In the last year I've learned many lessons, for example; nothing wakes a baby from a dead sleep like you quietly laying down yourself for a nap in the next room; nothing is more bonding or divisive than parenting, and staying at home with your kids is the most rewarding, isolating, exhausting, and sometimes inexplicably time warping experience. Sometimes Dr. Travis gets home from the office and asks me what we've been up to and I'm alarmed by how full my day felt and how little I actually have to tell him.
But back to my second lesson, as parents we all make choices for our little ones and I truly do believe that every good parent does the best they can with what they have at the time when raising their families. Sometimes we find out later that those choices may not have been the best option, but we are really all trying our best. Dr. Travis and I have raised a classic Chiro-kid. He has been adjusted since the day he was born, he is breastfed, he has never taken a medication, he has never eaten a grain or tasted anything processed including sugar, and he is not immunized. He has never been sick a day in his life, he is happy and healthy and believe it or not, every child that I have met that has been raised this way has the same healthy glow, chubby cheeks and bright eyes.
As health practitioners we feel that it is our duty to share with other parents our guide to raising healthy babies, but often when parenting choices are questioned, backs go up.
Somehow mainstream parenting encourages covering our babies in questionable soaps and lotions (Johnson and Johnson are changing ingredients in their baby products to make them safer, but will not disclose what is currently unsafe about them and the changes won't be taking place until next year), feeding them foods they cannot digest (babies do not produce pancreatic amylase - the enzyme necessary to digest grains INCLUDING RICE, until they are 12 months old) and giving them medications and immunizations that show limited efficacy and the potential for great harm (we have sadly seen many vaccine injured children in our practice).
The problem is that without good information, we can't make good choices. And just like you would never put your baby in a car without them being in a proper car seat like our grandparents did with their children, if you don't know things are unsafe you don't avoid them. We strive to get our patients and everyone we love to inform themselves. There are a lot of better options out there than what is popular or common. Try using a natural baby wash from your local health food store - we love Calming Lavender Baby Wash by Little Twig. If your little one is teething, skip the Tylenol and Oragel and go for the Homeopathic teething remedies available in the health food aisle at your local Superstore - they really do work! When feeding your baby opt for organic food, ideally prepared by you. Even the good canned baby food has to be pasteurized - a heating process that kills bacteria, but also kills the nutrients in the food, not to mention the flavour. As I mentioned earlier, your baby cannot digest grains, so there's no point in feeding them rice cereal, oatmeal, baby mum-mums or anything like that until they're at least one year old. To get your baby the necessary iron, fill them up with protein, fat and green leafy vegetables. Our little guy loves organic tofu puree with kale or spinach, sweetened with berries and banana. He's not much of a meat eater.
There are so many ways to improve your health, you just have to care enough to find out about it. If there's one thing that I'm sure of, it's that parents care, and they want their kids to have the best start possible. Inform yourself - it's the best way to be sure you're doing your best.
Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc. Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE Health In Hand Family Chiropractic 104-1195 Industrial Rd. Kelowna, BC VIZ 1G4 250-454-9474 http://www.healthinhand.ca/ Adjusting you for a better life!
