As winter approaches, you might be thinking about how to keep your baby free from illnesses and viruses. Austin Baby Guru recommends the following 6 commonsense, easy to execute ways of protecting your baby’s health during cold and flu season.
6 Easy Ways to Protect Your Baby’s Health this Winter
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Hand washing.
Everyone who comes into your house should wash their hands immediately. Likewise, anyone who wants to hold the baby should wash their hands before doing so. Washing your hands is your number-one line of defense for your baby to avoid catching germs, so we recommend you pause and soap up every time you pass by a sink. You can also keep hand sanitizer handy in case you are out and about and can’t get to water right away.
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Be aware of people with cold symptoms within your family.
A lot of more serious, illnesses including RSV, pertussis, and the flu, start off looking like the common cold. Stay aware of these symptoms! Furthermore, we often recommend that clients put a sign on their front door that says “We have a new baby! If you have any cold symptoms, please reschedule your visit”. This way, your request doesn’t come across as personal against anyone. This is about you creating a boundary to protect your baby and family.
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Make a family policy about kissing the baby, even on their hands.
We recommend that kisses are limited, even on the baby’s hands, as these often end up in their mouths. Many germs are passed through contact. Another reason to limit kissing baby is that oral herpes, which is pretty harmless in adults, can be deadly to a young baby whose immune system is not at full strength.
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Avoid having a young baby in closed areas.
I recommend holding off on any airline flights if possible until baby is over 2 months and has a strong immune system. Closed rooms and planes tend to recirculate the air, which means they’re prime incubators for moving viruses around!
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Keep your own immune system strong.
Elderberry syrup or gummies have been shown to help bolster immune systems. Zinc is another powerful supplement that can be used to fight cold and flu viruses. Both elderberry and zinc can be used daily and preventatively as part of your self-care or taken at the first sign of illness.
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Explore alternative medicine, and see how you feel before, during, and after!
A lot of clients we support utilize homeopathic remedies, mindful eating, chiropractic work, or acupuncture to help support their immune systems. If this feels interesting to you, do a little research, find professionals in your area, and stay curious about how you feel throughout your treatment process.
If you are breast or chest feeding your baby, know that this is a great way to safeguard your baby. If you become ill or someone else in the family becomes ill, the baby will gain immunity from the antibodies that your body is creating to help fight that virus – even before they catch anything.
What to Do When Baby Gets Sick
If your baby does get sick, know that you are still a good parent. This is not your fault, and this is a perfect time to offer baby AND yourself compassion.
With this in mind, it’s crucial that you watch baby’s temperature. In an older infant or child, a fever is not necessarily a bad thing and does not always need to be reduced. It is the body‘s way of fighting off viruses and illnesses. In babies under 3 months old, though, always call your pediatrician if the fever is 100° or more. Keep watching to make sure your baby has plenty of wet diapers. An infant over a week old should have six or more wet diapers a day.
If baby‘s nose is stuffy and it’s difficult for them to breathe through it or to nurse, saline mist can be your best friend. Spray a little bit into the nostril and then clean their nostrils out. This can be done with one of the bulb aspirators or a NoseFrida, which we highly recommend. NoseFrida is admittedly a strange product, but it really does help babies feel so much better. And don’t worry, it has a great little sponge filter to keep baby’s mucus away from their parents!
Other Considerations
Your pediatrician may recommend that families ask anyone who will be around their baby to get the an undated TDaP vaccine, as well as the annual flu shot. The conversations and considerations surrounding vaccines can be complex. We understand that not all families agree with AAP’s protocol If it is your intention to follow AAP protocol, just know that some people around you may not choose the same. ABG supports parents in whichever decision they make. To further complicate the issue, vaccines are not a guarantee that you won’t contract an illness you’ve been vaccinated against (and there is not a vaccine for RSV). Because of all of this, again, we recommend not allowing anyone with cold symptoms around the baby.
We wish you and your family a healthy and happy winter season. ABG is here to support your growing family; if you’d like support or coaching through the parenting process, please reach out. Austin baby Guru is here for you.
*This blog post contains affiliate links for products that we think highly of. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). ABG links to these products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
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