If you suffer from springtime sniffles, congestion, or are concerned that your little one might, it’s time to get prepared. Emerging from winter is a gradual process, like a spring bulb budding and flowering. Although the flower seems to suddenly arrive, there’s been a lot happening unseen to get it there! If you are wondering how to manage the seasonal shift for you and your baby, there’s a lot to be said for laying the groundwork as early as possible, so you can both be bright-eyed and bonny to match the blossoms.
Reducing reactivity starts with balancing immune function. A key factor in this is reducing any foods or other environmental irritants such as mould which may be increasing reactivity overall. Utilising our wonderful plant allies can also be of huge benefit. Not many people fully comprehend the way that Echinacea root, for example, can not only help to support the immune response against bugs but also balance the overreaction of the immune response to seasonal irritants such as pollens and grasses.
Echinacea is known as an immune modulator, boosting immunity when needed, and calming down immune function when it’s getting out of hand!
Many people who take Echinacea through winter find they fare so much better with their seasonal allergies come spring. Echinacea is absolutely appropriate even for little ones, and Kiwiherb Children’s Echinature is a pleasant tasting extract of Echinacea root, grown organically in New Zealand and made right here too.
Calming congestion is always the aim with seasonal allergies, weather you get sniffles in your nose or tightness in your chest. It can help when going outside in spring to use a balm or ointment such as Calendula around you and your baby’s nostrils to stop some of the pollens getting up your nose! (The balm also helps with soothing and healing tissues that are getting red and irritated from drippy noses). Also, be sure to keep windows closed so that home becomes a safe pollen-free zone. Remove clothing at the door and get changed. Even if you can’t do it with the whole house, keep bedrooms as clear as possible.
Herbs to help ease congestion and keep airways clear include Elecampane and Horseradish, which assist in supporting both the upper respiratory tract (nose and sinus) and the lower respiratory tract (lungs). Kiwiherb Organic ImmuneGuard combines the immune support of Echinacea with the respiratory support of Elecampane and Horseradish, offering an ideal tonic to help you through this time of change.
Seasonal allergies make you feel hot, itchy, grumpy, and irritated. This is the same no matter what age you are! Pollens and grasses not only irritate your eyes and nasal passages, but they also get on your nerves. Supporting you and your little one is about reducing irritation, in all its forms! Keeping a cool head and calm demeanour not only makes you feel better, but it also reduces the negative effects of stress on increasing allergic reactivity. That’s right, stress not only reduces immune function, but it can also make hay fever worse.
Mum, put on your oxygen mask first. As any parent knows, we can respond better to our children’s difficulties when we ourselves are calmer.
Address your own health needs, and everything is easier. Too many parents end up putting themselves at the bottom of a long list of things to do, and this isn’t useful for anyone! If you’re feeling stressed, utilise herbal supports to help melt the tension.
Nervine herbs such as Passionflower, Lemon Balm, and Skullcap help to calm the nerves and reduce feelings of stress. Adaptogenic herbs are those that help us adapt better to stress so that we can function more optimally in the face of pressure. Adaptogens include the lovely Withania root, also known in Ayurvedic medicine as Ashwagandha. For immediate support, Kava offers rapid relief to calm a frazzled mind and tense body. Kiwiherb StressArrest combines Passionflower, Withania, and Kava for a totally natural fast-acting tension tamer. For those mums who are breastfeeding, Kiwiherb StressCare offers Withania, Lemon Balm, and Skullcap for ongoing, nourishing stress support.
And once you’re feeling calmer, you can attend to your little one. Tamariki of all ages responds beautifully to the age-old children’s calmer Chamomile. Safe to be used for even the smallest baby, this herb is gentle yet naturally powerful. We should never underestimate Chamomile- while it may look like just a pretty daisy, when it is grown organically and manufactured with care, a high potency Chamomile extract is capable of great things!
Kiwiherb Kid’s Calm is a yummy syrup, naturally sweetened, which can be used to ease irritability in babies and infants no matter what the cause. In older children, decent doses, given frequently, can also help assist the easing of tension and excessive worry, whether caused by school, emotional issues, or exacerbated by seasonal change. For our tiny ones, Kid’s Calm is ideal for irritation, restlessness, teething, travel, soothing nerves, and calming digestion too.
With these botanical wonders on board, may you be free to enjoy all the other botanical beauties that pop up this spring!
Kiwiherb provides natural family healthcare with a comprehensive range suited to all ages. Check out the Kiwiherb range at your local huckleberry.
Remember always read the label and use as directed. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional.
Article by - Phytomed
