Sick babies

My sweet baby is ill. My heart aches. How can I help? What can I do? How do I function? What do they need? How do YOU make it through the day when your amazing little person is anything other than happy and healthy?

Personally, I need a check list....

1: be there. Bingo, you win! Just you merely being near them is all the little prince or princess needs in that moment. Give them all the hugs and loves and back rubs and head scratches they will let you. 

2: medical intervention? I’ve read many articles about at what temp to feed meds. Our family settled on 101F and 103F as significant temps for us. 101F fever means gentle meds (Tylenol) and schedule a leisurely doc appt for same day or next day... no immediate rush. Over 103F and we go to the doc ASAP. This may adjust as kiddo gets bigger and we become more experienced parents, but for now, it’s what makes us feel safe. 

Tip: Don't forget to write down every medicine dose and try to time it right for getting a dose in 30-60 min before bedtime. I text the meds given and temperatures to my Husband so we both have a record of what’s going on... with a time stamp. 

3: rest. Montessori, prontisorri today. AKA, throw any self imposed rules of tv and laziness and being outside half the day out the window. Today it is encouraged to be bumps on the log! My kiddo doesn’t watch tv too much (it’s an unspoken mom rule that we all have to say that, right?) but when we do, it’s Baby Shark. He’s obsessed. And I will do anything to keep him relatively still and calm with a low heart rate. Baby Shark on YouTube

4: snacks and drink. In our house, pedialyte is on tap and Cheerios runneth over when kiddo gets sick. So when he is down, he gets the treat of cheerios on the couch 😯 and a purple or red drink instead of clear —- ohhhh the fun! Ohhh the horror!

5. comfort. Blankie, lovey, stuffed animal... any comfort of their choice. I’d suggest having 3 on rotation so you can regularly launder without causing suspicion or sadness in your little one. We have to have 9 in rotation because he prefers a blankie, a lovey and a stuffed animal at all the times. He’s sick! Baby gets what baby wants.

Other things to consider...

• Cover the couch with a towel AND a blanket. You’ve been warned.
• Wear thin clothing. Or at least a onesy. You may not want them to get too warm, but it makes them less “sticky” if they fall asleep on you and get sweaty. Also, if they get “sick sick” it’s easier to throw clothes in the wash then to completely clean their body with wet wipes. Their decreased strength may not be up for a bath. If wearing long sleeves or pants, check body for rashes during diaper changes!
• If they are still on bottles, you may want to add in an extra bottle or two than normal. This will help keep them hydrated and get some much needed nutrients. We like to water ours down so Baby is getting extra hydration which is the main concern during sickness. Of course, only do this if tummy isn’t the main issue they are dealing with.