One night last week, my baby Gemma woke up five times whimpering. Every time my husband and I went in to check on her, though she was already back asleep! The culprit of the wake up calls? New teeth and another bout of sniffles….ugh!
Since Gemma was born, I was terrified of her first cold. What if she gets a fever? Will I need to give her meds? How will I be able to soothe her?
Like all of the baby’s firsts, though – including the exciting milestones like crawling, walking and talking – they manage to figure it all out. And we as parents (try to) withstand all of the emotions that come with it, too. To my surprise, Gemma not only survived her first cold, she pulled through like a champ and with a smile, too! Her colds can linger for up to a week, but thanks to a few of my natural Be Well remedies, her symptoms don’t seem to affect her mood (or playtime) too much.
A little holistic inspiration for when your baby gets the sniffles…
Here are eight Be Well tips and tricks to conquer (and prevent!) a baby’s cold like a sane supermom:
Jewish Penicillin. My husband and I aren’t the biggest fans of taking medication, but we are obsessed with Jewish penicillin (aka chicken bone broth!) We drink it almost every morning with some egg scrambled in because we love how it makes us feel – grounded and energized. And, it’s chock full of amino acids that support the digestive and immune systems. So naturally, bone broth was Gemma’s first “food” and she happens to love it, too. (Click here for the recipe we use.)
Nature’s vitamins. I treat my baby the same way I treat myself when I’m not feeling well – I infuse the body will loads of nature’s vitamins. I add turmeric, ginger and garlic to our bone broth with egg in the morning. I also like giving her other natural immune boosters, like grapefruit, which is high in vitamin C. I cut the grapefruit in half, spoon out a chunk and then rip it in pieces for her to pick up and eat herself. I also love roasting and pureeing other vitamin C-rich foods for her (and us) like red peppers, dark leafy greens, broccoli and green peas. Tip: I prefer to grate fresh turmeric in our food, but it’s not always easy to find (and your hands can turn yellow!) so the easiest way is to add a little sprinkle of ground turmeric from a jar. It’s bitter, so just use a little at a time.
Coconut oil… up the nose! When I was little, my mom used to put a eucalyptus ointment up my nose when I got sick, and I still remember the scent and how soothing it felt. Every time I get sick, I do the same with olive oil or coconut oil – it works wonders! So when Gemma is stuffy, I spread organic virgin aroma-free coconut oil near and around the inside edges of her nose, and it instantly helps her breathe better.
Suck out the snot. When Gemma caught her first cold, I did too! The main difference? I could blow my nose, but she couldn’t. So, I sucked out the snot for her using a nasal aspirator. It’s really easy to use and is very effective for getting excess mucus out of a little nose. Tip – It isn’t Gemma’s favorite activity, so it’s helpful to have another person hold the baby down while you’re doing this.
Load up on good bugs. My husband takes a probiotic capsule every night before bed. I don’t take it as regularly, but when it’s cold season, I make sure to take them often, and I give them to Gemma too. That’s because probiotics are “good” bacteria that support the intestinal tract and improve the immune system. For Gemma, I get liquid form and I’ll either put a few drops on my nipple when I’m breastfeeding, or a few drops in a bottle with her milk. Or, now that she’s eating solids, I’ve added a few drops to her purees. Probiotics can also be found in yogurts. Dairy yogurt can be mucus promoting in the body (it makes me phlegmy!), so I prefer unsweetened coconut yogurt for me and Gemma, which is loaded with probiotics.
Baby reflexology. Since Gemma was born, our nighttime ritual is to give her dinner, followed by a massage and a warm bath. We massage her from feet to head using a specific infant massage technique that helps with circulation and digestion. Skin to skin touch is so supportive for a baby and my husband and I swear that it is one of the secrets to her sleeping through the night, too. The feet are considered particularly important in reflexology, so when she is sick, we make sure to massage the bottoms and tops of her feet, as well as her toes. We also massage her tummy (in a light clockwise motion) and around her nose to soothe her sinuses.
Baby Chest Rub with essential oils. A massage isn’t complete without a good oil and beautiful smelling essential oils. Before Gemma was born, I wanted to DIY everything for her – even her wet wipes! I learned soon enough that time gets really, really precious with a baby around, so store bought essentials are necessary. A soothing home remedy for baby’s colds that is all natural and infused with essential oils is Maty’s Baby Chest Rub. It smells homemade – fresh and delicious – and it’s made with coconut oil, which is anti-bacterial, eucalyptus which is helpful for clearing out nasal passages, and lavender and chamomile, which are super calming. It’s safe to put on babies three months and older and is free of petroleum, fragrance, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, artificial colors, mineral oils, gluten, chemicals and hydrogenated oils, which are found in other baby’s chest rubs.
Before bed, I like to gently massage the rub onto the bottom of Gemma’s feet and on her back. I then put socks or pajamas on to seal in the goodness (and prevent her from touching it). I’m so obsessed with the rub, that I also put it on her when she’s teething. It’s perfect for any un-comfort, a stuffy nose… and most importantly, a peaceful night’s sleep!
Vitamin L. When I’m feeling under the weather, there’s nothing better than a big hug or couch time with a warm cup of almond milk tea. When Gemma isn’t feeling her best, I give her extra doses of love. I try to make her feel extra comfy and cozy, too. I dress her in her comfiest leggings and warm tops and I hold her extra tight. When she needs it, I also rock her to sleep in my arms. Sometimes we all just need a little more love.
May your little one conquer his or her cold with ease, and may you, too, mama! Sending you positive vibes for a happy and healthy Winter season.
be strong. be soothed. be well.
xo
be well,
arielle
Thank you to Maty’s for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.
