Remedies

So my kid and I are pretty lucky that he hasn't had any health problems. No colic, no reflux, nothing that's warranted a call to the pediatrician yet :knock on wood:.

What he has had are pretty common baby-type things: 1) discomfort while pooping, 2) diaper rash, and 3) a blocked tear duct. We've been able to figure out how to deal with these pretty quickly at home (with the solicited advice of some experienced relatives).

Discomfort while pooping.

What was going on with our guy: he just hasn't gotten used to the whole sensation of stuff running through his system. He was starting to push way too soon, and getting frustrated.

What we did: we pushed on his feet so that his knees folded up toward his chest. This put him in a better pushing position than laying straight out. We also sometimes moved his legs in a circular motion, like he's riding a bicycle. If he seemed to have more gas than anything else we gave him Mylicon.

Diaper rash.

What was going on with our guy: he was getting a red little bum and one day I noticed little red spots that were about to turn into sores.

What we did: first we changed his diaper more often. Then we addressed the rash itself. We used water-only wipes (which the pediatrician recommended for the first month anyway), then at each diaper change used cornstarch baby powder to make sure his little butt was completely dry. Afterwards we applied a paste made of diaper rash ointment (zinc oxide) and Maalox. The spots disappeared within a couple of diaper changes and the redness went away by the next morning.

Blocked tear duct.

What was going on with our guy: baby's left eye was watering and he woke up with little eye crusties. He didn't have a fever or any other symptoms of being sick.

What we did: first I got a clean washcloth wet with hot water and made a hot compress for his eye. Then I ran my (clean) finder under his eye toward his nose 4 or 5 times as a kind of massage. I compressed the eye again immediately after. At his next feeding I dropped a couple of drops of breast milk into his eye (again, using a clean finger). According to the old wife known as my mother, breast milk has antibodies in it that will help to clear up minor infections. Well what do you know, it worked. The next morning my kid's eye was clear and the problem didn't come back for a few weeks. Last night he started to get a watery eye again, so we'll be treating again tonight.