It’s natural for mothers to be overly protective of their children. We’re the caregivers. We provide for our babies, keep them safe, and help them get better when they’re ill. When they’re young, and especially when they’re premature, I think these emotions are amplified. We know, instinctually, that tiny babies need extra care. I know I have been especially protective of my daughters given our circumstances. So when my sweet M kept getting sick, I had to check myself and make sure that instinct didn’t cloud reality. Was she really “always” getting sick, or was I being over-protective?

After three months of charting her good versus bad days, I had concrete evidence that it wasn’t in my head. Not only was she getting sick often. She was staying sick for a lot longer than her sister would at the same age. I wondered if the change in climate had anything to do with it. But after comparing her chart to our schedule I realized she usually showed signs of sickness 24-48 hours after being out in public.

So What Could I Do?

I voiced my concerns to her pediatrician, who agreed that her immune system probably wasn’t functioning at full capacity. That wasn’t great, since we were in the peak of flu season. We have an awesome pediatrician who promotes both holistic and modern methodologies. Since M was still carrying a lot of my antibodies in her system, she wasn’t old enough to run immunology tests. Instead, Doc recommended she go on a probiotic supplement to help boost immune function. We also cut down on our outings so that she came into contact with as few viruses and bacteria as possible. I got into the habit of disinfecting and cleaning toys and baby items nightly. We managed to make it through the entire season without anyone getting seriously ill.

Fast-forward a few months. Little one was still showing signs of a weak immune system, so we did the full panel of blood work in addition to allergy blood testing (I figured we may as well, since she was being stuck anyway.) The results were something I’d never heard of before: Hypogammaglobulinemia.

This is where my desire for natural living collided with the modern world.

I hold no illusions. Despite my love for period dramas and past societies and ancient days, I am acutely aware of the mortality rates back then, especially for mothers and children. Miscarriages, death in childbirth, and infant mortality rates were horrifically high. As much as I love the idea of living 100% naturally, there are certain conveniences of the modern era that I simply cannot ignore.

Like healthcare.

So we embarked in a decidedly “unnatural” treatment course for my daughter. Blood work was taken on a regular basis, lab testing done to track her cell levels. Transfusions, apheresis treatments, and bone marrow transplants were all on the table. The idea of injecting her with someone else’s blood, suffice to say, wasn’t my first choice. But it was something I was willing to do if it was medically necessary to get her well.

Which leads me to my point.

Natural living is a wonderful thing to aspire to. But you should never risk losing your life to stay completely holistic. There is no reason not to take advantage of the life-saving technology modern medicine affords us. There are plenty of effective, ethical doctors who practice medicine with the intent of “doing no harm.” It might take work to find them (we travel over an hour to ours). But it is possible.

Did It Work?

A year later, M has remained out of the hospital and without serious illness. Though she still has limitations, she’s in a much better place than she would have been. With our team of doctors, in conjunction with the “natural” remedies, she is thriving today. She needed the extra boost from modern medicine, though, and I’m glad I was able to give it to her. We still use vitamins, probiotics, and other remedies, of course. But we aren’t afraid of using pharmaceuticals when needed.

You don’t have to be afraid of meshing modern with natural. Don’t suffer to avoid the “unnatural” parts of modern life. Use the best of both worlds.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to share some ways to mesh modern with natural. It is totally possible to live a natural life within modern constraints. I look forward to sharing some of my favorite tricks and tips, especially when it comes to raising kids to love a natural life. We’ll even make a challenge out of it. Keep an eye out!

In health,