My sick li'l bub
THERE’S a lot of greens being eaten in our house at the moment – and I’m not talking about vegetables. As mentioned earlier this week, Mr Sniffles entered our house after a cold snap and left everyone running for the tissues. Except me (touch wood).
During my short time as a mother, I’ve experienced babies with colds on more than a few occasions. I even ended up in hospital with Ella when she was just a bub after fears she’d contracted swine flu.
Thankfully, she hadn’t, but she still had quite a serious case of Bronchiolitis. It was one of the most frightening nights of my life, as I sat watching her breathe all night. So when colds come to visit us, I take them pretty seriously.
A friend was battling the lurgy in her house recently and asked for some tips to help her bub through it. So, now Baby Holly is going through the same, I thought I’d share what I’ve learnt here.
- Give baby extra breastfeeds to prevent them from getting dehydrated
- Vicks Baby Balsam on the soles of their feet (unless under four months and then it’s best to avoid)
- Use a vapouriser in their room. My favourite brand is Hippo Deluxe Steam Vapouriser. It’s the only one we’ve bought that hasn’t broken down after a couple of uses.
- Encourage them to have as much sleep as possible.
- Give the recommended dose of Panadol if their temperature starts to rise. A babies average body temperature is about 37C.
- Take them to the doctor if you’re at all worried. Don’t wait or you could end up like we did, in hospital.
For mums, dads, babies eating solids and bigger kids, these immune boosting foods seem to work for us:
Veggies – vitamins and minerals, people. Try some veggie soup
Garlic – try Spaghetti Bolognese
Chilli – as above, although some kids just can’t tolerate even the slightest bit of chilli.
Yoghurt – smoothies, with the addition of berries, cinnamon and honey, which are also immune boosting foods
Avocado – in a sandwich, in nachos and just mashed with baby rice for babies eating solids.
Tomatoes – great for vitamin C, they can be used in spaghetti bolognese, lasagne, sandwiches or veggie soup.
What are your tips for battling colds?
Disclaimer: This is based on my personal opinion and experience. I am not a medical professional, so please seek medical advice if you are at all concerned.
I have sat up many nights with a baby who sufferes recurring Bronchiolitis, and through many medical opinions i learned that you should try to avoid giving a baby pain relief, eg. panandol unless their temperature is above 38 degrees. This is because a baby gets a fever as their way to fight off an infection, and if you continually give them fever reducing medications, then your not giving their bodies a chance to fight it off.
Also with the Vapourizer you should avoid using eucalyptus oil in it around children under 3 as it can cause heart failure.
Apart from that, and all you have mentioned, plenty of TLC also works wonders 🙂
* This is purely my own opinion, i am not a medical professional 🙂
Good advice, Sonja. And definitely, lots of TLC!!
The beauty of the vapouriser we use is it works perfectly without requiring eucalyptus oil, which is why I LOVE it so much. Others we’ve used really didn’t have any effect without the use of oil.
Thanks so much for sharing. xx
For our little family I’ve found that colds don’t last long if we use some Euky Bear-rub (eucalyptus balm) on the tummy (not too much – it’s strong stuff!) and I put a small amount in some boiling water and place it under the bed for the steam to do it’s job (of course, never where small hands can reach).
I also find that my chicken and veg noodle soup becomes very popular 😉 Made from scratch with lots of dark green and orange veggies.
Thanks Kel. I haven’t tried Euky Bear-rub yet, but have heard lots of good reports. I have to say, chicken and veg noodle soup is just the best! There’s nothing better when you’re feeling unwell! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Oh yuk…. hope you all get well soon 🙂
Yes, yuk indeed! They’re slowly getting there. The sun has been shining here in Tassie today and making a world of difference to little noses! 🙂