Your Baby Has a Cold: 8 Things to Do to Help
Note: This post is sponsored by hydraSense®. To make sure hydraSense® products are right for you, always read and follow the label.
Your Baby Has a Cold?
Congestion, runny nose, sneezes, and cough. We all know how miserable it can feel when we have a cold. Now imagine your little baby experiencing it without being able to tell you what’s wrong. With the cold season here, it’s always smart to be prepared.
I’ve always been one of those moms who disinfects everything. I’m a religious hand washer and encourager of frequent hand washing. I think it is safe to say that I don’t like germs. But I learned quickly that you cannot avoid them altogether.
No matter what you do, your children will get sick.
Being a mom to two girls who are past the baby stage, I get to enjoy my friends and family’s bundles of joy. Now, I pride myself on being a practical gift giver. Whenever I have a chance to buy a gift for new parents, I like giving them things they may not always think of and will definitely use. If they ask for advice, I am happy to recommend things that worked for me.
Sure, diapers, diaper cream, wipes, bottles, and blankets are a go-to, but I like to give them a head start for the unexpected. For example, baby’s first cold. In fact, I still use most of these tips with my girls now.
Read on to discover what I learned about my girls’ first colds and what I used to make it more comfortable for both them and myself.
1. Stock Up on Medical Essentials
Making sure that you have the medication your baby may need can be a lifesaver, especially if your little one is running a temperature. Believe me, the last thing you want to do is head out in the middle of the night to pick up a fever or pain reliever.
I learned this the hard way when I had to send out my poor husband in the cold to pick up medication that I should have had stocked.
I usually opted for fruity pain reliever/fever reducer since they were on solids and recognized the taste. I also had an all-in-one infant cold syrup. I did this because sometimes they are just in pain and other times they have other symptoms. I also have teething tablets on hand and gripe water.
Of course, always discuss any medication options with your doctor first. They are the only ones that can recommend dosage for a child under 2. Plus, each child and family are different and require a professional’s expertise.
2. Have Nasal Congestion Relief Ready
Whenever a new mom asks what they can do to relieve their baby’s congestion, I say hydraSense. They have various options and best of all, it’s gentle and effective. One of my go-to’s to gift new moms is the Nasal Aspirator Starter Kit. It will help relieve the pressure they feel and help to facilitate better breathing. You can opt for the Ultra-Gentle Mist or Easydose vials too.
As I write this, I have a cold that has me feeling miserable and even I have been using hydraSense’s Daily Nasal Care for myself. I usually get a lot of stinging, so this helps to relieve my discomfort. So, in the case you both come down with a cold at the same time, you can use hydraSense to provide relief.
3. Be Pro-Active
Whenever a cold hits our house, we know that there is the potential of spreading to everyone in the family. Since the cold virus can survive on surfaces for up to 24 hours, I always have disinfectant wipes handy. I use them to wipe down surfaces that are frequently handled. Not to mention, I encourage everyone to wash their hands more often. Then I make sure our own adult medicine cabinet is stocked in case we manage to catch a cold.
4. Invest in a Good Thermometer
A big part of taking care of baby is to monitor them. While fever isn’t usually a cold symptom, it is more likely that kids, rather than adults, can run a temp. I know a mistake that I’ve made is to get a fancy thermometer that proved to be more difficult to use when I really needed it. Opposed to a simpler thermometer that works when you need it most. It’s great to have one on hand not only for babies but for everyone in the family.
5. Keep Your Child’s Head Elevated
To help ease congestion, try to keep your baby’s head elevated. You can use a couple of rolled towels that are sturdy, not squishy, and place them under the head of their mattress. It’s a small thing to do but it can definitely help. Just make sure you never place pillows or towels in their crib as it is unsafe.
6. Make a Steam Room
If you know me, I swear by a humidifier. Investing in one is something that I learned over the years. But, when I was a super young mom and didn’t have one. Worried, tired, and with a sick baby I didn’t know what to do. My mom suggested that I turn on the shower and put the heat all the way up. Let the room fill up with steam. Sit inside the room with baby and the humidity will help with congestion.
7. Have Tissues and Wipes Nearby
If your baby has a runny nose, using tissues for a long period of time can be irritating. I usually alternate between tissues and wipes made specifically for mucus. It helps keep those little noses from getting raw.
8. Rest and Fluids
This is one I always bring up. Even though baby may be having a hard time nursing or taking their bottle, try to do it as much as you can. If you are breastfeeding, it can do wonders. Your breast milk contains antibodies that can be beneficial regardless. If they are having a hard time taking fluids, use a dropper. Also, plenty of rest for both of you is a must because after all, the only cure for a cold is time.
You’re Ready!
Now that you have the basic necessities and know a few tips, you can take on any cold that comes your way. If you are looking for more tips for the cold season, be sure to check out my post for new moms.
It can be a scary feeling when our kids are sick but, it’s a good thing that we can be prepared when a cold strikes. Not to mention, we can take solace that there are ways to provide them with some relief and comfort.
How do you relieve your baby’s cold?
Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!
Note: This post is sponsored by hydraSense®. To make sure hydraSense® products are right for you, always read and follow the label.
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Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
When my kids are sick, I bundled them up in blankets and put on their favorite shows. The biggest problem I have is getting their heads all cleared up. I’ll have to give your tips a try.
Awesome, hope it helps!
I hate when my kids get sick, poor babies! I wish they had that nasal hydra sense when mine were little. We did the aspirator but this would have been great too.
It can be a scary thing.
Great tips! This has been the worst season ever for colds in my place. I need to go pick up some more hydra sense! We are out!
It has been bad this year. The hydraSense helps so much.
Humidifiers definitley help clear their noses. It’s no fun when the kids get sick, but these things all help!
Yes, they all do!
Hydra sense would have been a great thing to have when my kids were toddlers and babies. We did things the hard way and my son would have congestion for a week when he was little. It is good to help parents with these important tips.
Hope it helps!
It can be hard for a mom to see their child sick. I still use the steam trick with my older kids.
Awesome, it helps!
These are all fabulous tips. I hate it when my kids get sick, it sucks to feel so helpless. It is important that we take the right steps to ensure that they are as comfortable and well looked after as possible. Using steam is a great way to help congestion, and I agree that making sure you have lots of tissues around is important.
I am totally sharing this list with those I know that just had babies.
Thanks so much for sharing, my friend.
I always struggled with when to let a fever go so the body can fight naturally and when to medicate it. These are good tips for new parents! Being prepared is so important
Yes, I feel the same. Being prepared is so important.
I definitely like being prepared with supplies beforehand. The Hydrasense kit is definitely going to come in handy.
Yes, it is so helpful.
My sister is a first time mom and she sort of panics when my niece gets the sniffles. This will be super helpful for her.
Hope it helps!
Right now my kiddo has a bug and I feel so bad. These are definitely helpful tips and I am definitely doing all of him to help him feel comfortable.
Aww, I hope he feels better soon.
It’s so scary when an infant gets sick. It’s important to be prepared. Having the right products on hand is key!
So very true!
I don’t have human children but I feel like I worry about a lot of these things when my pets are ill. Recently our tiniest dog had a respiratory issue and it was quite scary. I tried to keep the air humidified and would occasionally give her gentle pats on the back to break up congestion.
Awww, poor baby. Furry babies get sick too!
We do steam showers with my homemade shower disks that contain eucalyptus & peppermint. I also watch tons of paw patrol
Yes, TV helps them feel better. Hehe.
These are really great tips! It’s so hard when our little ones have a cold!
So hard!
When my babies were sick I remember using a humidifier. I also used those little nasal bulb booger extractors.
LOL, they are helpful.
A sick baby is the worst! What a great list of things to keep on hand to help.
So true.
Those are great tips. I use my oil disffusers in my home when my kids are sick and I give them plenty of vitamin C and elderberry which helps tremendously.
Awesome, I am a fan of Vitamin C.
These are some great tips for any mother! I will definitely be passing this along as my son is now all grown up. There are so many things I miss about him being little but I definitely don’t miss dealing with a sick baby. It can be so scary!
It really can be!
Great things to know. I always try to keep a few things stocked.
That is a good practice.
My son has been dealing with this for a week. I can only hope there is relief soon!
Hope he feels better.
These are such important tips. With all the flu around one cannot be too careful!
Yes, so true.
These are all great tips for babies with colds. I will pass this on to my baby sister
Awesome, thanks for sharing.
These are really helpful tips! Worth-sharing with my mom friends.
Awesome, thanks!
You know that also you can be too clean and have to let them build up some immunity. I am glad mine don’t suffer like they used to when they were younger (youngest would end up in hospital every time a cold went round!). I agree we always had sugar free calpol in the fridge when ours were younger and steam rooms are ace.
For sure, I agree. With the kids in school, they have plenty of time to pick up immunity.
These are a great guide because we really don’t know when our kids will experience cold. I always make sure to have a stock of medicines for emergency purposes.
Yes, always great to be stocked up.
These are such great tips! It’s so scary when you’re little one gets a cold, especially since they don’t understand the concept of blowing their nose yet. We just went through this with my little one and your guide is spot on.
Thank you so much Allison.
These are all great tips!! I never would have thought of the steam room. Great thought!
Yay, glad you liked it.
There is nothing worse than a sick baby!! These are great ideas!
Thanks!
I remember those days and we panicked, that is what we did! I wish we had a resource like this to calm us in those days, thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, I hope it can help others.
I usually first call the doctor and ask for recommendations, but at home, I will use a humidifier. I also have them sleep slightly elevated to reduce the stuffy noses when they’re trying to fall asleep.
Yes, having them elevated helps.
These are all great tips. I don’t have kids yet but I will keep these in mind for when I do.
Awesome, thanks for stopping by.
Its so hard when babies have colds! Thanks for sharing these helpful tips!
My pleasure!
This is always such a stressful time to have when our little ones are sick. We are just recovering from a bad cold everyone in the house got, these are very sound tips you have listed. Sometimes we forget some of these little things but it could make such a difference to make little kids feel better.
Yes, you are so right.
You have made some excellent suggestions. I will pass these on to my friends with babies.
Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t used the aspirator but we use a Bayer hydraSense nasal spray to help clear boogies.
That is great!
When my kiddos were small we did all of the above!! Love these wonderful tips!!
My pleasure!
No one likes having a sick baby. This is such a helpful post.
Thanks!
Great tips. I have done all of these when my babies were little and sick. The one thing I hated doing the most, was cleaning out their noses. It was such a chore, but necessary!
Yes, so necessary!
I have everything except the nasal kit. My kids are a little older. I do use the steam from the shower and have a humidifier going for them. Rest is definitely another area I encourage. It’s hard for my little people to just relax. They take the medicine and then they think they feel better.
You definitely need to try it, even I use it!
These are some great tips. I agree its very common for toddlers to get sick. I always have important medications and Nasal Congestion Relief ready at home. I had no idea about using a humidifier to help with congestion, thanks for sharing this information with us.
My pleasure!
the best way would be rest and lots of fluids. It will really help with your baby’s cold.
Most definitely and they also need relief, the hydraSense works so well for that.
I just wish I had known about this when my son was a baby. When he started to go to daycare, he would get a cold every month! These Nasal Aspirator Starter Kit would have been a lifesaver. Which is why I bought one when my daughter had a cold a year ago.
That is awesome, glad it helped.
Very useful and informative post. Need to pass it to my friend who has a child.
Awesome, thanks for sharing it.
Yes I do agree with this. Prevention is better than cure. These are really practical suggestion.
Yes, but unfortunately, we cannot always prevent it. But, luckily, we can provide some relief to our little ones.
Nothing is more stressful for me than when my kid is sick. Stocking up on medical supplies is very important because you never know when it’s going to strike. And when he gets sick, I let him take a lot of rest and drink a lot of fluids.
Yes, rest and fluids are always the go-to!
I always found it helpful to have a Nasal Aspirator on hand at all times, when my kids were small. I had quite a few of them so I could use them when I needed. All of these tips are very helpful, I always elevated the kids heads as well. That helped a lot too.
Yes, they are great to have on hand.
Awww seeing the little ones sick always makes me sad! Great tips btw
I know, me too! No problem, hope they can help.
Oooo some really helpful tips here!!! Nothing worse than seeing your little one sick. I will have to keep these tips in mind
Yes, it can be such a scary time!
Tissue with lotion has always been essential for us! Steam showers and humidifiers are a close 2nd!
Yes!
I am not a parent yet but I can only imagine how difficult it can be having a baby with a cold.
Yes, it can but we can definitely make it through.
I’ll probably still panic even if I’m a nurse when my child gets sick. But these are all good tips and very helpful indeed.
Awesome, I am glad they can help.
You’re right, a good thermometer is always a plus! I remember when our boys would get a cold as toddlers and it wasn’t easy.
It definitely is not easy.
I totally agree that whatever we do, it is the reality that they will get sick. Thank you for these helpful tips!
My pleasure, hope they help.
When my daughters got sick when they were babies we used a humidifier. A nasal aspirator starter kit is a great idea as well.
Yes, they work so well.
I always hated when my kids got sick. These are all great tips to follow when a baby is sick.
Thanks, I hope that they help.
Steamed room and nasal congestion kit are great mentions. As much as possible, I don’t want my kids taking medications so these are good suggestions to prepare and prevent illnesses.Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, thanks for reading.
Great tips Nancy and it won’t belong before we are in Fall weather when the runny noses and coughs start!
It is on its way, that is for sure.