Nursing a Teething Baby: A Wise Decision to Make

Your first thought to come to mind may be, “Ouch!”; however, this is quite the contrary.  In fact as a mother to my second child now, I can honestly say that the only time biting has ever happened (it is very rare) is when the baby is in a playful mood and isn’t at all interested in nursing.  If a baby isn’t wanting to nurse, they most likely won’t even latch on.

Sending many encouragements to all mothers who are considering nursing their children past a year of age.  You will soon find that when those molars start coming through your baby’s gums, breastfeeding may just be the best solution to your baby’s needs.  These babies need rest most of all; especially if a low-grade fever is a result of their teething.  Generally infants have a loss of appetite during this time because their mouths are so sensitive.  Fortunately, the gentle suction infants create within their mouths while just being latched onto mother’s breast will alleviate a lot of pain associated with tender gums.  Not to mention, this suction will initiate the let down of breast milk, which will not only nourish your baby, but also hydrate them as well.  Sometimes diarrhea and mild diaper rash can be a result of teething because of increased drooling, tears, and nasal drainage; hydration is most essential at this time.

From mother to mother, trust in your instincts and please know that your child needs you now.  Many pediatricians support breast feeding children after a year of age.  With previous experience as a compounding pharmacy technician, I am well aware of the pain relievers, fever reducers, and numbing agents available to your child, and even though they may serve to be helpful, these treatments most likely are not comprised of natural ingredients.  Let it be reassuring to know that without these treatments soothing a baby during this time may still be achieved with simply mother’s presence.

Best Wishes to Soothing Toothing,

  Andrea (Team Captain of the Etsy Natural Healers Guild)

Reap What You Sow

  Now is the time to make use of all the wonderful plants we cared for in the Spring and Summer.  I have been infusing oil from my Comfrey.  As you can see from the picture, I am working with lightly wilted fresh comfrey leaves and I slowly heat them in a crock pot to infuse the medicinal properties of the plant into the oil.  This also allows excess moisture to evaporate out of the oil.  To the right I am straining the oil from my first batch of spent leaves.  Front center I am chopping more leaves to add for a second infusion.  This oil will be STRONG!  you can already see how the oil has turned dark green.  This takes a few days and I heat it for a couple hours on low and turn it off and let it infuse.  I repeat this process a couple times a day until no more moisture forms on the top when I cover the crock.  It takes a while but when I'm done I'll have at least a quart of strongly infused herbal oil.  Plenty to get me through until Spring when my beloved plants come back!

Healing Your Heart with Nature's Gifts

The beautiful image above is an original painting titled "El Corazon" (The Heart) by Kerian's Art. 50% of the proceeds of this painting will go to the Disaster relief in Japan via the Red Cross.

Finding a healthy balance between high and low blood pressure can be daunting to many people. However, there is a natural remedy that you can use that has healing properties and helps regulate blood pressure aside from those harmful pharmaceuticals with numerous side effects; this herb is called: Hawthorn Berry.



One of my FAVORITE websites and wise woman herbalist, Susun Weed, has intriguingly informative article about the therapeutic benefits of hawthorn for our heart health...as well as other fascinating information about the herb.

Hey there crafty Etsy artisans, Susun Weed says of hawthorn: "Hawthorn is said to guard the hinges and to oversee crafts. A branch of flowering hawthorn placed in studio or workshop is believed to make the craftsperson skilled and successful." I have got to give this a try! Here is the link to her article:

"Take Heart From Hawthorn" by Susun Weed




As Susun mentions in her article, a hawthorn berry tincture can be made for a simple, effective way to absorb the healing properties of the herb. Joe and I made a hawthorn berry tincture (our tincture infusion is pictured above) using 70% Everclear (grain alcohol) and 30% water along with hibiscus flowers which is also another very beneficial herb for lowering high blood pressure (see article below).

Hibiscus Tea Significantly Lowers Blood Pressure



My husband, Joe, is prone to having high blood pressure and his father is already struggling with it; so we have made this tincture for them and myself to help keep us all heart healthy and regulate our blood pressure.

If you would like to make your own hawthorn and hibiscus tincture or tea...or you would just like to get one already made, I have listed a few Etsy shops (some are members of the Etsy Natural Healers Guild) below that carry these medicinal items!

"Hawthorn Fresh Tincture 1 oz. -Crataegus Monogyna" by The Wylde Hunt.

"ORGANIC Hawthorn Berries - Heart Problems, Blood Pressure, Anti-Oxidants, Digestion - 50 g" by Mistcal AcScents.

"Hibiscus Flower Organic 4 ounces FREE SHIPPING" by Herbal Sunshine.

"Certified Organic Hibiscus Flower" by Drawing Down the Moon.