Cold Remedies for Babies

18 Apr 2017 Comments

Home Remedies to Help Babies with a Cold

We were on our first family vacation with the sun shining outside and air conditioning blasting inside to keep us nice and cool. It was only our second night in when Cassie started coughing. It wasn’t just a little cough either. She was woken up every few minutes in a bad coughing fit and wasn’t able to sleep – either were we.

By 2am, I got her up and thought of every trick in my very thin parenting book. I ran the shower on hot and closed the door to let it steam up as I rocked Cassie in my arms and tried to soothe her. No change. I offered her some water to see if it would help clear her throat. I then warmed up some milk and tried that. In the end I brought her into bed with me and we both spent the night tossing and turning without much sleep.

Colds and viruses are no fun when you’re adult, let alone for a child. The problem is, they come part and parcel with the winter season, and if you have your child in daycare, you can almost expect them to spend the winter months with a constant runny nose. I’ve learned if the cold symptoms don’t come with a fever and Cassie still seems her usual self (i.e. not overly lethargic and miserable), then these home remedies seem to work a treat to help ease her discomfort:

Running the Shower Hot and Steaming Up the Bathroom

This will help open your little one’s airways and help them breathe a lot better. As an adult, you come to know that when you lie down at night with a cold, that’s when you feel your worst. It is generally the same for a child and this discomfort can lead to crying and a very unsettled night. If I know Cassie is unwell then the key is to have her as settled as possible before I lay her down, as it means less wake ups for me during the night. Let’s face it, if I manage to get sleep then I am better able to parent and look after her the next day.

Vaporizer

We bought one of these halfway through winter last year and I don’t think we could have survived without it. It lets off steam into the room and essentially acts as the shower does (on a weaker level) throughout the entire night. Not only this, but you can add eucalyptus oil and other treatments to the water that then enters the steam in the room to help decongest your little one, soothe their throat and give them a better night’s sleep.

You may also like: Other articles by Felicity

Wipes

I know when my nose is running full throttle after a day or two, tissues end up feeling like sandpaper on my nose. Thankfully, Cassie is yet to experience this sensation as we stick to wipes for her nose. Yes, it does make wiping harder because the added moisture tends to push everything around, but Cassie will happily come on over to us to have her nose wiped everytime because she knows it isn’t going to hurt.

Water Bottle

One of the most important things when your child is sick is to ensure they stay hydrated. I always try and offer Cassie extra water when she is sick (it can be hit or miss with her), and then leave a water bottle overnight in her cot with her, so she can wake up and have a drink when she needs.

Warm Liquids

Nothing soothes a sore throat better than some nice hot tea with honey and/or lemon squeezed into it. Cassie is now at tea drinking stage. She sees mummy with it and wants some, so I often make her a watered down version with lots of milk. She loves it, and it is perfect for when she is feeling a little under the weather. After all, I find tea does make everything better. Of course, warm milk also does the trick for little ones.

Panadol

It is always good to have some pain relief on hand to help soothe any ailments your child may have. It can always be hard for them to tell us they are in pain. With an older toddler you can try and get them to point to where it hurts, but for a baby it is a guess and check scenario, or often worth a doctor’s visit.

Even if I know Cassie is ok and recovering well, I still tend to take her to the doctors just to be sure. When we got back from our overseas trip, she was feeling much better, but for my peace of mind we made the visit that day. My doctor was able to tell me that she had had a virus while we were away but was healing nicely from it. It’s hard when little kids can’t talk and communicate with you, so a trip to the doctor puts me at ease and helps me understand what Cassie is feeling.

Temperatures are a whole different ball game. If Cassie has a temperature, I always try and treat it at home first. We offer Panadol and see if that brings it down, and also try the cold bath to help her. For me, if Cassie is lethargic, if she has a temperature that won’t come down, or if she isn’t keeping liquids down – it’s straight to the Emergency Department. Luckily, we have managed to avoid this so far. My thoughts are, if you are debating whether or not to head in, just go. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Stay warm and rugged up this winter and hope for the best when it comes to colds and your family! I know I will be stocking up on wipes and tissues in this household.

Felicity Frankish

Tags: Health

Felicity Frankish

Felicity Frankish is married and a mum-of-one to a little girl, living in the suburbs of Sydney. Having worked with children all her life and also having a great a love for writing, Felicity combined her two passions when she was on maternity leave and set up her own parenting blog: The Baby Vine. She survives day to day on coffee, loves keeping busy, and enjoys getting out an about on her...

Cold Remedies for Babies

Home Remedies to Help Babies with a Cold