  Friday I took Ellie to the doctor because, instead of getting better like the rest of us, she was actually getting worse. Thursday night she developed a junky cough and Friday her snot was green. So we went in and Dr. Ho said her lungs sounded fine, to my relief, but she did have an ear infection. I thought for sure this was the end of our perfect run of raising kids antibiotic-free, but he said we should just let it run its course. This is just how amazing my pediatrician is. He said in Europe they don't treat ear infections and they have a slightly higher incidence of complications, but most kids turn out fine.
I was so relieved. I'd done the research on my own before going in for the three diagnoses I thought we might get: pneumonia, sinus infection, and ear infection. I read that infants who are breastfed are highly unlikely to get the flu because breastmilk is particularly tough against the influenza virus. Those who do get it have an even smaller chance of complications. About ear infections, I read that most babies left untreated will have about four days of pain and irritation, and depending on how miserable they seem, that can be treated with pain relievers.
Taking an antibiotic is especially a bad idea at this point in the year because it wipes out all your good bacteria defenses just in time to leave you vulnerable for the large colonies of germs that grow indoors in colder weather. Ellie has to go back in two weeks to be sure her infections really heals on its own, but her immune system is so strong, I bet she'll be fine.
I love the trust natural defenses first approach. Just for your added information, I did read that if your baby is prescribed antibiotics by your pediatrician, you should ask for the longer course rather than the new three or five-day ones because this is less likely to set your child up for a resistance to that antibiotic, something that helps bring about the repeat ear infections cycle so common in our country (along with milk or other food allergies). 
