Saturday, April 21, 2012

How to Survive Being Sick with a Baby

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It is every new moms worst nightmare. You are sick, baby is sick, and you both are miserable. Claire and I just survived our first MAJOR colds together since she was born, and it was awful! To make it worse my husband was away in Florida for two weeks, and we were SO sick that we had to quarantine ourselves to not spread germs. We survived though! So I thought I would share some quick tips to you new momma's dealing with or dreading this inevitable thing.

1) Baby will get better before you do, that is just a fact. Their little immune systems are much better then ours. If baby is breastfed then they are getting all of your nutrients and anti-bodies....those lil suckers! So there will come a time when baby is better and wanting to play, and all you can do is lay on the couch and moan. This made me feel like a HORRIBLE mother but in reality that isn't the case. There are things you can do to entertain your crawling/walking/active child even while stuck on the couch
  • given that baby is better and they need all the nutrition they can get make a fun snack for them! Use a muffin tin and fill each cup with a different healthy snack. Aim for lots of variety in colors, tastes, and textures. 
  • BOOKS! Never underestimate the power of a good book! Reading is a calm activity that can entertain them and allow you to rest
  • Climb Mountain Mommy! There were many times I just lay on the carpet and let Claire climb all over me and she LOVED it. I was her human gym. As she climbed over each part of my body I would teach her the name and point out where her "arm", "leg" etc was too.
  • Borrow a playpen from someone....yes a baby cage. Now some people hate these, and that is just fine. Everyone is entitled to there opinion. But I LOVE MINE! I feel confident having a place I can put Claire that I know is safe and secure. When sick it is a life saver! I put new items for her to explore in there, things she hasn't seen before to interest her. Tupperware, measuring spoons, spatula's, wooden spoons (as you can see I raided my kitchen for idea)
2) If baby is suffering from congestion try using a cold air humidifier. Cold air humdifiers put moisture in to the air without making the room feel like a swamp! There is also a nifty thing called the Nose Frida! It is a nasal aspirator that you do with, uhm, your mouth. Yup. Your mouth. It sounds gross I know but nothing gets in your mouth!!!! It is a long tube with a filter on your end that allows you to control the suction and power as you clear babies nasal passages. A few drops of saline water before hand and this will clear out babies nose like a hot damn!

3) Vitamin D is not only good for babies bones! It is also a powerful anti-viral agent! I use a liquid d and put a couple drops into Claires food. I also give her Dr approved infant pro-biotics. Did you know that 90% of our immune system is in our GUT!? The building blocks of our immune system are found in our intestines, where the healthy flora should be thriving. Pro-biotics help ensure this.

Other then that drink lots of garlicy chicken soup and enjoy the extra snuggles you will get from baby. Hope you both feel better soon!


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3 comments:

  1. Some great tips and information. My fav is Mommy Mountain. Also appreciate the practical health side from all your years of research at Bellevue Natural Health Clinic.

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  2. ohmygod reef and i are in this same state! He also loooves climbing mount mommy! Have you tried adding essential oils to the cool moisture humidifier...i actually just posted about it on my blog lol but anyways its a lifesaver for reefs breathing. i hope you feel better soon!!!

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  3. Hope you all get better soon! I found that breast milk worked better then saline which people often use to clear noses - just squirt some up or pour a little down from a small cup and it helps loosen the junk up and they are used to the taste so it is not so much of a shock! I was always intrigued by the nose frida but always ended up doing it the old fashion way.... yup I sucked the stuff out myself - gross yes, but worth a baby who can breath better and it's also free! Of course baby-wearing always saves my butt when one or both of use is sick!

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