When your baby has a cold, it it awful! They are so tiny and helpless. Since babies can’t take any medicine for the common cold, you may look at alternative things you can do to make them feel better.
Baby B got her first cold when she was about 4 months old. It was right at the end of cold season, so I thought we were going to make it through with no illness, but I was wrong!
We used the items and tips below to help Baby B feel better as she got through her cold. However, I am not a medical professional and this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your pediatrician with any questions regarding a medical condition.
When Baby B got her first cold, she was super congested, had a runny nose, and a cough. In the beginning, she also had a fever, but that went away after about a day or two. We used Infant Tylenol for her fever at first and used the dose recommended by our doctor. Her cold lasted about a week, but I have been told that it could go on for at least 10 days. These are some of the things we did to help her feel better.
1. Cold Mist Humidifier
During the winter, we run a humidifier every night in the nursery. When Baby B was sick we used this constantly and even moved it around the house to be near her. I think it helped her breathe better at times.
We also put a little bit of Eucalyptus oil in the diffuser part of our humidifier. I have heard some people say this isn’t recommended for babies, others say it is, so I would check with your doctor if you are considering using Essential oils. We just used a little bit and I think it helped her breathe a little easier, especially at night.
2. saline nose spray
This spray really helped clear up Baby B’s congestion. Use it before the Nosefrida and it will help to loosen the mucus. We used this during her bath and right before going to bed, and it seemed to help her sleep better.
The best way to use these is to have baby on their back at a slight angle. Then you can use one hand to hold their head and the other to administer the spray. It also works well if one person holds the baby upright using both hands (one to hold baby’s head) and another person do the spray. Baby B didn’t mind this too much and would only get mad if we took too long!
3. nosefrida
The NoseFrida is a lifesaver. I never thought I would ever use one, but it is amazing. It sucks the snot right out of Baby B’s nose and helped her to breath so much easier.
We actually got a NoseFrida at a shower our family had for us before we became foster parents. I never thought we would use it, so I actually gave it away. But when you have a little tiny baby who can’t breath, you will even suck snot through your mouth.
4. chest rub
As we were looking in the baby section trying to find ANYTHING that would help Baby B breath better, we cam across this chest rub. The directions say it is for babies two months and older, but I would check with your doctor first. It is kind of like Vicks VapoRub, but not as strong. We rubbed it on her chest and the back of her neck right after bath and before bed. Along with the saline spray and NoseFrida, I think this also helped with the congestion caused by her cold.
5. lots of snuggles
Because of the congestion, Baby B was not comfortable laying on her back. So that meant a lot of sleeping held upright, which we didn’t mind of course. I hated that she was sick, but who doesn’t love baby snuggles!
Our doctor actually told us to let her sleep in her car seat, but I wasn’t a fan of that. I would rather just hold her upright knowing that she is safe and breathing. Luckily, my mom was in town when Baby B first got sick, so there were three of us to work in rotation through the night. We only had to hold her for about two nights, then by the third night she slept for about a 5 hour stretch on her back.
During the day, we threw the schedule out the window and let Baby B sleep and eat whenever she wanted. She slept a lot more than usual, but I think that helped her a lot.
Baby B finally started to feel better after about a week. We did take her to the doctor after a few days, just because we wanted to make sure it didn’t turn into something more. And as new parents, we probably over reacted…but better safe than sorry, right?
What are some things you have done to help your baby or child when they are sick? Please share in the comments below!
Leave a Reply