A Mother’s Love: Navigating Eczema with Care and Compassion
The Emotional Impact of Eczema on Motherhood
A loving mother wants, above all, good health for her child. Discovering that your baby has eczema can be emotionally challenging, as you strive to alleviate their itching and irritation. The worry only intensifies when a woman with eczema becomes pregnant, facing the uncertainties that come with the condition.
One Mother’s Journey: Meghan Elliott’s Story
Meghan Elliott, a mother from Kankakee, Illinois, embarked on a determined quest to find relief for her son Charlie, who was diagnosed with moderate to severe eczema from birth. Faced with long waiting times for medical appointments, Meghan took matters into her own hands, researching extensively and advocating for her son’s well-being.
Charlie’s Treatment Plan and Recovery
Through diligent research and consultation with healthcare professionals, Meghan devised a comprehensive treatment plan for Charlie. From identifying food allergies to implementing a skincare routine and exploring different bedding options, Meghan left no stone unturned in ensuring her son’s comfort and health.
Becoming an Advocate: Karen Fischer’s Inspirational Journey
Karen Fischer, a nutritionist from Australia, turned her experience with eczema into a mission to help others facing the condition. Through her own struggles with eczema and her daughter Ayva’s journey with the skin disorder, Karen found a holistic approach to managing eczema through diet and lifestyle changes.
Empowering Through Nutrition: Karen’s Approach to Eczema Relief
By recognizing the link between food sensitivities and eczema, Karen was able to guide Ayva towards healing through a tailored diet plan. Drawing on her expertise in nutritional biochemistry, Karen’s dedication to her daughter’s well-being transformed Ayva’s skin and overall health, showcasing the power of informed choices in managing eczema.
The Importance of Holistic Care and Healthy Living
Both Meghan and Karen’s stories underscore the significance of holistic care and healthy living in managing eczema. From skincare routines to dietary modifications, their approaches offer valuable insights into supporting individuals with eczema and fostering overall wellness.
Embracing a Brighter Future: Eczema Relief Through Knowledge and Advocacy
As mothers and caregivers, Meghan and Karen exemplify the power of knowledge, advocacy, and unwavering love in navigating eczema. By sharing their stories, they inspire others to seek solutions, advocate for their loved ones, and strive for a brighter, eczema-free future.
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A loving mother wants, above all, good health for her child. Imagine, then, the emotional impact of discovering that your baby has eczema, of wanting more than anything to get rid of the itching and irritation. And imagine the worry when a woman with eczema becomes pregnant. The what ifs are huge.
Fortunately, there is excellent information (and inspiration) to help a woman in either situation. Here, two moms reveal how much they went to in their determination to give their children relief and good health.
Meghan Elliott, who lives in Kankakee, Illinois, is a busy mother of two children: Nora, 4, and Charlie, 1. After the shock of discovering that Charlie had eczema from birth, Elliott embarked on a search to Do everything you can to help. him. She researched her needs and then made sure the health system met them.
“Charlie had rough, scaly, bumpy skin,” says Elliott, operations manager at marketing company Mayhill Moon. At first, the swelling was mainly in the cheeks and thighs, but then it began to develop in the elbows. “My son’s pediatrician officially diagnosed him with moderate to severe eczema and suggested we take him to a pediatric dermatologist.” It’s not a bad idea, but she and Charlie would have to spend months on a waiting list, which Elliott found “extremely frustrating.”
That’s when he set out to learn everything he could about Charlie’s condition. One thing that caught her attention was that many children with eczema have moderate to severe food allergies. “Seeing how long it took me to be referred to a pediatric dermatologist, I took it upon myself to call a pediatric allergist. Fortunately, they took care of him pretty quickly and we found out that Charlie is very allergic to all types of eggs and also has lactose intolerance.”
This was a decisive moment. “What we do now is lather his cheeks and chin with CeraVe Healing Ointment before and after eating so as not to irritate his skin,” she says. “The ointment helps act as a barrier against any foods that could cause an outbreak.”
Elliott carefully analyzed every aspect of Charlie’s routine to provide relief in a variety of ways. “One thing that has helped my son is bathing him every night,” she says. “I thought this would dry him out even more, but our dermatologist said that a quick 5-10 minute warm bath, after which we pat him dry and immediately apply lotion, will keep all the moisture in his skin. We used CeraVe lotion, shampoo and body wash during the bath. We also apply CeraVe Healing Ointment to your cheeks throughout the day to keep moisture locked in. Charlie was also prescribed two topical ointments to use as needed, as well as an oral medication to help when he gets really itchy.”
To help you sleep, Elliott turns to the softest bedding. “We use bamboo crib sheets and they are very breathable; when we use a flannel crib sheet, his cheeks get really sore when he wakes up,” she says. “We also make a lot of bamboo clothing. You can also wear cotton clothing, but we definitely stay away from wool or polyester.” Charlie is fine now. “We have a schedule of medical follow-ups every 3 to 6 months and he is doing much better compared to a year ago.”
However, the emotional cost of constant worry and attention is considerable. “Raising a child with eczema and food allergies is exhausting and frustrating,” she says. “Still, push for help so your child feels relieved. My advice to other parents who are also going through this is to always be your child’s advocate. “They can’t defend themselves, so it’s our responsibility to do it for them.”
Karen Fischer is an award-winning nutritionist and author living and working on Australia’s Gold Coast. Dedicated to helping people with eczema through her online support network, she is the owner of Skin Friend, a skincare company. Her own story (and that of her daughter Ayva, now 22) is the reason she has made eczema relief her job and her passion.
“I have experienced the pain of eczema from head to toe,” explains Fischer. “I have qualifications as a health professional, but I didn’t really understand eczema until I lived through it.”
Before becoming pregnant with Ayva, Fischer found herself dealing with this skin condition. “My eczema started as a small spot,” she recalls. “After an episode of work stress, it suddenly spread to my entire body. Every time I ate, it spread. Some nights the itching was so intense that she couldn’t sleep. She had to wash the sheets constantly, she couldn’t go out to eat with friends, she was socially isolated. Nobody understood it and I spent a lot of time at home crying.”
Noticing the link between food and his asthma attacks, Fischer took a close look at what he ate. “Your skin is literally made of the food you eat, so it made sense to change my diet,” he says. “Genetics plays a role, but I think eating healthy, low-chemical foods can compensate for these genetic defects.” Identifying which foods seemed to trigger his eczema (and eliminating them) helped Fischer improve.
Fortunately, her pregnancy was uneventful. “She had suffered from dermatitis on her hands before she became pregnant,” she says. “With a healthy diet, it soon disappeared, so I had a rash-free pregnancy. However, her Ayva developed eczema 2 weeks after birth.” Fischer was devastated to see Ayva suffer and the baby had difficulty sleeping, but it didn’t immediately occur to the new mom that she could address her daughter’s skin condition the same way she had handled the hers. “I thought eczema was a genetic condition and there was nothing I could do, so I used topical steroids to treat her eczema to no avail,” she recalls.
Then, a breakthrough: “A nurse caring for Ayva talked to me about food sensitivity and showed me the path that led to my daughter’s eczema disappearing. Nutritional biochemistry was my favorite subject in college, so I designed a specific diet for Ayva based on research she had read in various hospital allergy units. Ayva’s skin improved and little by little we expanded her diet. “The right foods can make her child’s body resilient.”
Today both mother and daughter are happy and healthy. “Eczema is a complicated skin disorder and everyone is quick to give advice,” Fischer says, then offers some of her own. In his opinion, “healthy eating is the permanent long-term solution.”
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