What Does an Acupuncturist Do When Her Daughter Gets Sick?

Once my daughter Raven got sick for the first time (at almost 14 months old). She had what we call in Chinese Medicine a "wind cold"....runny nose with clear discharge, congestion, fatigue, and a low fever. Here's what I did to help her kick it as quickly as possible.

1) Reframe: the first thing I did was take a moment to frame this sickness as an opportunity for her immune system to learn and be strengthened. Often parents get down on themselves thinking they did something "wrong", or spend their time worrying about the sickness getting worse. This makes the whole experience more traumatic for all involved...and is something that can totally be changed! Keep this in mind for the next time a sickness hits your home and notice the difference your mentality can make. 

2) Take It Easy: I cancelled all of my obligations for the day that involved leaving the house. We snuggled, she took an extra nap, she nursed more than usual, and we read lots of books. You'd be amazed at how much of a difference it makes to truly slow down....I've seen this decrease the length and severity of illnesses time and time again.

3) Keep Food Simple: when a child (or anyone) is sick, it's best to shift to a diet of hydrating and simple foods to allow as much of the body's energy as possible to be devoted to the immune response, as opposed to digestion. Remove dairy products and processed sugars as well, as these will feed the pathogen and increase mucus production.

​4) Chinese Herbs: I started Raven on CQ Jr at the first sign of symptoms, and switched to Sino Relief two days later, when all symptoms had passed except some lingering congestion. (Click the button below to learn more about each herb!)

5) Acupressure: I massaged and pressed on the acupuncture points shown below to support the immune response and increase lung function. 

​If you have questions about helping your child move through illness with ease, click here to connect with me!