicals and toxins you may spray around the house and opt for more natural versions if you still need to use them.
4. Our sense of wellbeing - babies pick up on every little emotion that their mother experiences. If a mother is stressed, a baby will pick up on this instantly and respond accordingly. It is so important for expecting and all mothers to have a way to destress. A stressed baby will have a lower immunity and will get sick more often. I completely understand that it is not possible to avoid stress and in fact some stress can be good for you, but it is having a system to manage stress, before it gets overwhelming. For me, I found meditation to be very useful, getting outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine as much as possible and deep breathing exercises. There are many ways you can choose to destress, just find one that works for you.
5. Breast Feed your baby - I know that this is not possible for every mother and sometimes not through lack of trying, but for those that can, I would recommend breastfeeding for as long as is viable for both baby and mother, at least for the first year. The first milk, the Colostrum, lines the mucous membranes in the nose, throat and gut and carries immune fighters from the mother. The gut is where 75% of the immune system lives so by helping the flora of the gut to develop in this way, you are helping the infant to develop a strong immunity over time.
6. Don't be in a rush to introduce solids - As a babies gut flora takes time to develop, introducing solids too early can hinder the development of the gut flora and thus the child's immunity. Waiting at least 6 months before introducing solids is great, and longer is better. When you start to introduce solids, don't be in a rush to introduce them to all foods at once either. The gut of infants can tolerate only certain foods at certain stages and even some foods can be introduced for the first time at two or three years of age when the child's gut flora is more developed. This will then mean less of an autoimmune response and will lead to less food allergies. I know it is often recommended to start feeding solids at 4 months, but please don't feel pressured or rushed to do so by anyone, after all, it is the health of your child that is the most important thing.
7. Let your child(ren) play in the dirt - don't be afraid to let your children get dirty. It is really important that children get exposed to dirt and germs. This actually helps to boost their immunity. It helps to reduce allergies and sensitivities and auto immune diseases such as hay fever and asthma as the child gets older.
8. Stay clear of antibiotics, other pharmaceuticals and vaccines - as much as they advertise pharmaceuticals heavily for infants, from wind drops, to baby panadol and nurofen, stay away from pharmaceuticals as much as possible. They will destroy your child's immune system. I know it is not nice to see your child ill, but as long as it is not life threatening, it will actually help to boost your child's immunity. There are many natural and herbal products available that will work just as if not more effectively than the pharmaceuticals and if you are doing all of the other things I have mentioned above, they will work really well to make your child better, faster. Antibiotics will kill off not only the bad but also the good cells too, so they actually work against immunity. By not introducing pharmaceuticals and vaccines to your child's system, you are giving them the time and help they need to develop a strong and supportive immune system that will be able to fight of disease fast.
So there you have it, just a few of things that I have learnt about immunity and children over the past few years. I hope that it is useful to some and thanks for reading!
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STOPYes! I agree. People are too worried these days about a littlw dirt, not knowing it's actually extremely beneficial to allow your kids to get dirty! Natural immunity vs. Injections any day.
Yes @thedonfreeman . Natural immunity all the way. Makes for healthier stronger kids and adults. Thanks for the vote, have followed you and look forward to reading your posts
Excellent advice! I wish I had read this when I was pregnant. Upvoted and resteemed!
Thanks @katem. Wish I had known it sooner too :) Have followed you and look forward to reading your posts
This is a awesome write up, thank you for sharing. this could be vital information for many!
Thanks @justcallmemyth . Following you, Hamish loved your animal pictures. Look forward to seeing your future posts
THANK YOU!
Thank-you for sharing this important info for new mothers.
I have talked about some of the same things on my blog here.
Great article, thank you for sharing this with us. I've also blogged about the immune system, vaccines etc. It's fantastic to see more people sharing their experiences and stories on steemit - well done!
Thanks @steemtruth. I have read some of your blog and love your posts about the dreaded Candida and how to stop it. Glad to connect with like minded people. Loving Steemit!
Thanks Kylie, I'm glad that you enjoyed reading it. I did most of my health related posts early on but I intend getting back into them. Great to meet you!
Yes, let your child get dirty! I love it! And I could not agree more with everything you said about immunity. I have raised my children by this code, and they are so rarely sick I could almost say never. They are now nearly fourteen and seventeen years old, so I can tell you that you are doing it right mom!!
Thanks @dreemit. Great to connect with someone of like mind and many thanks for the encouragement too
Awsome post @kyliewhyte
Thanks @ch00fy !
And the usual of avoiding alcohol before, during, and after pregnancy. I guess what's most important is to not to be too uptight about what the newspaper says. Just let everything take its course.
So true @dali.soh. Not following everything in the media is a good start
Loved this post Kylie so excited to see you on here and cannot wait to see more of your posts
Thanks Niamh @emeraldflame. Have followed you too. Love this community here on Steemit
Love, love, love your post!
Thanks so much @marymg2014. I love that I am connecting with so many nurses here on Steemit. Look forward to reading your blog
Brilliant article! Definitely food for thought when the time comes for me. I don't have any formal medical qualifications but have worked in the industry for a number of years now. I'm seriously looking into vaccinations, natural remedies, and what's best for children (when I have some). I can't seem to resteem this, maybe I am too late! Followed you for more interesting articles and future guidance :-)