I’ll never forget the first time my daughter Aria caught a cold. She was about 6 months old and it started with a few sneezes, but quickly became a full-blown case of congestion, crankiness, sniffles, and boogers galore. As a mother of a young infant, it breaks my heart to see a baby feeling sick, and as an adult who has caught many colds, I know how miserable it can make you. Unfortunately, babies don’t yet have the capacity to tell us just how badly they’re feeling, and we as parents have to guess.
But there is hope. After talking to a number of other mom’s I know, also speaking to my daughter’s pediatrician, and trying different things myself, I compiled a list here of simple things you can do to help soothe your baby’s cold.
Elevation
It’s no secret that when you’re congested, laying down flat can often make it worst or harder to breathe. The same goes for your baby. Try to keep her elevated while she’s awake. While she’s sleeping, you can try placing books under one end of the bassinet or crib to slightly elevate her sleeping place, but be careful not to elevate it so much that your baby is sliding. With a crib, you could roll up a couple of towels and place them under one end of the crib mattress.
And if your baby is small enough, I found that using a swing helps quite a bit with being able to breathe, since she is slightly elevated….just make sure to play it safe and strap her in. Keep in mind that swings are NOT a good option if your baby’s a mover.
Easier breathing
Impaired breathing is a common part of a baby cold. You can help make breathing easier by making sure that she has a humidifier in her room. Doctors prefer cool mist humidifiers for infants, but a warm steam humidifier isn’t it exactly bad. Just make sure not to run it too long to abate the risk of mold growing in the house. And ask your doctor first before adding any kind of medicated vapor to the humidifier.
If you don’t have a humidifier, another trick that helps to soothe your baby’s cold is to run your shower or bath at top temperature for about 10 minutes, and sit in the room with the door closed and your baby on your lap. The steam should help to loosen any mucus and congestion, allowing your baby to breathe a little easier for a little while.
Clearing the nose
Another good way to help soothe your baby’s cold is to try to clear out her nose. If she’s got the patience, try using saline drops or spray in her nose (but make sure you choose one that’s safe by your pediatrician’s standards). One that’s often preferred by pediatricians is Little Remedies Saline Spray/Drops.
A good recommendation is to use the saline on your little one’s nose, let them sit for a minute or two, then try to use a soft rubber bulb nasal aspirator on their nose to suck out any mucus you can, allowing for easier breathing. Just be cognizant of how patient your baby is being, because a struggling baby who’s had enough can make it quite difficult and even dangerous to try and use an aspirator.
Also, don’t be afraid to use some petroleum jelly on the outside of your baby’s nose and just above her lip, as this area will probably get irritated with all the nose wiping that comes with a baby cold.
Making bedtime a healing time
There are a few things you can do to help soothe your baby’s cold during her bedtime routine. First, a nice lukewarm bath can help to loosen up any phlegm in her throat or nose. You could also try using some lavender baby shampoo for aromatherapy purposes, which is soothing and calming.
After her bath, another way to help soothe your baby’s cold is to rub some baby vaporub on her chest and back to help alleviate her breathing. Take this time to massage her and talk to her quietly, because the extra attention is always welcome, but especially for a sick baby.
Also make sure your baby’s sleep environment is a safe and pleasant one. Have a cool mist humidifier on, and play soft music in the background. Keep a soft light on and attend to your baby’s cries as soon as possible so they know they can depend on comfort from you. Sleep is a universal healer, so it’s important to create the right ambience for your little one to get as much rest as possible.
Food and liquids
When a baby younger than one year has a cold, it’s important to up the amount of liquids they take in to help soothe the cold. This can mean increasing formula versus solid foods, or adding some juice or even chicken broth to her daily intake (talk to your pediatrician before giving your baby anything other than formula).
Pain reliever
Infant pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also be helpful to soothe a baby cold, especially when a slight fever is present. Again, speak to your pediatrician first to see if the situation is appropriate and, more importantly, to find out what the proper dosage would be.
Tenderness
The absolute best thing anyone can do to help soothe a baby’s cold? Extra care! Take the time to give your baby extra love and attention while they’re not feeling well, just as you’d like to be pampered if you were sick. Take advantage of a sick baby who needs extra cuddles and provide that to them willingly.
With some extra love, care, and treatment tricks, you can soothe your baby’s cold (one of many, to be sure!) and help nurse her back to her cute, curious self.
