Caring For Baby With A Cold

My little AJ came down with his first cold when he was around 5 months. This was a very difficult time because his sleep schedule went out the window which meant mine did too. It was hard for him to sleep because of the stuffiness. He had a runny nose, runny eyes, congestion really bad, and a cough. It was terrible. What made it worse was the fact that I realized that there’s nothing to give to relieve a baby with cold symptoms. What to do?!?!?!

For one, the aspirators became my friend. This is a big deal because I actually HATED aspirators from my own experiences when I was little. I can remember my mom using that thing on me like it was yesterday! I would cry and cry. So much so that even as an adult I would shudder at the sight of one! When I worked at the daycare while in college, I hated having to use that thing on the babies. I would apologize them every time I had to use it. I know the babies couldn’t understand me, but maybe they could sense my remorse.

I felt the same way with AJ. I felt so bad every time I used it, but I had to get all of that gunk out of his nose and clear his nasal passage. I would apologize over and over again. “I’m sorry Sweet Pea! Mommy gotta clean out your nose!” Then eventually, AJ would fight it so bad that as soon as he would see the aspirator, he would flinch and start swatting it away! So it became more difficult to suction his nose. I had to be quick but effective. Supermom kicked in and I would catch him while he was playing when he least expected it and suction his nose. He would cry afterwards, but I started to get used to it. It came with the territory. He hated that thing. I did, too. I couldn’t blame him. But I had to clear his nose. So it had to be done.

Eventually, he would cry less and just to fight it off. By then, I got good enough that I would have suctioned out all of the gunk. Before, it was a struggle that lasted several minutes and sometimes requiring my husband to come hold AJ down. Now, by the time AJ would swat, I was done! So, once I got good at this, I could do a better job of keeping his nasal passage clear. This helped with the cough because not as much post-nasal drip (snot) would run down the throat. It helped with his breathing through the day and especially at night because the nasal passages were not as clogged and making him stuffy. I hated using the aspirator, but it was actually the most effective when dealing with AJ’s cold.

Another thing that worked very well was steam. I would turn the shower on and close the bathroom door. After a few minutes, I would walk in holding AJ and sit in the bathroom filled with steam. Homemade sauna! I don’t have a vaporizer so this was my next option. I’m not even sure about a vaporizer anyway since there is so much upkeep because of mold and replacing filters. I just don’t have the time.

I have a bottle of baby cough syrup (mainly honey) that came in one of those baby medicine first aid kits, but it is only for babies over the age of one. This is because of the risk of botulism. When I saw that, it freaked me out and I nicely put it back in the pack. I did not want to take that risk. But the aspirator and steam seemed to be giving lots of relief. The other thing that helped was breastfeeding.

I increased how much I breastfed. I would nurse him as often as he needed to sooth him because I knew it wasn’t fun or comfortable for him and because I knew the breastmilk would help his body fight off the cold. So, the sleep schedule was out the window, and so was the eating schedule. But that was okay. Getting back on track was not too bad. Plus, it was completely worth it because it helped my little baby feel better.

Whenever AJ seems to be coming on with a cold of some sorts, I quickly treat him with the steam to keep his nasal passage moist and clear, nurse as often as needed, and I also give him lots of sweet potatoes now that he eats solids. I have started making some of his food on my own and like to give him blueberries to help boost that immune system. I feed him sweet potatoes from the baby food containers or cook and prepare it myself. I do the same with blueberries: feed from baby food containers or prepare myself.

This all seems to help fight off the colds and relieves any discomforts and symptoms. If you have some ways of reliever your kids of colds without using meds, PLEASE SHARE!

Also, I’ve seen recently that there are now cold tablets for infants under one that are dissolvable. If any of you have tried these, please share your experience in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!!!

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Have a SUPER day!!!

Amy McCutcheon

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