Helpful Products for a Sick Baby

When you have a sick baby it can be a scarey time in your life. You call the doctor and they are not worried. They tell you to just treat the symptoms and your little one will be fine; but what do you need to treat their symptoms? Here is a list of several helpful products for a sick baby.

Thermometer- A good thermometer is a necessity when you have children, especially when you have a sick baby. There are so many different types of thermometers on the market that many new parents don't know which one to pick out. You have your traditional glass ones (mercury thermometers are poisonous so stay away from those), you have the digital ones, there are the thermometers built for use under your child's arms, there are pacifier thermometers, thermometers that take a temperature in yoru ear and even thermometers that stick to your forehead. When you choose a thermometer for your baby you should be warned that all thermometers will read differently. The best way to get a most accurate temperature is with a rectal thermometer. I've noticed that our ear thermometer reads one degree lower than our oral thermometer.

Infant Acetaminophen- If your sick baby with a fever and/or pain then an infant acetaminophen is a must. The most come is Infant Tylenol. Most parents have that or Infant Motrin in their medicine cabinet and sometimes both. Having either one will help to reduce your sick baby's fever and possibly help them get some well needed rest during their recovery.

Nasal Aspirator- A nasal aspirator can come in handy when you have a sick baby who has some nasal congestion. Nasal congestion is so hard on a baby, especially when they are breastfeeding and bottlefeeding. Having a nasal aspirator can help you to relieve the nasal congestion enough for your sick baby to breath a little easier.

Petroleum Jelly- Petroleum jelly has several uses when you have a sick baby. The most common use is for coating a rectal thermometer to make it easier on everyone when you are taking your baby's temperature. Another common use for petroleum jelly is to coat dry skin. We use petroleum jelly on chapped lips that resulted from a high fever. Petroleum jelly always seems to stick to their lips longer than lip balm does.

Electrolytes- A sick baby can occassionally become dehydrated, especially if they refuse or are unable to eat or drink during their illness. Sodas, water, juices and sports drinks just don't do everything you need them to do when it comes to helping your sick baby get better. That's where products like Pedialyte come in handy. These products can help fuel your sick baby's body when they are unable to hold down their normal foods.

Medicine Syringe- Having something on hand to give your sick baby their medicine is very helpful. There are a few different types of medicine droppers and syringes to do this job. You have the regular plunger-type syringes, medicine droppers and even a pacifier that has a built-in medicine dispenser. I always found the plunger-type syringes to be the quickest and easiest for my children. You may have a different preference. Either way, you will want to have several of these laying around your house for use at anytime, day or night.

Humidifier- A humidifier can be useful when you have a sick baby. There are cool and steam humidifiers available. I prefer the steam because it's the one that helps with my children's congestion the best. Some children work better with the cool air humidifiers. You will probably want to try out both kinds to see what works best in your household.

Mentholated Rub- Vick's Vapor Rub is my favorite sick baby supply of all. For infants there is a baby version of it. For the older kids the regular vapor rub is fine. With both versions you simply rub a dollop of the rub onto your child's chest so that they can breathe in the helpful vapors to help clear up chest and nasal congestion. With the vapor rub you don't have to worry about any drug interactions since it is not taken internally. We use this anytime one of our kids has any type of congestion.

Waterless Vaporizer- The waterless vaporizers have been a wonderful invention. I love these things. Your sick baby can get the benefit of the mentholated rubs without having the rub on their chest. I'm in love with the Pediacare Gentle Vapors. It has a built-in nightlite to make it easier for us parents to sneak a peek at our sick, sleeping baby.

Baby Vapor Bath- Lastly you have the baby vapor bath. This is a baby bath product that can help your baby breath a little easier. You simply squirt a little under running water and the vapors will fill the bathroom and make your sick baby feel a little better before heading off to bed.

These are just a few of my favorite supplies for sick babies. While these work on my three childre, you may find something else that works even better for your sick baby. All of these supplies are great to have on hand. Who wants to run out at midnight to pick up some Infant Tylenol? So try to keep your medicine cabinet stocked because an illness can sneak up on you very quickly.