How I survived my baby’s first cold

At first, I thought it was nothing to worry about: she had a couple of boogers here and there, but otherwise no cough or fever. My husband and I joked that it skipped her, that she was just too tough.

And then, one morning, I woke up to her in a coughing fit. She coughed so much she threw up a lot of the milk she just drank, and I could hear the phlegm in her throat when she breathed.

When I took her to the doctor later that day, he said that he wasn’t concerned because her lungs were clear and she seemed to be as feisty as ever. To treat it, he told me to use Tylenol for fever but to otherwise not give her any other medication.

Turns out, it was easier said than done. My poor baby was miserable. Her nose was so congested it was hard for her to breathe, she was coughing so hard she could barely keep anything down and she had trouble sleeping. The Tylenol was keeping any fevers at bay, but no one likes seeing their kids suffer. Luckily for me, these non-medicated remedies helped keep me and my baby sane while she fought off her cold.

1. Shower steam

In the morning was when my baby’s cough was the worst. So, I got into the habit every morning of taking her onesie off, going into the bathroom, closing the doors, turning the hot water on in the shower, and sitting in the steam that rose around us.

Sure enough, it managed to get tons of mucus out of her nose and throat, and made it a lot easier for her to keep food down. She also enjoyed touching the mirror after it was full of steam and seeing the clear glass underneath. It was good quality time for us.

2. Saline Nasal Drops

This was a lifesaver. I know I’m not alone when I say that my baby absolutely hates getting boogers sucked out of her nose. Saline drops made it so I could put a couple in each nostril and wait for the boogers to come out themselves and had to use the nasal aspirator a lot less. Needless to say, she didn’t love getting saline dropped in her nose either, but after a few times she seemed to resist it less and it was over faster than using the nasal aspirator.

3. Cool Mist Humidifier

This was integral to helping my daughter sleep at night. We got a Vicks Mini Humidifier on Amazon for $39.99 as well as a couple of packs of smelly good inserts, one pack of menthol inserts and one pack of rosemary lavender inserts. The menthol ones are safe to use for little ones over three months old as long as you don’t use over two of them in a 24-hour period.

Since we started using it, I’ve noticed a reduction of my daughter’s early morning coughing, a reduction in the number of times she wakes up through the night, and I had a clear nose myself when I first woke up, which has been a nonexistent occurrence for all of January so far.

4. Baby Chest Rub

Vapor rub with menthol and camphor is not safe to use on babies under 2 years old. However, there are some baby-safe alternatives that use eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender essential oils to help break up the mucus in your baby’s chest.

Unfortunately, I stopped using this on my baby because her chest started breaking out in little bumps, which I think was a result of the coconut oil in the rub, which clogs pores and can cause acne. However, I kept using it on her feet and it seems to be working fine that way. Plus, she loves getting the foot massages!

**WARNING TO BREASTFEEDING MOMS** If you’re sick yourself, be careful before using vapor rub on your own chest. I tried to use some while I was sick and it ended in tears because my baby didn’t like the smell and refused to feed until I showered!

5. Loves, cuddles and sleep

Honestly, when it comes down to it, sleep is one of your baby’s body’s number one tools for getting over a cold. So by all means, let them sleep. With lots of loves and cuddles to keep them comfortable, they’re sure to be on the road to recovery.