Caring for an Infant with a Cold
All parents know that it is just no fun when your child is sick. It is particularly difficult when your infant is sick as they cannot communicate with you what is bothering them. Sometimes you just wish that they could talk so that you could help solve their problems.
My four month old little guy has been suffering a cold that his 3 1/2 year old sister kindly passed along to him with love, of course! I also have contacted this lovely bug. It’s just no fun. The worst part is that my little guy cannot breath properly while he is feeding which makes him frustrated and it breaks my heart.
Here are some suggestions of things that I have done when my children have a cold:
- run a humidifier in or near their bedroom
- boil water in a kettle and pour it into a bowl with a large surface area, place on the floor in their room with a few drops of eucalyptus oil (this obviously isn’t safe if other children are roaming around)
- spray their nose with saline spray (ensure you buy the kind made for infants with an ultra gentle spray)
- wipe their nose with saline spray on a kleenex or with a product like Boogie Wipes so that their skin doesn’t dry out from the mucous or the wiping
- put them to sleep in a semi-upright position in order to allow them to breathe easier, e.g. in a bouncy chair, swing, car seat etc.
- put them in the bathroom with you while you shower, with the door closed, to allow the steam from your shower to loosen up their mucous
I have also found sleeping a major issue with my 4 month old since he has had this cold and he is also teething, which adds another challenge. He basically wants to sleep in our arms 24/7, which is completely understandable. I don’t want to deny him of this, but at the same time I don’t want him to get too used to it as this cannot go on forever. It’s amazing how routines can simply go out the window when a baby is sick or not feeling well.
At the end of the day, being sick sucks. It truly does. We are really looking forward to the spring when there are typically fewer colds floating around. Enough of someone always being sick in our house!
Read More
Melissa H says...
I hope all of you get to feeling better soon!!