The entire Bee family got hit with a virus last week. Fever, headache, coughing, runny nose, stuffy nose, congestion… it was not pretty x 4 and two of us are still sick. Charlie caught it first and had a fever as high as 104.9 last Wednesday. Olive woke up with a fever the following day that went as high as 104.6. Charlie’s fever lasted 5 straight days and we thought he might have croup because his coughing was so bad, but a visit to the doctor determined it to be a virus of some kind. He was finally fever-free on Day 6, while Olive still has a fever on Day 5.

I wrote an Ultimate Guide to Treating Colds and Coughs for kids last year, and we’ve been using a lot of those strategies to help treat our symptoms. But after seeing this thread on the boards about natural cold remedies while pregnant, I thought I would share my favorite natural cold concoction since many moms and moms-to-be are worried about taking medicine when they’re pregnant or nursing. It can be hard to determine which medicines are safe — Mrs. Wagon, for example, unexpectedly had her milk dry up completely at 7 months after taking a decongestant! So hopefully these natural cold remedies below offer some great alternatives that are safe for you and your little ones!

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1) Apple Cider Cold Remedy – I saw this natural remedy on Pinterest when I had a horrible sore throat last year and Chloraseptic was doing absolutely nothing for me. This is the best sore throat treatment, and it also greatly alleviates the symptoms of colds/coughs. Combine 1 tb apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s is the best), 1 tb water, 1 tb honey (raw & local if you can find it), 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp ginger. Heat water, mix in the ingredients and drink. Other ingredients you can add include lemon and cinnamon.

All of the individual ingredients have natural properties that fight colds, but I think the apple cider vinegar and honey are the most important components. I usually omit the other ingredients if I don’t have them on hand. I think the apple cider vinegar kills bacteria, which is why it’s so effective. It honestly tastes obscenely horrible — it burns as it’s going down and I drink it as quickly as I can like a shot, but I always feel better immediately after taking it. I try to take it a couple times a day whenever I’m sick.

If you can get your kids to take it, great! We put it in those little syringes that come with children’s medicine so that it’s easier to administer. But Charlie and Olive are understandably not fans. Olive also stopped wanting to take Motrin because she thought it was apple cider vinegar, and the Motrin was more important since her fever was so high. Whenever the kids have a cough, we always make them a concoction of warm water + honey instead (a dash of cinnamon is also great to add).

2) Elderberry Syrup – My sister-in-law swears by this natural cold prevention remedy. She says her kids used to get sick all the time but rarely get sick since they started taking Elderberry Syrup daily. Elderberries are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants and have historically been used to treat ailments from respiratory problems, to colds, flus, allergies and inflammation. According to WebMD,

Studies have found that elderberry eases flu symptoms like fever, headache, sore throat, fatigue, cough, and body ache. The benefits seem to be greatest when started within 24 to 48 hours after the symptoms begin. One study found that elderberry could cut the duration of flu symptoms by more than 50%.

It’s easy to make your own elderberry syrup or you can purchase it pre-made.

3) Onions in your socks to bring down fevers – The first I ever heard of this remedy was through Mrs. High Heels, who tried it and said it was the only thing that worked to break a high fever. The onions are supposed to draw out the fever. We actually tried this last year when Mr. Bee had a high fever, but it didn’t work for him other than to make the entire room smell like onions. But countless people swear by this natural remedy including parents on our boards! I’ve read that you can also do this with egg whites, or an egg white + onion mixture, and even keeping a chopped onion in your room is supposed to help reduce cold symptoms.

5) Oscillococcinum – This wildly popular homeopathic OTC pill reduces flu-like symptoms. I tried it many years ago and couldn’t notice a big difference in my symptoms, but many people swear by this natural remedy. I’ve also tried their cough syrup which seemed to help, but nothing beats the apple cider vinegar concoction for me.

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Other natural remedies include:

  • Eat raw garlic (I can do this but might be tough for some people!)
  • Neti pot
  • Tea (particularly green) & OJ
  • Breathe Right Strips
  • Steamy showers
  • Cool mist humidifier
  • Eucalyptus oil (add it to your shower or simmer it in a pot of water)
  • Extra vitamin d

For me personally, the apple cider vinegar concoction + Advil + hot tea combination seems to work best to treat my cold/flu symptoms. I’d like to give elderberry syrup a try though!

Do you treat colds and coughs naturally?