9 Sick Baby Essentials

Let me preface this by saying I am not a medical professional. In case there was any confusion on that issue, I want to clear the air before writing this post.

That being said, the last 4 days Felix has been fighting a really nasty cold. As every new mom knows there is nothing sadder than when your baby is sick. You feel so helpless and worried. The wee one can't communicate what hurts or how you can help, so all you do is go about your day guessing giving them what you think is best.

This is only the 2nd time in 7 months that Felix has been sick and I'm so thankful that both times it has only been a cold and not something more serious. Now, there are some people who refuse to see a doctor and think that medicine is bad, end of story. Then there are other people who medicate at every turn and use a pill for most answers to pain.

Josh and I fall somewhere in the middle. We always try and use homeopathic remedies to solve problems first, but if that doesn't work we turn to medicine. With that in mind, here is my list of sick baby essentials if your little one is dealing with a cold or minor virus.

1. Organic Baby Vapor Rub - Make sure you read the label and get one that only has ingredients that you can pronounce. This is expensive, but should last you for a while since you are only rubbing a little bit at a time. I know vapor rub helps me when I'm not feeling great, so it has to do some good on the little ones when they have a stuffy nose and a cough.
2. Boogie Wipes - I discovered these from my mother in law. Its a really gentle solution to the dry tissue that leaves noses feeling raw. It does have a few chemicals, but to me is better than a plain tissue that hurts Felix's nose. If i have time in the future I might try and make my own at home to keep on hand. I found a good recipe here.
3. Humidifier - Super good to run and keep the air moist and relieve stuffy noses and sore throats while sleeping.
4. Nosefrida - Ok...I know this device seems gross and before being a mom I would maybe have thrown up a bit if I saw someone using it. Only a mom who is hurting for her sick child can understand the awesomeness of this thing. The standard aspirator is so ineffective and can really cause additional irritation to the nasal passage if you aren't careful. Nosefrida solves those problems. Even though it's gross, just use it. Trust me.
5. Nasal Spray - Along the same lines...you should spray a bit of baby friendly saline, or even better if you are a super squirty boobie lady, then some breast milk squirted up the nose to loosen a dry stuffy nose is helpful about 15 mins before suction.
6. Hylands Cold Tablets - These things are some what magical. I used them on the most recent cold and after following the instruction rigidly for about 5 hours, Felix showed serious improvement. He regressed at night and still was stopped up the next morning, but after using them again the next day he seemed to start feeling better again. I'm convinced they are necessary now.
7. Lactation Support Pills - Speaking of squirty boobies...don't forget to take care of yourself and your milk supply while the little one is sick. Nursing is key for your babies health and your milk will even start to product the specific things your baby needs to get over the cold! So you don't want your supply to dwindle just cause baby's nose is stuffed up and they can't nurse for as long a period of time. Another good thing to keep on hand is a breast pump. If baby is too sick to nurse, pump and feed milk to baby through a straw.
8. A snuggley blanket - When I'm sick there is nothing more important than to have things around me that make me feel comfortable. A warm blanket. Hot tea. pillows. Cozy socks. So why wouldn't baby want the same kind of treatment. Babies are people too.
9. Mommy's lap and a pile of books - Since baby isn't feeling good, they may not want to be as active playful on their own. They may seem needy and clingy and that's ok! Consider it a good time for you to relax and snuggle and put your to-do list on the back burner for a day. I think I've read all of Felix's books 10 times each the past few days. Little Blue Truck, Furry Friends, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are some of his favorites.

Hope your baby gets well soon!