Baby Girl Has a Cold

 " Without treatment, a common cold usually lasts about seven days; with treatment it will last about a week". - Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, author of How to Raise a Healthy Child... In Spite of Your Doctor

Sweet little Mak has been a fountain of boogies for a few days now and has a slight cough. Nothing major. I feel a bit of guilt since we stopped giving her all the immunizing goodies, through nursing, a couple weeks ago {my supply went way down with "Pete"}. Sadly, as many of you may have experienced, there isn't much you can give a munchkin under 12 months. Decongestants are out. Cough suppressants are out. Even honey is out. Thankfully, we've found a few remedies and Miss Mak is blissfully unaware of her condition.

Most of Miss Mak's issues involve clear mucus and a stuffy/runny nose. Before naptimes and bedtimes we've using a salt water mix {approx 1/2 c warm water with a pinch of salt} to loosen up her boogies. We use a syringe to drop a few drops and let them sit for 30-60 seconds then use that same syringe to GENTLY suck the mucus out. {How glorified is a mom's job?!} We then rub a small amount of coconut oil under her nose and on her chest and rub a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil on top of that.


Do: 
- give baby lots of clear liquids to loosen mucus
- run the shower very hot for a few minutes in a closed bathroom to create steam and play in the room with baby for 10-15 minutes to loosen congestion
- get vitamin C into their systems {watered down orange juice, broccoli, many tropical fruits, over-the-counter Tri-Vi-Sol, etc.}
- for kiddos over 12 months, offer a small spoonful of honey to soothe a cough {coughing isn't bad. it's the body's means of clearing out the mucus so I don't recommend this if there is mucus present in your child's lungs/throat}
- maintain a high level of humidity around you child


Avoid: 
- milk or anything creamy, it can create more mucus
- over-the-counter medications that will often just mask the symptoms{if specific symptoms are becoming severe, consider a medication that treats only that symptom you are concerned about}
- Vicks VapoRub. We found some scary potential side affects of using this stuff for little ones under two years and that goes for Baby Vicks too. In addition to it's strong affects that are unfriendly to little ones, this product is petroleum based as is petroleum jelly/Vaseline jelly.

**I am NOT a doctor. I'm just sharing what works for us. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions but I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Mendelsohn's book as a starting point.