How to Take Care of a Sick Baby During Flu Season

So your baby has the cold...or the flu...or another stomach bug...I'm so sorry. That really stinks. Unfortunately though, it is simply part of your life nowadays. Welcome to the hood. So today, I'm going to give you some helpful tips and tricks to get you through these times. As a new parent it can definitely be scary when your baby gets sick for the first time. But no worries, your nurse hat will become an old hat soon enough!

Most Parent's Worst Nightmare - The Fever

LOVE the FeverFrida Unfortunately sickness for baby's often means fevers. Fevers in newborns (0-3 months) are especially scary as it could mean meningitis. So, what constitutes as a fever in a baby? Well, a normal temp can range from 97 degress Fahrenheit to 100.3 degrees so anything over that could mean they have a fever. If your child is 0-3 months old call your doctor right away as this is considered an emergency! But, if they are older than 3 months consult your doctor as to when they would like you to contact them.

Ok, so you have taken baby's temperature and established that they do, in fact, have a fever. So, how do you go about taking baby's temperature to make sure it doesn't get into a danger zone without waking them up? My favorite thing is the FeverFrida. This handy little doodad is my favorite thing for monitoring my daughter's temperature without waking her up. It attaches under her armpit via an adhesive patch and checks her temperature every 4 seconds, then sends that information to my phone. Never had such a good nights rest when she has been sick. So, besides monitoring their temperature talk to your doctor to see what dosages of medicine you can give baby to help fight off their illness and lower that fever. My personal favorite is Tylonel since it's gentle on baby and with their syringe I can usually get her to swallow it fairly easily. Always a plus.

Pesky Stuffy Noses

If you live somewhere cold you are no stranger to a stuffy nose all. winter. long. That constant battle between hot and cold temperatures makes for a not-so-happy baby. But getting that mucous out of those tiny noses is super difficult! I mean, have you TRIED those bulb syringes? They don't really do that great. And the babies scream. The entire time. Ugh. So, here's what I do instead: 1. Loosen up that mucous. I either go sit in the shower or at least the bathroom with the shower on as hot as it can go to create a lot of steam. This helps loosen it all up so my baby can breathe a little better. 2. Saline drops = the angels singing in the heavens. Send a couple drops into those cute little nostrils and watch that mucous come right on out! It is especially great for right before you put baby to bed at night so it can work all night long. 3. Get a humidifier (are you seeing a pattern here? Warm moisture). This is great especially if you live in an older house. That humidifer will help baby's throat and nose not dry out as much from the heater going all day long. 4. NoseFrida. Better than the bulb syringe in so many ways. You control the suction with your mouth and it easier to move around so you can get all those pesky little edges. Just make sure you use the filters so you don't eat your baby's boogers.

The NoseFrida is perfect for sucking out all those little boogers.

Achey Bodies

Sometimes when you have a cold you just feel super achey. So, what do you do for baby in this case? I always turn to what I like to do: bubble baths and massages. I fill up the tub with some (slightly) extra warm water and Tubby Todd bubble bath, and let my daughter soak in it awhile. She usually likes to just hang out and read some waterproof books that we have for her. Then, right after I'll wrap her in a towel and give her a massage with some Tubby Todd Dream Cream. It has shea butter and mint in it so it's moisturizing and refreshing - which is usually what you need when you're a sicky.

When They Have the Runs...and Not the Fun Kind.

Ugh, diarrhea. I remember the first time my daughter had diarrhea. She was literally all the way across the house and I could smell it like I was holding her up to my nose. It. Was. Awful. Trust me, when your child has diarrhea you will know it. The key with this is just making sure that baby stays hydrated. I always use Pedialyte or half strength Gatorade and give it per my doctor's instructions (sometimes you don't want to give them too much). Babies don't love it though, so you may need to get a syringe of some sort so you can squirt it into the back of their cheek so that they have to swallow it. Just a thought. Well, there you have it my friends. Just a basic rundown on ways to keep your babies happy during those rough times. If any of you have words of wisdom out there for our newer moms feel free to comment! The more information we can get those new mommy's the better! As well, if you ever come down to our Lindon, UT baby store most of our staff are mom's and they are more than happy to impart some of their tips and tricks to you! And if you're not in Utah, feel free to call as well. Until next time, Michelle #cubbymomsunite