Baby has a fever (‘Oh no!’)

November 05, 2018

Autumn is arriving and with its cooler breezes and rainy days comes the germs ‘oh no!’ If you are a first time parent you are probably dreading baby’s first cold and fever. Your perfect creation who you wish to protect from every bad thing in the world, is, inevitably, going to get sick one day.

So what can you do to help prevent it? And of course to treat it when it does finally arrive? Well here at the Organic Baby Food Shop we put our heads together to give you some suggestions and guidance. We are parents too and believe us, the first cold is a tiny bit heartbreaking. No one likes to see their baby suffer.

• Try to keep surfaces and hands clean. Ok, we know, this is hard when you work, baby may be in daycare, and you’re exhausted. But if you can try to keep hands and surfaces free from germs, it helps to stop them spreading.

• Try to regulate your baby’s temperature. Of course you must go outside sometimes! Brave the wind and face the cold but try to do it wisely with baby dressed in a jacket, warm leggings, cute little booties, adorable mittens and a snuggly little hat. Consider putting a wall thermometer in your baby’s room at night to make sure they are snuggly but not too hot. The goal is to regulate your baby’s temperature as much as possible and not have extremes of warmth and cold.

• If you are breastfeeding, make sure to keep your diet very healthy with lots of fruits and vegetables, fish and red meat (if you are not vegetarian of course!) and lots of proteins and fiber. Consider taking Vitamin C and D supplements and load up on good, nourishing probiotics to boost your immune system.

• If you are partially breastfeeding and topping up with formula, or exclusively using formula, consider formulas that are organic and full of essential nutrients. You might like to try Holle Stage Pre Infant Milk Formula which is easy on the stomach, exclusively from organic farming and contains fatty acids and nutrients that your baby needs to grow. If your baby is a bit older you might choose a goodnight formula so that you and your little one can get some much needed rest. Something like HiPP Organic Goodnight Formula 6 months+ is a great option as it uses organic rice and buckwheat cereals to keep your baby full for longer and it is rich in Vitamin A, D and C.

Ok, you’ve done your very best, but it still happened. Your baby is sick, maybe you are sick too! Let’s hope, that if you have a partner, he or she is not sick too. If so, it’s time to call in the grandparents! What can you do to get through baby’s first cold as painlessly and quickly as possible?

 

Here at Organic Baby Food Shop we love all things natural. So we love to suggest, if it is possible, to treat baby’s first cold naturally. Of course that is not always possible so do not be afraid to go and see the doctor or to get over the counter relief when required.

Here are our suggestions:

• Keep warm, try to ensure that you and baby get as much rest as possible and drinks lots of fluids. For you this means water, tea and juice. For baby this may mean lots of little sips of breastmilk or formula. If your baby has a blocked nose it can be very hard to feed so lots of little sips may be necessary.

• For a blocked nose we recommend using a humidifier in your baby’s bedroom. We’ve experienced nights of desperation when our baby was upset and couldn’t feed and we just wanted one small hour of consecutive unbroken sleep. A neat trick (although rather old fashioned) is to close yourself in the bathroom with the hot tap on. The steam clears out baby’s blocked nose and allows them to feed. With a full tummy, he or she can get some much needed sleep. 

• You may have seen people use or recommend an aspirator (a device that goes up baby’s nose and uses suction to remove the mucus). In our experience this wasn’t the greatest. If you wish to try it we recommend try it on yourself first. The sensation is quite awful and it tends to shock and upset your baby more than help them.

• This is our favorite one – lots of cuddles and love and security! This feels good for your baby and feels good for you too. Of course you have to rest and sleep and share the cuddling with your partner, and family, and baby’s bed. But there is nothing like love and comfort to make your baby feel safe and secure and provide an environment to get well quickly.

• Homeopathy – as we love all things natural we would always consider a homeopathic treatment for our little ones. Some of our staff have tested various homeopathic remedies on our littles ones and we found them very beneficial for minor injuries and bruising, teething and fevers. Visit a homeopathic professional or talk to your local chemist for advice.

• Last but not least, accept help from friends and family as you will be really tired. Ask them to drop off a home cooked meal. Let them clean the house. You may feel bad asking for help but consider how good you feel when you help someone else. So let your loved ones feel marvelous by helping you.

Baby’s first cold may feel like the end of the world when you are sleep deprived, sick and exhausted. But just keep breathing, take things hour by hour, and know that with your love, care and affection it will pass.

You’re doing a great job!

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