Motherhood has brought with it the anguish of watching a baby cry of colic, spending sleepless nights because of a blocked nose, cleaning up vomit because of incessant coughing and also having to deal with the problem of ‘once-tight-once-loose’ bowel movement!

In the past three years I can’t remember the number of times I have had to run to the doctor only to be given a new medicine each time! My faith in them or their prescriptions have not diminished but the results that I have got from my elders age old home remedies is amazing.

So thought of penning them down for everyone to know. More remedies are always welcome!!

Cold home remedies
1. A bowl of warm water with eucalyptus oil in the room helps.
2. A warm bath in a steamed bathroom.
3. Boil methi(fenugreek) seeds and black pepper corns in water and then let the child inhale its vapour. Eucalyptus oil/ dried crushed leaves of it may also be added to the water.
4. Roast ajwain(caraway seeds) in a pan. Then take the ajwain and wrap it in a thin cloth and let the child smell its vapours.
5. Massage a child’s chest, back and soles of the feet with warm mustard oil.

Cough home remedies
1. Mix half a teaspoon of freshly ground haldi (turmeric) in warm milk twice a day and give to the baby.
2. Boil a mixture of ginger, cloves, cinnamon,green cardamom and a few basil leaves with misri(candy sugar) and let the child drink that water throughout the day. Make sure that the water is warm every time.
3. A teaspoon of a mixture of honey and ginger+white onion+basil(tulsi) juice twice a day does wonders. But note honey should not be given to kids less than a year old.
4. Soak a mixture of Misri,methi seeds(fenugreek) and saunf(aniseed) overnight in water and give the child that water in the morning.
5. Incessant coughs often stops when the child is given a little bit of warm salt water. Probably its a replacement for the salt water gargling that toddlers can’t do!

Constipation home remedies
1. For infants 2-3 drops of Dabur Janam Gutti in warm water works well.
For a toddler;
2. Soak raisins overnight and give the baby the a teaspoon of the squeezed out juice of the raisins.
2. Papaya does wonders!
3. Boil a quarter teaspoon of  hing(asafoetida) in milk and give the warm milk to the child.

Colic home remedies
1. Take a little hing(asafoetida) in a spoon and mix it with water. Then apply the paste on and around the navel of the baby.
2. Give a teaspoon of saunf(aniseed) soaked water to the baby. Breast-feeding mothers can drink it themselves to keep the baby’s colic at bay.
3. Soak muri(puffed rice) in water for a few hours and give that water to the child.
4. For toddlers who have begun with their finger food, a few pieces of cucumber works well.
5. Soak methi and ajwain overnight in water and let the child drink that water first thing in the morning.
6. Boil a few pudina(mint) leaves with sugar and let the child drink the warm water.
7. Half a teaspoon of aloevera juice works well. For smaller kids rubbing pure aloevera cream on the navel and the stomach reduces the colic.
8. Adding cloves and big cardamom to food is a good habit to keep colic pains away.
9. Give salf a teapoon of garlic juice!Please mix it with sugar beacuse byitself its impossible for them to swallow!
10.Boil a spoon of tea leaves and a couple of tejpatta(bay leaf) with a little sugar. Cool the water and let the child drink it 2-3 times a day.

Loose motion home remedies
1. Curd is an excellent antacid.
2. Apple, Banana, Pomegranate and Green grapes cure loose motions well.
3. Feed the baby a mixture of rice and pulses and potatoes for her meals
4. Don’t forget the ORS! Home made ones with sugar+salt+freshly squeezed lime juice in water works well.

More soon on toothaches and body rash!