Your Baby Is Having His First Cold, What To Do
As a new parent both you and your family are probably overjoyed.
The first few months has been nothing but wonderful and you are
hoping it will stay like this forever. Unfortunately everyday
life does not work like that and you are bound to experience
some bumps in the road along the way and nothing is worse than
when your baby gets sick.
Like everyone else, you will wake up one morning and find that
your little baby has got a real bad cold. Listening to that
little chest being so congested can for many first time parents
be very traumatic. You may not be quite sure of what to do and
feel completely helpless because you can tell your baby is
having a hard time breathing and he has a little bit of a fever.
In most cases of a baby cold there is no reason to panic and for
most babies there is no reason to take them to the doctor
either. Of course if taking him to the doctor make you feel
better and safer that is what you should do. For anything you
are not sure of when it comes to your child you should seek
advice from somewhere. Anyway, like mentioned, with most baby
colds there is normally no reason to rush to the doctor.
As for yourself when you have a cold there are certain things
you should do for your baby when he has a cold. Here are a few
ideas which can make it easier for both you and your baby. First
of all make sure they get lots of fluids to keep them from
dehydrating, this is very important.
In order for your baby to be able to breathe better, purchase
one of those mist humidifiers and keep it on while the baby is
taking a nap and at night time. This will help loosen up the
cough secretions and let them breathe better. A humidifier will
also help you if you get a cold so it is not a waste of money.
Keep their head elevated. Try to put something under the baby's
mattress to build up their head elevation. Babies always breathe
better if elevated and not laying flat on their back during
sickness.
If your child has a bad coughing spell, go in the bathroom turn
on the shower with real hot water so it will steam up the
bathroom. Sit the baby on your lap and let them breathe in the
steam. This will help ease their cough.
Other things you can do to keep your child more comfortable
during this time is to make sure you have things around the
house to lessen the fever and discomfort like for example infant
Tylenol. Also make sure to give lots of love, hugs and kisses
just to let them know you are there for them.
All of this is only suggestions but hopefully it will help you
get through your baby's first cold.