My desire to move into the natural realm of treating our children, away from main-stream American medicine, was solidified during the very difficult first 4 months of Baby G’s (my 4th child) life.

Baby G was born absolutely perfect in January 2012. Well, she was jaundice and 4 weeks early…but nearly perfect. Within 4 weeks after birth, she had a pretty bad rash all over her body and face. So, when we went in for her 2nd HepB vaccine at 4 weeks old, I asked her doctor to check it out. He said it was a “normal baby rash,” and that I did not need to worry or do anything to treat it. My baby’s doctor then proceeded to give her the Hepatitis B vaccine as scheduled. A few days later, Baby G started to scream and cry….24 hours a day…7 days a week. I learned why the word “inconsolable” was added to language… because there was no amount of holding, rocking, or singing that would soothe her. My baby girl was in obvious pain and enduring terrible reflux as well. Our family doctor prescribed Zantac for Baby G, but it was not making a dent in her suffering.

After about 2 solid weeks of screaming, The Lord led me to Dr. N. When I say the Lord led me, that is ABSOLUTELY what happened. I was standing in the park watching 3 kids play while holding a screaming baby. I began to cry and asked God, “what am I going to do?” Not audibly, but crystal clear nonetheless, He said “take her to the new man doctor at Dr. B’s office.” I called and they worked her in immediately. At that time, the typical wait for a new patient to see this new man doctor was several months. At our first appointment, I realized this doctor was different when he inquired as to WHY Baby G had the reflux instead of just thinking of a way to treat her symptoms. After examining her skin, looking in her mouth, and smelling her, he said she had a yeast infection, and he prescribed Diflucan (an anti-fungal) for her. He also said that it was imperative that I get her off the Zantac as changing her pH could lead to a host of different problems. At our next appointment with our new doctor, and 8 weeks on Diflucan, I came to a shocking realization when Dr. N said he was glad I was bringing Baby G to him instead of a traditional doctor, due to the normal vaccination schedule…my heart sank. He informed me that the Hep B vaccine is cultured in yeast, so if she were vaccinated in her current condition, it would be devastating to her recovery. I let him know that she already had the vaccine at her 4 week appointment. That’s when he took this photo of her head – he was connecting the vaccine to this yeast infection.

Then I went home and remembered she had the Hep B vaccine in the hospital at 3 days old too. Oh my! No wonder she couldn’t shake the yeast infection! She was double vaccinated so close together! Still unbelievable to me, this is the recommended schedule for a perfectly healthy little baby.

I called Dr. N, and he recommended a clay packing – vaccine detox. Looking back, I realize she had a yeast rash after the first Hep B vaccine, and after the 2nd dose the yeast infection was completely out of control. She was red and rashy all over, inside & out. No wonder she wouldn’t stop screaming.

Thankfully, after about 10 weeks of screaming, Baby G received healing from the horrible yeast infection. The old Christine would have never even tried the clay packing – vaccine detox, but the end-of-her-rope Christine was willing to try anything! I called my friend Courtney to ask her if I should do it, and praise God, she said she would do it. I asked Dr. Shelton if she would do it, and praise God, she recommended we do it too. By His grace, I walked into that office with an open mind. Once the “mudding” was complete, my baby rested for the first time in months. Baby G was healed with mud and lavender oil, which I was spraying on her raw head 6-8 times per day. Diflucan and Nystatin couldn’t put an end to the yeast infection. It took mud and oil.

The lessons learned in the first part of her journey: Natural options work! A c-section baby needs probiotics, since God’s plan is for a baby’s gut to be populated with good flora on the way out of the birth canal. A jaundice baby’s liver is not functioning at full capacity yet, so she may not be equipped to receive vaccines yet. If the skin is unhealthy so is the inside of the body.

While the yeast infection was healed, this is just the beginning of Baby G’s difficult story…it’s a hard one for me to tell. It involves lots of screaming and no more than a couple hours of sleep at a time for 16 months. However, we have been blessed to witness an awesome miracle – Baby G is like a whole different baby now. Once again, there is hope for every child!