Feeling Helpless - Dealing With a Sick Baby

I rolled over to answer the subtle whines of my 6.5 month old baby for his usual 6:00 am feeding. Reaching over, I touched his little body and instantly knew that something was wrong. My heart sunk as I felt the heat radiating off of him. He was now whimpering as I slowly picked him up from beside me. I quickly put him on the boob and sent a text to my mom asking for her to bring the thermometer and Tylenol into my bedroom. It was in this moment that I found out just how much it hurts when your little baby falls ill. Tyrus' fever was 38.6 C (101.5 F).

Now, I've never done this whole "Mom" thing before. I can barely take care of myself when I'm sick, so how am I supposed to know what a little baby needs to feel better? I was clueless. I have no idea what is going on with him. All I know is that he's sick and he needs me more than ever right now. I soaked some clothes in cold water to drape over him, but he hated it. They made him cry even more, which made my heart break further. I had to keep up with it, though. I didn't want to risk him having a febrile seizure. We also had a lukewarm bath with his toys that really helped bring the fever down, it also distracted him for a little while.

This is Tyrus' first big cold and was also a realization for myself... I don't have much for him when he's sick! So, I decided to compile a list of must haves for helping a sick baby.

#1 on my list is a cool air humidifier. They come in a variety of sizes and designs, including a frog! They aren't cheap, but you can find a basic one for $39.99 or the one pictured for $64.99, both at Toys R Us.
"This Crane Cool Mist Humidifier provides additional comfort to cold symptoms, dry itchy skin, and chapped lips. The whisper quiet humidifier won't disturb sleep and operates on a low power consumption providing min. of 11 hours of moisture from a removable 0.9 gallon water tank. It includes an automatic shut off safety feature when water tank is empty."



#2 Thermometer. It's important to check your baby's temperature numerous times throughout the day. I don't know what the "rule" is, however I tend to check Tyrus' temperature every 30 minutes.


#3 Nosefrida. This thing is very helpful when your baby has a runny/stuffy nose. The idea is a little gross and creeps me out, but it works! You are actually able to suck the mucus out of their nose, and no it doesn't go into your mouth.



#4 Syringe. This thing makes giving medicine soooo much easier! I have a few, one came with my Tyenol and my favourite one was given to me by a pharmacist.

#5 Medicine! I'm generally all about homeopathic remedies, but sometimes you just need to use the big stuff. I alternated between Tylenol and Motrin every four hours on day one. However, day two we went with Kids 0-9 Cough and Cold!

Last, but not least, #6 snuggles. I was told by a few people that I shouldn't let my baby sleep on my chest while he has a fever, but that's where he wanted to be and I wasn't going to deny him that. We snuggled all day!

Dealing with a sick baby is no fun. I'm extremely sensitive, so my days have been full of tears from the both of us. I'm slowly losing my sanity, but keep reminding myself that Tyrus will return to his happy, energetic self and it'll all be over soon. I hope I provided tips to help you cope with this difficult time of mommahood.