Treating Head Lice Naturally

Just a few days before school reopens, I noticed that both my elder girls have contracted head lice! Eww.... not again! It was my worst nightmare. They have got this before, which I suspected either from the school or their daycare, and that would always launched me into one of my cleaning sprees.

I used to buy head lice shampoo from the pharmacy, sourcing from those "kids-friendly" versions. Initially I started with Lice Clear from Guardian, which comes with a lice comb. Then when I discovered that Caring is selling something much more gentler for the kids, I switched to Delice. This comes with a metal lice comb plus a magnifier lens (although I don't find much use with the magnifier lens).

However, the procedure was very tedious and took so much of my time. Especially the wet-combing part. I dreaded it so much so sometimes I will bring them to a regular hair salon who are willing to do such treatment for them. Not all do willingly. The only downside is they use chemicals to kill the lice, and it will still take ages to comb out the nits.

So now you would understand why I got paranoid whenever I noticed them scratching their head. Worse is that it's not a one-time deal thing. We would need to repeat the combing and shampooing routine at least 2-3 times, wash all the bedsheets, towels, combs, etc. 

Until recently, I discovered that head lice can be cleared naturally with essential oil. So while waiting for my purchase from iHerbs to arrive, I went to Blu Scents near my area to get a bottle of Tea Tree Oil with Jojoba oil as the carrier to start with. Price from iHerbs is so much cheaper even after minus the shipping fees, and they are organics too. Only downside it it took ages to arrive. I couldn't wait 3-4 weeks as my 2-yo toddler had contracted the lice from her sisters too. And I was quite reluctant to use the lice shampoo on her.

During my googling on Essential Oils for Head Lice, I learnt a lot of things. Huh...didn't know it's a well-known remedy all along! There are a few sites which I find very informative, and after comparing info, I decided to go with Tea Tree Oil as the safest.  

Peppermint is safe to use at 6+ years but ALL eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils should be avoided until 10+ years of age.

Source: http://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/essential-oil-safety-babies-children/ 

Since I've purchased Tea Tree Oil from iHerbs, I wanted to try Neem when I went to enquire from Blu Scents, However, the sales lady told me that it's rather too strong for my 2-year-old, so she advise me to stick to Tea Tree Oil. Also I don't plan to get any carrier oil as I read that Olive oil or Coconut oil is good enough, which I have. But she explained that Jojoba oil is still advisable so that the scalp pores won't be blocked. Not sure if it's a sales gimmick or what because I've Olive oil that is suitable for hair. Anyway, I decided to comply. She offered to help me mix the Tea Tree Oil with the Jojoba Oil for my 2yo, and according to her, I shouldn't exceed 1 drop per 10ml of Jojoba Oil for a 2yo. I then asked her, if I want to use it for my 8yo and 11yo, can I add more drops of Tea Tree Oil to the Jojoba Oil later? She told me No, I could not. Once it's diluted, I can't add more in the future. And she went on to explain a lot of things that I should take note of, which I started to feel apprehensive as essential oil is really a No Play Play thing if we're not fully informed. So it's rather dangerous to start a home remedy with Essential Oil, no? 

Anyway, I went back and started applying the regime on my girls' head. For the 8yo and 11yo, I still applied the Delice shampoo on their hair and put on the shower cap for 10 minutes. After that only I combed their hair with the lice comb. Once the lice were removed, I shampooed their hair and apply Tea Tree Oil conditioner on it. Rinse with water and towel dry. While it's still damp, I massaged the diluted Tea Tree Oil on their hair again.

Where as for my 2yo, I just rubbed the diluted Tea Tree Oil on my palm before massaging her head with it. Only then, followed by lice combing, wash and towel dry her hair. Lastly, I repeated the massaging of her head with Tea Tree Oil while the hair was still damp, and this time I didn't rinse it off. I read somewhere that I had to repeat this process on Day 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21 to totally clear the whole cycle including the nits, etc. These treatment days have been carefully chosen to disrupt the life cycle of the louse and maximize the chances of eliminating all the lice. However, I couldn't do it for some of the days, so I adjusted the procedure by just lice-combing their hair instead of the running thru the whole process. After all, lice or nit combing is the key to eliminating them. Whether we use any pediculicide at all does not matter, as it's just to smother the lice so that they are easier to be combed out. I have even applied apple cider vinegar or even white vinegar on their hair but I still prefer essential oil, maybe the smel is nicer and I can comfortably leave it on their hair overnight. 

On Day 17, I still found some lice on my 8yo but over time, I noticed that they are all cleared. No more scratching and for a long long time, even my 8yo who used to have dandruff and the word 'itchy' could trigger her scratching reaction, I noticed that it no longer did. I'm so happy with the results and so every now and then, I would massage their scalp with Tea Tree Oil essential oil. 

I guess, that's why I find it worthwhile to share about it here. For those who have been facing this dilemma for ages, it's high time you explore this alternative. It certainly saves me a lot of trouble!

New Resolution For A New Year

It's beginning of a new year. I have new hopes, new resolutions. With a strong determination to have a better year, I made some changes for my kids' arrangements, with the hope that things will take a turn for the better. Honestly, I am not sure if what I did was right. I just know that some changes will be needed.

Well, after 1 week of school begins, I'm not so sure anymore. What should our focus be for our children? Should we fill their time with activities and tuitions, or should we free them from all these and let them enjoy their childhood and school life? Just like how we used to during our time? Should we nourish their soul with faith education, or should we give priority to other skills that they lack instead? After all, we only have 24 hours a day, and we can't have everything. Priority and wise selection should be important here. And of course, mutual agreement from both parents and children is key.

Last year, when both my kids brought their report cards back, I can't help feeling a little disappointed after seeing their results, even though I have prepped myself for this. Especially when I see so many parents posting about their kids achievement on Facebook. I don't understand why mine can't perform better. Yes, I know I shouldn't compare, but I just can't help it. 

I could be over-expecting, but I can't help myself for putting such a high standard on my kids. I was a top achiever in my school - all thru primary and secondary. Hubby said that was because I came from an 'ulu' place, my kampung is a small place and the competition is not that high. But when I made it to being the best student during my university's convocation, I strongly believe that hard work does pay off. I do acknowledge that I'm far from being a genius, or I would have make millions by now. Still it's something that I am still learning to accept and figure out why can't my kids perform up to my expectation. 

Many said it's not time yet. We need to wait for them to 开窍. I kept wondering how long to wait. And I do know that academic results doesn't mean much really. Getting the best results doesn't mean I could be the best employee or earn the highest pay. It's just a passport to get a good job but doesn't define how well we could perform in our career later.  

We need to see each child as a gift, to be welcomed, cherished and protected… Pope Francis

Each child is different. And as parents we often make the mistake of making them achieve something that we dreamt of achieving but couldn't at our time. I'm definitely one of them. I could still remember how I was bursting with pride when my eldest came back with distinction for her piano ABRSM Grade 1 when she's not even 7 years old yet. This is something that I failed to achieve myself, but she did it. But poor girl, with the amount of practices that I was drilling into her at that time, I never stop to think that she could be stressed. She was so steady! And it's sad to realise that she feels that her achievement is more for Mommy rather than for herself. I know I've been failing badly then. That's why I wanted to capture it here so that I won't repeat it with my 2 younger ones later. 

Stop trying to perfect your child, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with him
- Dr. Henker

   

I guess I should focus more on this from now on. Hubby kept reminding me that we parents need to build their confidence since small. That's because I did voice my concern if that would make them too arrogant later, but he countered that it's ok for 厉害的人 to be a little 骄傲, LOL. I guess both of us have different parenting style. 

Parents need to fill a child's bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can't poke enough holes to drain it dry
-Alvin Price

I have to keep reminding myself that I must not give up on them, even when they keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. I've read many touching articles from successful people that, the greatest reason for them to be what they are today, is because their parents never give up on them, when the rest of the world did. So aye, children are apt to live up to what you believe of him. 

As your kids grow they may forget what you said, but won't forget how you made them feel 
– Kevin Heath

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me. 
– Jim Valvano

My biggest weakness is I can't stop nagging and pointing out their mistakes. I do praise them when they did the right thing, but I do not have the patience to explain to them why can't they do this or that.

Praise your children openly, reprehend them secretly. 
- W. Cecil 

From this year onwards, I will remember that children are a precious loan to us, and each one has a unique path on life.  My job is to help them find out what that is. When I ignore a child’s intrinsic strengths in an effort to push her towards my notion of extraordinary achievement, I would have undermine a bigger plan. 

I am going to give them a sense of balance, and leave the rest to God. 

In loving memory of little Samuel

If tears could build a stairwell
and memories were a lane,
I would walk right up to Heaven
and bring you home again.
No farewell words were spoken,
no time to say good-bye...
You were gone before I knew it,
and only God knows why.
My heart still aches in sadness
and secret tears still flow,
What it means to lose you
no one will ever know.

It took me this long to finally get over it. It's not until I am blessed with Yao that I could openly talk about it, without bringing tears to my eyes. Indeed, only time will heal. And I'm lucky I am given another chance, in a different way. For this, I must be appreciative and always count my blessings.

On this very day, 4 years ago, I was still wondering why. You would be 3 by now, and I still couldn't imagine how you would have changed our life. But I'm at peace with myself now, knowing that you're in good hands, though I've never once dreamt of you yet.... but I believe you're with the Angels up there watching over us. Here, I would like to offer up a little prayer for you...

Source

DEAREST LITTLE SAMUEL,

WE THANK OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

FOR BLESSING US WITH YOUR SWEET, YET BRIEF LIFE. 

KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TOUCHED OUR LIVES FOREVER

AND WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE AND MISS YOU. 

WE TRUST JESUS WILL KEEP YOU SAFE IN HIS CARE,

AND PRAY THAT ONE DAY, 

WE’LL ALSO BE ABLE TO HOLD YOU FOR ETERNITY. 

HOLY SPIRIT, MAY YOU HEAL OUR HEARTS;

INSPIRE US TO LIVE FAITHFULLY 

IN THE HOPE OF EVERLASTING PEACE AND JOY IN HEAVEN,

AND MAY WE ALL BE TOGETHER AS A FAMILY AGAIN. 

AMEN.

Birthday Blessings

 Sometimes, I forget to thank the people who make my life so happy in so many ways, 

Sometimes, I forget to tell them how much I really do appreciate them for being an important part of my life, 

But this year's birthday made me realise that I'll not be where I am today if not because of you, 

Yes, my dearest family and friends, THANK YOU just for being here for ME!

Beautiful roses from the beautiful people in my life

This birthday, I'm blessed to have a new member joining our family. My sister-in-law was scheduled for a C-Section on my birthday, but the little baby couldn't wait and decided to come out 6 minutes earlier! I guess she's too excited to celebrate birthday with me as well :)

This birthday, it's all the more special because not in my wildest dream, I ever expect to hit a jackpot! It was like a dream come true when I win my very first trip right on the eve of my birthday. Remember how it all started? Yes, initially, I was just sharing about my healing journey. Then, I found myself doing the business and in just 3 months, I've won a trip to Japan! Wow, just by sharing and spreading some love around, Naturally Plus has rewarded me with a free trip to visit the Izumio factory, etc. I'm elated! Oh yes, I won't say it's easy, but it's definitely very real and doable. And I am forever grateful to my mentor and friend who's always been there to guide me and motivate me. And not to mention all my wonderful leaders up there too! Do contact me if you want to join us in this Health Mission and Opportunity to reach out to more people out there.

A very special cake that not only looks awesome but also tastes superb

It's been a tradition in my group to celebrate birthdays together. This year is no exception, but this year it was more overwhelming. I've been spoilt rotten with half a dozen of yummy cakes, an assortment of my favourite chocolates, a nice pen with my name carved on it, and lots of yummy treats from the special people in my life. I've been pampered by my friends and colleagues who've organised lunch treats and gatherings to celebrate with me throughout the week. I feel very blessed and cherished indeed! Thank you for being a part of my life, you've really made my day. And I'm most touched with the beautiful cards, notes and messages, they are just sooo sweet and thoughtful, which made my day all the more special.

Not to forget my dearest family who's always been there for me, not only in times of needs or comfort but also in my most happiest moment, I know I can just come to you anytime, and I will get your utmost support no matter what. Thank you so much for being such a BIG part of my life, I'm so glad I have you all whom I can proudly called my own.

The Price of Motherhood

Being a mother can be either a blessing or an affliction. It all depends on how you look at it. 

When you got married, you wished for a child.
When your wish is granted, you're pregnant.
Once pregnant, there's no turning back.

Your child is your responsibility. What you do, what you eat, what you think, and even what you feel, will affect the child inside you. You get blamed for whatever misfortune that befalls the child. It's all the mother's fault. She didn't take good care of herself, or she did that when she's preggy, that's why her child is like that.

If the child turns out too good to be true, the mother will get all the credits too, of course. She eats nutritious food, she simulates her baby since prenatal stage, she reads to her child every night, she chooses to breastfeed for so many years, etc... That's why she's blessed with such a perfect child.

This just shows how much responsibility a Mother has to bear. Good or bad, all will be pointed back to the same source - the Mother. Sometimes I'm not sure if I wanted to be a mother. But it's too late to ponder now, for I'm already a mother of 3 girls. Is that a blessing, or an affliction?

I'd love to think of that as a blessing, but I do not like the responsibilities that comes with it. All the dirty clothes waiting to be washed, dried, folded, ironed, kept. Hungry tummies to be fed. Piling housework that beckons.. Not only that, homeworks that need to be checked, and all the fetchings that needs to be done. When will I ever have time for myself?

Ah, no worries. Some mothers are blessed to have accommodating husbands that help around. Some are fortunate to be able to hire a helper. Some train their kids to help. Sure, Mothers are creative. They still managed to get everything done no matter how impossible it seems. That's why they are super woman. So for 364 days they slave their life away for their kids and husband, and they get a one day recognition - Mother's Day.

Wow, so on that special day, they got pampered with nice meals, flowers, sweet words, pressies, etc. Just for one day. The next day, the cycle continue. So, tell me, why do people still want to be a Mother?

Because the joy that comes when you serve your children are beyond words. The satisfaction of seeing their smile will wipe away all the buckets of sweat you have shed. Their successes are worth every sleepless night you spent worrying over them. And most of all, their happiness is what drive you each moment. At times, when the going gets really tough, when you fall sick and still has to carry on, you thought of letting go. But you can't, because they all depend on you. You can't afford to take sick leave. Not when you're a Mother. So, as long as there is still strength in us, Mothers never give up.

To all Mothers out there, no words can describe how wonderful you are. No thanks can repay all that you've done for your child. Happy Mother's Day, and may your every day be filled with happy moments you'll cherish forever. For no Mother is better than the other. Every Mother gives the best to her child, and to every child, his/her mom is always the best, even though not perfect. For no one is perfect, even if your mom is wrong, to you, she'll always be right.




To my Mama, Thank You for everything you did for me. Only after being a mother myself, I know what you've to go thru in order to bring us up as what we are today. We owe everything to you, and we love you loads. Thank you for believing in us :)





To my Angels, Thank You for coming into my life, for you have given me the privilege to be called Mommy, and thus enjoy today's special honour for all Mothers. Remember you are all equally dear to me, and Mommy will never give up on you. Believe in yourself!
 

Life's Choices

source

I am having a dilemma... when given a choice, I don't know which to choose. Well, not always, but most of the time. I'm afraid of making the wrong decision. That's why, I'm never good in decision making. Does that mean that I am afraid to be responsible of the consequences?

But today I learnt something.. 

Because...

Also, 

So far, the choices that I have to make are trivial matters. It's not so much as life over death issues. But what if we're forced to make such critical decisions? Dare I make the call? I don't know...

For those of you who are in this dilemma, I hope God will guide you in making your choices in life...

Remember this.. when it becomes especially hard

All the best my friend, you will not know until you have decided, and till that happens, let's pray for the best. 

And here comes the 3rd one...

Finally the wait is over. And she's 3 days overdue. Yes, another 'she' :)

I noticed the 'show' at ~2am after I told baby that she can come out now (you see, before that I kept telling her to wait until Jie Jie finished her exams, but then when her due date came and went, and my gynae told me that she could only let me wait for another 10 more days, I started to get worried). I timed my contraction and when I noticed it's consistent with about 7 minutes apart, I went to have a bath. That was at ~3am. After bath, I tried to go back to sleep, as I thought of waiting till morning to admit. But at ~4am, I felt the contraction was more obvious so I went to wake hubby up. He suggested we wait till 6am but he went to get himself ready as well, and made sure all the camera, etc were fully charged. I was hoping to go to the 6.45am mass that day (yes, it's a Sunday) but MIL advised us to go straight to the hospital as this was the 3rd one already, and she could come really fast. I called the hospital to ask for advice and they told me to go straight to the delivery room since I had 2 symptoms - the 'show' and consistent contraction pain. If really it's not time yet, then they would release me and I could go home.

Hubby told the girls we're going to the hospital despite me asking him not to wake them up. In the end, I had some hard time trying to get away as SJ was already crying and wouldn't let me go. SY was ok as she's very excited herself.

SY wanted to take a photo with me , and I was having contraction pain in between. I purposely picked the same maternity blouse that I wore during SJ's birth!

We reached the hospital at 5+ am. It was raining so hubby dropped me at the A&E before I got wheeled to the labour room. There the nurse performed the CTG test on me to check on baby's heartbeat and my contraction level. I was also asked to press a button when I felt baby's movement and the printed graph would indicate when there were movements or contractions pain. The test took 20 minutes and after it's completed, the nurse told me that I could check-in to my room as the contraction pain was not that strong. However, on my way there, it came quite strongly until I could hardly walk at 5min apart, so they asked me to change into the labour suit and wait in the labour room instead. I was already 2-3cm dilated by then and it was 6am. Hubby went down to settle the admission process while they settled me in - gave me the medicine so that I could clear my bowel, etc.  

The pain chart - at that time I was only in level 4

I thought of reading ebooks as painkiller but alas! I hardly manage to start :(

Baby's warmer unit was all ready... can you see that it's only 7:15am? 

At 7.50am, I was 4-5cm dilated. Contraction pain was about 3 minutes apart. I heard that another mother who was admitted later than me had already delivered! It's also her 3rd one and I envied her so much for her fast progress. But I could hear her screaming in pain, which I did not envy at all. The nurse told me I still had a long way to go with my current progress. 

I was given the injection (Eben) at 7:55am per my request. Before that I was already on the Antennox laughing gas. I started to feel drowsy and sleepy at 8am. Since the progress was slow, my gynae came in at 10:20am to break my water bag. I was only 6cm dilated then. And that's when the nightmare began. The pain was excruciating and grew stronger with time, but my dilation didn't show the equivalent pace. From 6cm to 7cm, I couldn't imagine how long and how much pain that cost. My hands got numbed and I hardly could hold the laughing gas myself. (Actually at this time of writing, I couldn't remember exactly when my hands started to get numb). I had to scream for hubby to put it on my nose for me when I could feel the next contraction coming. Before that, hubby's rub on my back was soothing and could help ease the pain, but by then it's not effective anymore. The gas didn't help as well. I was holding the railing at the side of the bed to withstand the pain, but my fingers couldn't open anymore because it's too numb. I was worried I couldn't push as well when it's time to do so as I felt numb all over. When I was 8cm dilated, I felt like I won't be able to make it anymore. I was screaming for them to give me epidural but they told me it's too late and it's not necessary. The nurses even jokingly said they helped me save $$ so I could treat them hokkien me (or was it char koay teow?) later. When I didn't think I could stand it anymore, I requested for c-section but again, my pleas were ignored. I think I was at Level 10 of the pain chart by then. I ignored hubby or the nurses when they asked me questions as the pain was getting more and more unbearable. This was more painful than when I had SJ, when I was expecting it to be the other way round. In the end, I learnt that deep breathing helped a lot. It was after I heard the nurses mentioned that I didn't know how to relax and they could see my veins as I fought thru each contraction. 

It felt like a lifetime for me to dilate from 8cm to 10cm finally. I think it was close to 2pm then. I thought I could never make it. However when I finally did, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to push, even though my gynae hadn't arrive yet. I tried to push regardless but they were still waiting for her so they didn't give me any guidance. When she finally came, I was frantically pushing as the urge came, and my gynae had to raise her voice to me so that I would listen to her instruction instead. I couldn't remember how long or how many times I pushed, but I could hear hubby's encouragement when I felt like giving up. In the end, we made it. But what a nightmare... I didn't think I could survive another of this ordeal again.

I panicked when I didn't hear any sound after they told me that she's out, so I kept asking why she didn't cry. Only then did I learnt that her nose and mouth need to be suctioned to clear all secretions before she could breathe and cry. Haha, looks like my memory failed me after 5 years. Hubby was again given the honour to cut the baby's umbilical cord. Right after that, baby was placed on my body for awhile before they took her away for cleaning. She was placed on the warmer unit during the cleaning process.

It's not over for me yet, for I had to push again to get the placenta out. Even though I still used the laughing gas when the contraction pain came, it's over before I knew it. My gynae sucked out all the dirty blood from me. I could feel her stitching me up and it's painful even though she had given me a jab at my tigh. It looked like I had a 2nd degree tear which was considered not serious. After all that, my gynae carried the baby for me again. I just realised that we didn't manage to take a family photo this time... but me and baby managed to have one with our gynae.

After everything was done, the nurses helped me change into my own clothes and then carried the baby for me to breastfeed. I was so tired, thirsty and hungry then (I didn't eat anything except for half a glass of milo at ~5am) so when they carried the baby to me, I was all drained up and just felt like sleeping. I still haven't recovered from the nightmare until the following day itself. At that time, I didn't feel like doing anything, including breastfeeding the baby, entertaining the 2 girls who had come visiting or even my hubby, MIL, his brother, etc. whatsmore to inform my friends that I've delivered. I just wanted to sleep :)

Yes, that's how I ended up with My Charlie's Angels :) Well, it's not over yet, as the journey is just going to begin again... after 5 years of break. And I couldn't help marveling at God's beautiful miracles and feel how blessed I am.