M picked up Influenza A at daycare last week. Unfortunately, her first flu coincided with our first nights away from her; It was J’s brother’s wedding and we left her with my father for two days. During that time, she developed her first fever, which ended up being the flu. When your baby has the flu, the worry and anxiety can be overwhelming.
All babies get sick at some point, but it’s still difficult to watch. I feel so bad for M as she coughs and struggles to eat because of her nose congestion. Thankfully she was slowly getting better throughout the week and her temperature hovered in the low-grade fever range for most of the week.
This experience made me want to quit my day job to stay home with M and prevent her from ever getting sick again but that is not realistic and if she’s not exposed to the germs now, she will be anyway once she starts school.
Now that M is better, I can share with you some strategies I used to help her feel comfortable and get her better as fast as possible.
Note: I am not a medical professional. Talk to you doctor before administering any kind of medication. As an Amazon Affiliate, I make a small commission when purchases are made through my links. Thanks for the support!
Take them to the doctor
While this is an obvious step, it should still be the first one. The doctor will test for flu, RSV and COVID so you know the best recovery strategy.
Since our baby had the flu, timing was important. My pediatrician said there’s a medication that can help reduce symptoms and shorten recovery time. Unfortunately for M, we arrived at the doctors on day 4 into her illness and were not able to give her that medicine. It took an entire week for M’s fever to break.
Fight the Fever with Thermometers and Medicine
- A rectal thermometer is the most accurate read. Just use some Vaseline and only insert the metal tip. My baby doesn’t notice when I take her temp this way, especially if I give her an interesting toy. Cons: hard to use on a wiggly baby, takes 30 seconds, which feels like an eternity in this scenario.
- An Ear thermometer is fairly accurate once you get the hang of it. When compared to the rectal thermometer it was one degree off and it was much quicker/easier to use. I use the ear one for quick temp checks and if it’s borderline of fever vs. no fever I’ll use the rectal thermometer. I’ll also check using a rectal thermometer if I get an alarming reading with the ear one. I bought a Braun because my pediatrician uses that brand
- Depending on the age of your baby, you can alternate between infant Tylenol and infant Motrin. Ask your doctor for proper dosage and what they recommend. M is 6 months so ours recommended 3.75ml every 4-6 hours (not to exceed 4 doses in 24 hours).
Whip Out Your Boob (or Bottles)
Feed, feed, feed. Offer your boob to your babe to keep them hydrated and help push the illness out. It helps comfort your baby, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Use a Humidifier and Aspirate Your Baby’s Nose.
I use saline spray and the Frida Baby Nose Sucker to help with M’s awful congestion. Another idea is to take Vicks Vapor drops and put them directly into the humidifier. You can also buy Vicks for infants and use that on their chest. Be sure to buy the one meant for infants and of course check with your doctor before trying this.
Sleep Tips
- From my experience, M’s fever came back at night. We dressed her in a long sleeve onesie without pants and in a sleep sack. This helped keep her comfortable when her temperature spiked but didn’t allow her to get too cold either.
- Use a humidifier at night.
- Be prepared to provide comfort and help. Your baby will likely wake up a few times because of breathing issues or just wanting comfort. Don’t worry about sleep training, just go to your babe.
With the cold and flu season upon us, it’s only a matter of time until our sweet babies catch something from daycare, a family gathering or even from YOU. I hope these tips help you and your baby find some relief if and when the colds strike.
Did I miss anything? Leave your tips in the comments! For more baby content, read my other articles here.