It started about 2 weeks ago. Mojo and Gem both ran fevers, followed by red bumps on their bellies and back, which turned into blisters (with more appearing on their faces, arms, and legs), which then scabbed over. The chicken pox had come to our house.
Some in our circle of other “less mainstream” friends pondered inviting themselves over to get their own children exposed. Some wondered why we didn’t get our children vaccinated against chicken pox.
Well, I did vaccinate my oldest daughter as a baby. I was 20 at the time, there was no “internet”, and if a doctor told me I needed to do something for my baby’s health, I did it. By the time my second child, Mojo came along, I was a bit older. I was a RN by then. I had the internet, with forums where other mothers hung out and shared their experiences. And Google. It was after Mojo had already received a round of vaccinations that I read the vaccination literature that the doctors hand out to parents, something inside me felt uncomfortable, and I began wondering exactly what I was injecting into my children. So I began reading about it all. I may do a post later on all the reasons why I decided to skip the chicken pox vaccine, but for right now, I want to share our natural remedies for the chicken pox.
We are drinking elderflower tea for the feverish stage. Lemon balm tea for its anti-viral properties. Chamomile tea soothes, and the children like the pleasant taste. Calendula and plantain go into our oatmeal bath. And I make a homemade salve that is healing and soothing to irritated skin.
If you happen to be interested in making your own homemade salve, it’s not hard. Here’s a basic run-down on how to do it.
I use olive oil infused with comfrey, plantain, and calendula in my salve. You can order these herbs dried online, and if you look up Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube, they give tutorials on how to make various herbal tinctures and infusions. It’s not hard. I have had better luck with “cold infusion”—letting the herb sit in the oil for six weeks—rather than trying to warm the herbs in the oil.
Once you have the oils ready that you want to use, simply melt 1oz beeswax (also available online), mix in one cup of oil (it will solidify then melt again), add lavender eo if you wish, and pour into your jars. Not only is it good for chicken pox, but it’s also good for minor cuts and scrapes and as a diaper ointment.
Now the girls have mostly healed, and the boys and the baby have started breaking out. Which is fine with me; I wanted them all to catch it and be done with it! For those who have expressed concern for us, we are doing fine otherwise. I had to tell Caveman yesterday, “Even though you have chicken pox, if you are well enough to run and jump on the furniture, you are well enough to do your school work. Sorry, buddy.”
