It’s official.
My child has brought home her first cold of the year. And it only took about a month of preschool.
Germy kids are the worst. Mine included.
The worst part is that my preschooler passed the cold onto her baby sister. So now baby has her first cold and let me tell you, that’s no fun at all.
It means even less sleep than usual and snot everywhere.
If I was a first time mother, this would have thrown me into a full-fledged panic. I was a mess when my oldest daughter had her first cold.
But I have experience on my side now.
I am a card holding member of Mothers Kicking Cold and Flu Ass (MKCFA is the incredibly easy acronym) so screw you, you evil germs.
As a card holding member of MKCFA (catchy, right?), I’m going to let you in on my secret arsenal of WMDs.
When your poor baby succumbs to his/her first cold or flu, here’s what you absolutely need to have in your medicine cabinet:
Baby medicine. I’m not going to pretend to know which one is the best one out there but I will say that you should find one that works best for your family and keep it on hand before the cold or flu strikes. The last thing you want to do when your baby gets sick is be running to the drugstore because you don’t have something on hand to help fight the symptoms. For the record, I really like Dimpleskins Naturals Sniffles Eucalayptus Rub for Kids and Boiron Coryzalia Cold for Kids. Both are available at www.well.ca
Humidifier. My daughters both sleep with a humidifier every night but I find it’s even more important when they’re sick. The moisture helps to loosen congestion and breathe more easily. It also helps with their cough and soothes their dry throat. I always add a few drops of Echinacea essential oil into the humidifier to help with the symptoms. I really like the cute animal shapes of the Crane Cool Mist Humidifier. It is available at www.toysrus.ca
Saline and nasal aspirator. I’ve already written about how much I love these because they seriously are that amazing. They literally suck all the mucus out from your baby's nasal cavity and help baby breathe so much better. I have used both the NoseFrida Aspirator and the HydraSense Nasal Aspirator and would recommend both. They are available at www.toysrus.ca or www.lussobaby.ca
Natural Cleaning Spray or Wipes. When babies are sick, they tend to get everything dirty with either their snot or their sneezing or more likely, some combination of both. This is why it’s so important to have a natural cleaning products on hand to quickly wipe down toys, baby gear, and anything else they tend to put in their mouths. I really like the Abundance Naturally Baby Bum Bum Spray which is perfect for wiping up products, hands, faces, and of course, baby bums. It is available at www.abundancenaturally.com
Digital Thermometer. It is so important to have a good and reliable thermometer on hand. Anytime my daughters feel warm, I pull out our trusty thermometer. A fever can quickly get out of control so it’s very important to monitor it closely. There are so many options for thermometers and you should find one that works best for your children. I’ve always just used the Safety 1st 8 Second Digital Thermometer. It is available at www.toysrus.ca
Cool Gel Forehead Sheets. These are amazing for when baby has a high fever and to bring down body temperature. It’s a lot harder than it may seem to use cold compresses on a squirmy baby and these are perfect because they literally stick to the forehead. I really like the Be Koool Kids Soft Gel Sheets because of their Disney themed designs. They are available at Shopper’s Drug Mart.
Having these items on hand can really help when dealing with baby’s first flu and cold season. It’s not any fun but it can definitely be made easier with a little preparation!
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