NATURAL REMEDY: FOR A COUGH

It's been a sad week at our house. Rosemary caught the flu, which then turned into the croup. Her coughing, coughing, coughing was unbearable. I held her for hours in the middle of the night, listening to her shuddering breaths and counting the minutes between another gasping, coughing attack. There was usually only about two to five minutes of rest before another one hit. She was awake, literally, for days on end because she could not fall asleep. My poor, poor baby.

Of course, after being coughed on for days and days, Timmy and I caught the same flu. So we have all been coughing ourselves silly. Not much can truly help an awful cough. But we did find something soothing, and I'm sharing it with you - in case you find yourself awake at midnight in a similarly unfortunate situation. 

 
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Once boiling, add one generous tablespoon of oregano, thyme, and sage. Stir in and let steep for 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

FOR ADULTS:

Pour the hot liquid into a large bowl. Put a towel over your head and the bowl and inhale deeply. Try to keep it up for about ten minutes.

FOR BABIES:

This requires two adults. Pour the hot liquid into a large bowl. Put the bowl on the floor. Have one adult hold the baby in their lap, being very (VERY!) careful not to let the baby touch the boiling hot water. Have the other adult hold a large blanket over their heads and the bowl, making a "tent". All the steam will stay under the blanket. The baby will probably cry (mine sure did) but that's actually good because that makes them inhale more deeply. Try to keep them under for about ten minutes. The longer the better.

These herbs are antibacterial and antiviral and will immediately start working to clear up the cold in your throat and lungs. Cold viruses are sensitive to heat and the warm air will help to loosen congestion. We did this every night and saw a definite difference.