Good 'ol Garlic

The number of times I have come down with mastitis is now greater than the number of children I've nursed. Thank goodness I'm such a huge breastfeeding advocate because I wouldn't put up with this again if it didn't truly benefit my baby. Mastitis is awful. Absolutely awful. I could seriously complain about it for days.

This last time hit me so darn fast that I was convinced it was going to be the worst event yet. I started having breast tenderness around 10 in the morning, and by 4 o'clock I was so run down and weak that I felt like I was going to pass out. Having had a successful outcome with pumping, Castor oil massages, and heat compresses last time, I instantly starting the same regime. I had heard just a few days prior that one woman had success eating raw garlic. Yuck! But it prompted me to do a little research.

Garlic is said to be an herbal "wonder drug" and I never even new about it! Did you know that garlic can be used as a natural broad spectrum antibiotic? And best yet, the body doesn't evolve resistance to it like those from the pharmaceutical companies.

It can also have a strong antioxidant effect, is a natural anti fungal, antiviral, and is said to promote longer nursing sessions because babies respond to the garlic odor in the milk. I could go on and on, but believe me...garlic truly is the "wonder drug" everybody says it is. It's been used for centuries all around the world to prevent and to cure a wide variety of issues (all the way from high blood pressure to cancer and the plague!)

It's important that you take the garlic raw so that you get all of the immune boosting benefits. The antibiotic component in it, allicin, is destroyed by heat so it must be raw. But this is much easier said that done.

I am a wimp. Hands down. I don't care for anything hot or even slightly spicy (peppers, spices, etc). I ended up cutting each clove into a few smaller pieces hoping to just swallow them down like pills. I made the mistake of licking a clove to get a feel for the taste and nearly cried. Man, garlic is HOT! I had no idea. So I ended up hiding the pieces in applesauce and swallowing without them touching any part of my mouth.

I consumed 3 cloves that evening and woke up feeling 90% back to health! I couldn't believe it.

I don't think that I could incorporate this into my diet on a regular bases, but I suppose I should really make an effort. I read an article from a mom of 3 who's been feeding raw garlic to her children their entire lives, and they have never needed to make a trip to the doctors. I'm sure that's an extreme case, but knowing all of the benefits now sure has me convinced that it should play a crucial role in our lives. Although getting Lucas on board would be impossible, Levin could at least get it through me. Hopefully I can start a new healthy habit in our house! I have a sore throat that just started today, so maybe I'll test the garlic out once more.

My boys are Alaskan Natives and therefore receive free medical coverage. I, on the other hand, am left to fend for myself. My postpartum coverage ends this month and my student coverage won't pick back up again until Jan. Getting sick is not really an option, so hopefully eating raw garlic can help keep me healthy...and out of medical debt!