“Natural health is how God designed our bodies to thrive, and doctors are how He cares for us when storm clouds roll in.”

As parents, we often have a preferred playbook when our kiddos aren’t feeling well. On our farmstead, my default is almost always rooted in nature: essential oil roll-ons, gentle whole foods, natural electrolytes, elderberry syrups, and running the diffusing humidifier around the clock. We love a holistic, low-tox approach to everyday health—until our instincts tell us something isn’t right, and the natural playbook needs a partner.

Recently, we hit one of those weeks that tests every tool in your parenting arsenal. What started as a seemingly simple respiratory virus spiraled into an urgent care trip, IV fluids, ultrasound scans, X-rays, an unexpected diagnosis, and a reminder that modern medicine and natural remedies aren’t at war with each other—they can be complementary when used together.

Trusting Your Maternal Instinct

There is a distinct difference between a child who is just under the weather and a child who is genuinely struggling. When a sore throat prevents kiddos from drinking and sinus drainage causes upset tummies, dehydration can sneak up fast. Despite our best efforts to keep them hydrated, there comes a moment when you realize: We need extra help.

Packing up a sick kid and heading to urgent care is never fun, but seeing clear signs like severe lethargy, no urination in 12+ hours, or an inability to keep even a drop of liquid down means it’s time to ask for help from people with the diagnostic and treatment tools that are needed.

Once we arrived at the urgent care, strep was ruled out first and then blood samples were taken as well as a general exam performed. It was decided after examination that we needed an ultrasound and X-rays to rule out appendicitis. Sitting in an exam room waiting for results from an ultrasound and X-rays to know if emergency surgery might be needed can be scary, but the clarity those tools provide is invaluable. And this is where we learned something shocking.

All of her test results came back normal. However, when the provider looked at the X-rays and imaging, they gave us a diagnosis that caught me completely off guard: constipation.

Here’s the thing. One of my twins only has bowel movements every 2-3 days and has struggled with constipation his whole life. But this kid poops every day, sometimes multiple times a day. She has never struggled with it—or so I thought.

As it turns out, daily bowel movements don’t always mean a child’s digestive tract is fully emptying. A child can pass small amounts of stool daily while a mass of retained stool builds higher up in the colon, leading to abdominal pain and nausea that can be triggered by any illness. Puzzle pieces started coming together because she does usually struggle with nausea with any illness. It was something we would never have known, or even suspected, without the X-rays—and it was a huge relief to know we were dealing with something manageable rather than emergency surgery.

My daughter was given IV fluids for mild dehydration, Zofran for the nausea, and pain relief for her throat, which had her eating and drinking comfortably before we left urgent care. She also was given an enema to start flushing out the partial blockage that we didn’t even know she had! She came home and slept for 12 hours straight and woke up already on the mend.

Our “Scrunchy” Sick Day Toolkit: Blending the Best of Both Worlds

Navigating something like this reinforces why I consider myself a “scrunchy” parent—we embrace natural living, but we hold immense gratitude for modern medicine when it’s needed. Once home from urgent care with a clear picture of what was going on, we immediately leaned into our comforting home care routine to support recovery and protect the rest of the family from the virus that started it all:

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I will never recommend something unless I have first-hand knowledge of it and genuinely believe it to be valuable.

1. The Comfort Essentials

• Diffusing Humidifier: Running a cool-mist humidifier in their bedroom and whatever room they are in during the day helps to keep airways moist, while diffusing essential oils of your choosing for extra support. I have used this diffuser for years: Essential Oil Diffuser and Humidifier. It is simple to use, and my kids love the different night light color choices it offers. I always use the essential oil blend Germ Destroyer in the diffuser to help fight illness and boost immunity.
• Essential Oil Roll-Ons: My go-to roll-ons are Germ Destroyer and Quiet Cough. Everyone in the family gets these rolled on behind the ears, chest, and back of the neck as needed.

2. Trusted Over-the-Counter Supports

• Zarbee’s Syrups: We love the elderberry and dark honey-based Zarbee’s Children’s Honey Cough Syrup + Mucus and Zarbee’s Children’s Honey Cough Syrup + Immune. There are daytime and nighttime formulas for both with wonderful, natural ingredients that help them feel better—and it tastes great too! We keep all four of those on hand all the time and start the immune formula as soon as an inkling of a sickness rears its head and switch to the mucus formula if a runny/congested nose shows up. My kids ask to take their medicine—no fighting to get something in them and I know what I am giving them is only helping and not harming!
• Chest Rubs: Zarbee’s also makes a Soothing Chest Rub which is another staple item in our medicine cabinet.
• Targeted Hydration: Electrolyte support—whether it’s my favorite Electrolyte Powder or the newly discovered Tropical Electrolyte Popsicles —becomes the top priority with dehydration.

3. Food for Healing

Nourishing the body with whole, nutrient-dense foods is essential when rebuilding strength after an illness. When appetite is just coming back or a tummy is still settling, we keep things simple, gentle, and bland with plain, homemade bread or simple crackers. As their appetite grows, we load up on fresh, hydrating fruits like apples, bananas, and blueberries—packed with natural antioxidants, fiber, and easy-to-digest energy to get them back on their feet. These fresh fruits will also help with that sneaky constipation in my daughter’s case!

The Takeaway: It’s Not Either/Or

If you ever find yourself wondering if there is more you could or should do before considering seeing a medical professional or even feeling guilty about taking your child to urgent care or giving them modern medicine, just know that it is absolutely okay to be both holistic-minded AND take advantage of living in a time of modern medicine.

Using modern diagnostic imaging like X-rays and ultrasounds doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a natural-minded parent. It means you are using every resource available to help keep your children healthy. Nature gives us incredible tools for daily wellness, recovery, and comfort, but God also provided the knowledge of science and medicine that can show us what’s happening inside and provide the targeted, acute treatments that are needed in some situations.

When we drop the pressure to be 100% “crunchy” all the time, we give our kids the exact thing they actually need: whole-picture, loving care using every resource God provides.

Do you want some other scrunchy ideas? Check out this post: Simple. Natural. Sustainable. A Scrunchy Girl’s Guide to Easy Swaps.

Interested in making your own essential oil products? Check out DIY Essential Oils: Craft Your Own Natural Product Line!

Over to You!

Have you ever been surprised by a medical diagnosis for your kids? What are your favorite supportive therapies at home? Let me know in the comments below!