If I’m Not a “Crunchy” Mama Anymore, That’s Okay.

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After having my now one-year-old, I was what some consider “crunchy”: I gave birth naturally with not a single drop of medicine, cloth diapered, breastfed her straight from the source, had essential oils coming out of every diffuser, only allowed natural cleaners to touch our surfaces and wore that baby everywhere. Now, who is attachment parenting?! I felt like I truly had mastered the methods that worked best for my family.

Only the best for MY family.

Evelyn started getting sick around eight months old. It started with a normal cold. That cold turned into an ear infection. Okay, I can handle this. Garlic mullein oil! Probiotics! One ear infection turned into two. Then three. We hit four in a matter of two months. My baby was in pain and no one knew what was wrong. But surely my natural remedies would help eventually! Her fevers were spiking nearly every night and no one, not even the dogs, were sleeping.

Desperation set in.

The script was written, and antibiotics were given to her quickly. This was a month ago and although my heart was hurting for her gut and the stress that this level of medication was putting her body through, she needed something more. This experience taught me one of the most important lessons I needed to learn as a mother to a young child:

It’s okay for things to not go your way, and you should not feel guilty for not being “all natural”.

She did not die or kill a kidney, or anything dramatic. She developed thrush, we got over that, relieved some ear pain, and is happily on antibiotics until tubes can be placed in her ears. I have decided this is okay and I can worry about her gut after the fact. I’m okay with the fact that I might not be deemed “crunchy” anymore because I decided to put my child’s health first and give her some pain relief. I can still do all the things like the cloth diaper, make home-cooked meals and wear her on my back, but it’s also okay for her to have a Popsicle to help with teething pain.

I will not feel guilty for doing what’s best for my child, and neither should you.

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Moira Sullivan
Moira is the mother to one crazy toddler, two equally as crazy furry children and has been a Flagstaff resident for a lucky ten years. Her day job includes caring for animals in the Flagstaff community and strives to find the joy and humor in every-day life as a solo-parent. This little family can most often be found on an off-beaten trail or wondering the Target isles before nap time. Moira is passionate about being outdoors, living simply and naturally, and would choose coffee over tea any day.