Last week, Harper got sick. It was the first time that she has been sick. It broke my heart completely when she couldn’t fall asleep because she couldn’t breathe. When she finally could fall asleep, she would whimper because she was so miserable. Luckily, I have some awesome family and friends who are nurses and moms who had some fabulous tips for me. Here are 10 things that I learned…
1. Make your own Baby Vick’s vapor rub. This stuff can get so dang expensive. Most people have Vick’s vapor rub at their house to begin with. Spoon some Vick’s rub out into a container and mix in petroleum jelly. You want to have close to equal parts. The petroleum jelly is used to dilute the strength of the menthol rub. It works wonders and is strong enough to work, but isn’t too strong to put on your baby’s skin.
2. Use a Boppy pillow to help elevate your baby. It is easier for the baby to breathe when their head is elevated. The Boppy pillow states that it isn’t for sleeping, so if your baby sleeps in it, be sure to check on them often so that they are safe.
3. Wrap your baby up in a very light blanket. I think that when someone is sick, our instinct is to bundle them up, but babies can’t tell us as easily that they are too hot. Harper’s fever would come and go. I wrapped her in a muslin blanket so that she wouldn’t overheat and the fever finally went away for good!
4. Switch back and forth from Advil and Tylenol. Be sure to follow the directions for the medicine individually. This will help break the fever.
5. Give them small amounts of fluid often, equaling 1 ounce an hour. Give them as much fluid as they will take. This will keep them from becoming dehydrated.
6. Let them do what they want. If your baby wants to cuddle, cuddle with them. If they want to sleep, let them sleep. Let them create their schedule while they are sick.
7. Use a vaporizer. Those things work wonders!
8. Sanitize everything! It is really important to get rid of all of those nasty germs that are lurking around your house.
9. Give your baby some skin to skin time. This was something that they taught us when Harper was in the NICU. It is amazing how much a little skin to skin time can do to help a baby’s health.
10. Use a nose bulb often. Suck that nasty stuff out of their nose! This will help them to be able to breathe a little!
Please use your instincts! Call the pediatrician when your baby gets sick so that they can tell you what to watch for and to do for your baby so that your baby can be healthy and safe!
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This post is via www.girllovesglam.com
This post is via www.girllovesglam.com
Staci
Sunday 30th of September 2012
Great advice. You are such a great mom!
Staci
Sunday 30th of September 2012
Great advice. You are such a great mom!
Ali W.
Wednesday 26th of September 2012
This is awesome. Jax has been sick and has had a fever off-and-on. The Vicks is a great idea...all of these are great ideas. So glad I read this. Thanks for posting!