A Happy Hippy Mom

My son is just getting over having Croup which is caused by awful viruses involving inflammation of the upper airway that leads to a cough that sounds like a bark. It is no exaggeration that the sound resembles an actual bark since it was hard to determine at times if he was coughing or Pepper (my dog) was barking. Croup attacks children between the ages of 3 months and 5 years old and occurs mostly during the fall, winter, and early spring, with symptoms being most severe in children under 3 years old. If your child is between those ages you should be aware of the symptoms and to know what to look for to seek proper treatment. My son started of with a runny, stuffy nose, and fever that accompanies the common cold but then it turned more sinister at night when he was upset and crying. The sound was so scary that it warranted a trip to the emergency room at 3 am! He was treated with a steroid which helped the swelling in his airway and also a breathing treatment of medicated steam. The doctor also recommended a vaporizer for home use especially at night to help ease his breathing. Ive been using the vaporizer that requires water and you pour liquid Vicks in the proper space on top. What a MESS! My husband (sweet man but does not read directions or think they are necessary) ended up dumping a large amount of salt in the water causing the vaporizer to spark and spit out huge amounts of steam. The room looked like a sauna and the water in the vaporizer turned a funky black color with huge clumps of black particles. YUCK!

5 Minutes for Giveaways is having a giveaway for alternative remedy products from One Step Ahead to help ease your little ones cold! These products will come in GREAT use since The Consumer Healthcare Products Association made a voluntary market recall of medicines labeled for use in infants because The FDA Panel recommended that over-the-counter medicines should not be used with children under the age of 6 due to ineffectiveness.

The items in the giveaway consist of:

A Vapor-Eze Waterless Vaporizer with Aromatherapy. It does not take water so there is no need of scrubbing or worrying about harmful bacteria. It uses pre-moistened pads infused with natural, aromatic oils that provides up to 10 hours of relief from colds, sore throats, and congestion. ($24.95)

Baby Bed Blocks which is a way to raise the head of the crib by stacking one, two or three blocks under the legs for desired incline. This helps baby with better breathing and in digestion. ($24.95)

EarCheck® Middle Ear Monitor identifies ear infections at home by identifying fluid in the middle ear which is a key sign of ear infection. It even alerts you when treatment is needed and lets you track your child’s recovery!($69.95)

All these items are wonderful to help you and your child get through a stressing time of cold and flu season! I definitely want to win this, as I am sure you do to, so go enter!

The contest is opened to US and Canadian addresses until Friday, January 30th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 31st.