Bringing home a new baby is one of the most special moments in a new mother’s life, but it can also be overwhelming and even a bit scary. Babies certainly don’t come with an instruction manual and the new mom learning curve is a doozy; feeding them, changing them, comforting them, it’s a full-time job. There are plenty of friends, family members and professionals to offer advice when your new baby throws you a curve ball, but having a few natural, go-to remedies up your sleeve could be a great comfort to both baby and mom if and when a hiccup should occur.

- Diaper Rash: During their first months, babies can go through an alarming amount of diapers in 24 hours. A newborn’s digestive system is efficient, which can mean that what goes in, generally comes out within a few short minutes. And if your sweet baby develops a bought of diaper rash, it can make diaper time (which is just about all the time) a little traumatic. Extra Virgin Coconut oil has been known to offer relief and is a natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial agent. For those more intense and persistent episodes of irritation, MotherLove makes a miracle diaper rash and thrush balm that will have your little angel back to normal again in no time.

- Colic: A baby with Colic is one unhappy baby, and when baby is unhappy, everyone is unhappy. A newborn that suffers from digestive upset and all around dissatisfaction can be devastating for new parents. Seemingly endless episodes of crying, screaming, restlessness and sleeplessness can make a household pretty miserable and there is still a lot of mystery and confusion about the causes and effective treatments of colic. In addition to some movement exercises and soothing practices, offering a fussy baby Colic Calm Homeopathic Gripe Water may ease them of reflux, indigestion and gas, helping them eat better and sleep better.

- Teething: It’s a well-known myth that if your baby is teething, the best remedy is a splash of whiskey on the gums. While this may or may not be an effective remedy, many moms are apprehensive about dosing their teeny little baby with a stiff drink. Nowadays, there are a ton of great natural products on the market to turn to instead, like Hyland’s Homeopathic Baby Teething Gel and Tablets (both Benzocaine free) or Teething Bling (a stylish solution for mom.)

- Clogged Tear Duct: Babies cry, it is a fact of life. Sometimes, when they cry, they can develop clogged tear ducts which will look like a red, pussy, swollen eye and can be quite painful and irritating, leading to, you guessed it, more crying. But a breastfeeding mom need not rush to the pediatrician when her babe starts to look puffy faced. Rinsing infected eyes with mom’s breast milk repeatedly over the course of a few hours can actually stop the infection/irritation right in its tracks.

- Cradle Cap/Excema: Nothing is sweeter than a baby’s soft skin, but most babies go through a stage when their cheeks and scalp get a little dry, flaky and well, pimply. The causes of skin irritation in a newborn are many, but the solution is quite simple. The baby product aisles are lined with oils and lotions and shampoos to perfume your wee one into oblivion, but extra virgin coconut oil or olive oil will actually do the trick quite perfectly. Rubbing a little coconut oil on your babies dry, flaky scalp after a warm bath will not only soothe their itch, it will also help mom and baby bond. Nothing like a relaxing scalp massage to put baby in a great mood.

What natural remedies have you used for your baby?

Guest blogger Dayna Copeland is a writer, and editor, a mother and a wife in Denver. She loves to hike with her 1-year-old son, Jack and her golden retriever, Stella. She enjoys cooking, gardening, running, antique shopping and crafting and aspires to write best-selling children’s books and travel guides.