Hellobee

December was a killer month for the Marbles’ household. Little Marbles came down with croup two weeks before Christmas. Nothing gets you worked up like your baby crying in the middle of the night with a 104°F fever. We took LM to the pediatrician who gave us a lot of good tips for keeping her comfortable, but also told us to make sure she stayed indoors for a while since it was viral. It was the first time she has ever gotten sick so it was pretty miserable all around for everyone. Despite a laundry list of chores, holiday shopping, and several holiday parties, we dropped everything and stayed home with LM until she got better.

Of course after LM recuperated, I caught the bug and was sick leading up to Christmas. Not fun! But relaxing over the holidays was a nice payoff for suffering through most of December with a hacking cough and runny nose.

When I get sick, I usually head to the local drugstore and load up on supplies like cough drops, tissues, and trashy celebrity gossip magazines. When LM got sick, we had several items that were all very handy in helping our little one get better soon. Here are some of my most trusted sick baby tools and remedies:

1. Vicks Baby Rectal Thermometer
This may be a bit old school, but our pediatrician mentioned that the most accurate way to get a baby’s temperature is still rectally. Of course LM doesn’t like this part much either, but this thermometer is a lifesaver. It’s lightening fast and provides an accurate reading. Also, unlike other rectal thermometers, the design of the thermometer prevents you from inserting it too far. The backlight feature is also very handy since it’s usually 3AM when your baby decides to have a fever.

2. Simply Saline Sterile Saline Nasal Mist, Baby
Before LM’s nose started in with the water works, I noticed her nose was irritated and she seemed congested. So before bed, we would give her a spray. She hated it, but it provided some much needed moisture for her nasal passages.

3. Pedialyte Oral Electrolyte Maintenance Solution, Unflavored
Since LM ended up vomiting a few times, our pediatrician, despite not allowing us to give LM water on a regular basis, suggested we keep some Pedialyte on hand in case LM was not eating or vomiting too much to replace lost electrolytes.

4. BD Digital Probe Covers
These are very handy and super sanitary since we use a rectal thermometer. They’re fairly easy to get on and make thermometer cleaning less of a pain.

5. Children’s Advil Ibuprofen Fever Reducer/Pain Reliever Oral Suspension
For fevers over 102° our pediatrician suggested that Ibuprofen was a little more effective than Acetaminophen (Tylenol). We keep both on hand at home.

6. Vicks 1.5 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light
LM really benefited from a steamy hot bathroom once the croup got pretty bad. The fluid in her lungs was making her nauseous and making it hard for her to breathe. So we’d steam up the bathroom and get in a warm bath. Unfortunately, it only provided temporary relief so I got a vaporizer to try and provide some more warm steam while LM was sleeping. I found this vaporizer a little tricky (you have to mix portions of salt with water to activate the steaming mechanism), but once you got it to work, it helped. Not a must have, but certainly nice to have when all else fails!

7. Boogie Wipes Gentle Saline Wipes for Stuffy Noses
Once LM’s nose started running, it didn’t stop! I had to stop using tissue because it was making her nose all red and raw and she wouldn’t let me wipe. I found these at a local drugstore. They’re gentle and moist so LM didn’t mind as much when I wiped her nose.

8. Crane Drop Shape Cool Mist Humidifier
Our house is equipped with pretty old school steam heating, which keeps the house toasty but very dry. We had this humidifier in the nursery, but moved it down to the living room/play room so that the air wasn’t super dry for LM during the day. I love the design of this humidifier and it has a pretty small footprint. I did keep in set on a towel since the mist gets pretty strong if you keep it on high.

What are some of your go-to tools or remedies to help a sick baby?