sick baby szn | how to help your little one when they aren’t feeling their best
It’s so sad when our babies are not feeling their best selves! With fall and winter right around the corner, school being back in session, more family gatherings, and babies having an immune system that’s not fully developed, germs are inevitable. ‘Tis the season, am I right? So what can you do for your baby when the germs are being passed around? Let’s get into it!
prevention
general outings + Family gatherings
During this time of year, it can be tough because we may want to leave the house, but worry about exposure to large crowds/germs/etc with our new baby. If venturing out with your baby, it’s a good idea to ensure you have some hand sanitizer on deck and keep baby as protected as possible. I have enjoyed babywearing my babies when I am needing to keep them safe/protected/close to me! This keeps people’s hands off, germs away, and keeps baby happy all the while! If you’re keeping baby in their stroller while you’re out, advise others not to reach in and touch the baby or relatives not to kiss the baby. I’ve even seen some cute car seat/stroller signs that get the point across— “your germs are too big for me, please don’t touch”.
We know the holidays will be upon us before we know it! And we know that means lots of “wanting to pass the baby around” at gatherings. As cute as babies are and as much as we LOVE people loving our babies, we do have to be cautious with young newborns especially! It’s up to you whether or not you want to attend in the first place. If you plan to go to a large gathering, consider babywearing. Best mom hack ever.
siblings in daycare
Have older sibs in daycare? Germ city, amiright? Obviously trying to hold boundaries at home is great, but with a wild toddler, can prove utterly difficult. Do the best you can. Try to keep siblings from kissing on baby/being “in their face” constantly (honestly, I am laughing while I type that because yeah right), while understanding that we may not be able to keep them completely separated, realistically. Again, babywearing at home can help too and not leaving baby in a vulnerable spot for the toddler to walk up to them. Sometimes I’d move Blake’s swing into the kitchen while I prepped dinner, even though it usually stayed in the living room. That way she was close and I could keep an eye on her and my sick toddler, while preventing “too close of contact”. Did it work every time? Is it foolproof? Nah. But I do feel like it helped just thinking of small ways to keep her closer to me/protected without making Teddy (my toddler) feel like he couldn’t come near her. It was just less “noticeable” for him.
Sometimes telling them what’s going on can register, sometimes not so much. We do want to phrase this in a way that’s not their fault: “I love how much you love the baby! She is always looking at you isn’t she? Let’s not touch and work as a team to keep her from getting sick. Let’s choose (which blanket you’d like me to put on her/a coloring book you want to do right now/ a toy you want me to hand her/ a movie you’d like to put on) so you both can rest”. Just something simple that helps redirect so we’re not yelling “no, don’t go near her!” (trust me, been there too sadly, no one is perfect!). It’s not their fault, so let’s try our best to help them understand the boundary, while not making them feel bad about themselves or guilty!
Also, washing my hands constantly! Kept me from bringing my toddler’s germs to my baby when handling her.
congestion
Babies are nose breathers, so congestion can make eating and sleeping pretty uncomfortable for them. Let’s go through some ways to ease baby’s congestion and make them as comfortable as we can!
Saline Mist:
This is a gentle way to help break down mucus and makes suctioning easier. Squirt the saline up baby’s nose (or use this incredible fine mist inhaler), then follow up with suctioning.
Suction:
Now we’ve gotta get those broken down secretions out to clear out baby’s airway for easier breathing! Choose what tool you’re most comfortable with. Some options are a bulb syringe, NoseFrida, electric suction- whatever you prefer will get the job done and have baby breathing easier. Saline mist and suction are great options to do right before feeding or bedtime! This makes feedings easier when they’re sick.
DIY Sauna:
Another great way to breakdown congestion is by making your bathroom into a baby sauna. First, start up the shower with the water as hot as possible for amble steam (you will not be putting baby in this water!). Then, strip baby down and stand in the bathroom with the door closed. Let baby breathe that steam in to loosen secretions! Keeping baby entertained could help prolong the exposure to the shower steam- try bringing the bouncer in there, their favorite toy, or reading them a book.
Cold Mist Humidifier:
A humidifier is great to have going at night while baby’s sleeping, to keep secretions loose, making breathing easier. Check out my favorite dishwasher safe humidifier here! (Code: Karrie for 15% off!)
Feed Frequently:
Feeding frequently will help keep baby hydrated, can help soothe a sore throat, and breastmilk can provide antibodies to help baby fight off viruses. If you’re sick, baby will receive antibodies from the sickness you’re battling. This will either help prevent them from getting the same sickness, or lessen the severity of it! If baby’s sick, they will receive antibodies in the breastmilk to work on fighting off the illness they’re experiencing through a potential retrograde duct flow. When baby is latched to the breast, there is a hypothesis that there is a backflow of saliva from baby’s mouth through the nipple and into the milk ducts. This communicates information to mom’s body and changes the milk. Not directly latching? All good! Even with pumping, mom’s body is able to take in information about their baby in other ways (kissing/touching/skin to skin/etc). This can also change your milk to better suit the needs of your sweet baby.
If you have some, you can also pull out some colostrum you may have stored from the early days to provide lots of great antibodies for baby that way! Here is a reel on this!
medication
It’s sick season, and we’ve discussed some methods for congestion relief. Next, let’s chat about the other things that are handy to have “‘just in case” for your baby when those germs and illnesses strike.
First thing, I recommend keeping all medications and accessories high up in a locked box. Especially with having other kids in the house, this is an absolute must for us. Even if your baby is young, I cannot stress enough how important this is! Please put them high and keep them locked up! I have a reel on this here!
Meds:
Babies cannot take many meds. Pain/fever reliever is typically weight based and should be administered under the discretion of your pediatrician (Tylenol). For ibuprofen (for use at 6+ months), I specifically LABEL and STORE separately. Babies and young children under 6 years old aren’t recommended to take cold medicine.
Med Administration:
For giving medicine, medicine cups and/or syringes should be used. Or if you choose, the MediFrida (pacifier syringe) is another great option. It’s a pacifier that attaches to a medicine syringe and helps the medication bypass baby’s taste buds while they’re suckling on the paci! My daughter, Lou, really liked this method!
Congestion:
Aside from the tips above, boogie wipes and natural baby safe chest rub are other great options to keep on hand! I just feel like it helps my babies relax and fall asleep more easily!
All in all, when baby is sick, comfort care, assessments, and symptom management is the name of the game! Keeping in touch with your child’s care provider during this time is incredibly important, esp for young babies and kids! I also feel that the locked medicine box not only helps keep everyone safe, it also helps you find everything you need when you need it (because it’s all in one place, together!). A win-win if you ask me!
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