Baby's first Cold


BOOOO!  Boo to a cold, but double boo when mommy and baby are sick. Especially when it’s a nursing mommy who doesn’t feel like getting out of bed.  Since I live in the allergy capitol of the States, “The Ohio Valley,” I thought we were both just suffering from allergies. So I shut the windows turned on the air condition and air purifiers and waited to feel better.  Neither one of us stopped having the stuffy noses, I also had a sore throat, aches and pains. I couldn’t tell if Ollie did too, but I knew he felt yucky.  Two days passed and it was clear we were sick.

I didn’t call the doctor at first because I knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything since Oliver is only 3 ½ months old, not old enough for medication.  I just tried to keep him warm and twice a day, morning and night, spray saline in his nose and use my battery operated super nose sucker to clear him out.  After two days of both of us still feeling lousy I broke down and called the doctor.

As expected I was told not to bother coming in unless he had a fever or cough.  There was nothing the doctor could do for him.  However, I was told that there were a few things I could do.  

  1. Prop his mattress up using a pillow or blanket underneath.  This was to help his breathing.
  2. Turn on a humidifier to keep the air moist.
  3. After bath spray his nose full of saline and suck out the gunk.  I did all of these things and by morning Ollie was feeling MUCH better.  I was still stuffy but he didn’t sound as bad.  The most amazing thing was that he slept from 8pm-4am and then from 4:30 to 7!  That is the best he has ever done.  I really think propping his mattress up helped him breath and pass gas much easier so he was able to rest better.

We are both completely free of cold symptoms now.  However, I am keeping his mattress propped up until I think he doesn't need it anymore, but with it helping him sleep better I cannot imagine taking the pillow out anytime soon! 


Two confused parents=One amused baby Hopelessly we are trying raise a baby who is clearly smarter than both of us. April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com