Having a sick baby can be scary, but with some knowledge, some extra liquids and some sympathy, most colds and flus will disappear without issue. Check out these tips for what to do when your baby is sick.
- Pay attention
You know your baby best. You don’t need to measure how much liquid winds up in their diaper each time you change it, but you will get an idea for the weight and feel of a normal used diaper. If it seems that the diaper is less full (or more full) than normal, start to pay attention. Peeing more or less often or having different types of poop can indicate an oncoming sickness or infection. See if there are other symptoms that you may have missed.
- Keep them cool
If your baby has a fever, you generally do not need to worry, as long as they are not a newborn and the fever stays under 102 degrees. But you will help them be more comfortable by helping to keep them cool. Remove their clothing, offer more liquids than normal and give them a bath in tepid water. Don’t have time for the full bath immersion, or maybe they’re too fussy? You can also wipe them down with baby wipes. Just a quick swipe could lower their temperature as much as a couple degrees!
- Slow down
You’re not sick, so just keep up all your normal tasks, right? Wrong. Having a sick child can take a lot out of you. So go ahead and let people know you might flake on that plan, and let them know why. They’ll understand. Then take that time to just relax and hold your child, or stay with them while they nap. You’ll both feel better for it.