Baby Diaries, a Guide for New Mothers: Part Five – Baby’s Health Irritations

Young babies are susceptible to mild health irritations. If you’re not sure about the severity of the situation it’s best to consult your health professional right away. It’s better to pay a visit to the doctor and be turned away for being too panicky, than risk infection from diseases that may permanently harm your baby. Your health visitor will no doubt inform you about all the inoculations your baby should receive and when, and will teach you how to spot real illnesses when they occur. Here we will discuss some mild health issues and how best to deal with them at home.

Diarrhea and Vomiting

Both at the same time is always bad news and should be taken very seriously. However, sometimes baby will get an upset stomach which doesn’t seem to affect his/her general health. When this happens baby’s motions will be loser and smellier than usual. There may even be traces of mucus in the stool. Many times mild diarrhoea can be due to something the mother may have eaten while breastfeeding. Vomiting, on the other hand, can occur when baby is too full or have a cough. My last baby was sick on a regular basis because she had a persistent, dry cough. If her stomach was full and she had a coughing spell she would be thoroughly sick – and I’m not talking about posseting (discussed below).

In the case of mild diarrhoea or vomiting, feed as normal, especially if you’re breast feeding. This is because young infants tend to dehydrate at a faster rate than adults. Older babies will benefit from cooled previously boiled water (if they refuse milk). If problem persists, contact your doctor and they will keep baby properly hydrated until the illness subsides.

Coughs and Colds

It’s normal for babies to have coughs and colds. They’ve just arrived into a world for which they have not yet built up any resistance. Don’t keep them cooped up, allow them to slowly build up resistance to pollen, dust etc. Take them out for walks, and don’t be afraid to let other grown-ups hold them. Keeping them away from unwell people is obviously a good idea, but it’s not prudent to sterilise their every existence, as you’ve got to let them out to school at some point.

Don’t give over-the-counter cough medication to baby. The cold will eventually go away and invariably, they’ll catch another one. Suppressing coughs is not a good idea for anyone, as it’s our body’s way of getting rid of the phlegm.  Baby will most likely sneeze to release a bunged-up nose and will cough to clear their chest. If you find that it’s hard for your infant to breathe, get help immediately from your doctor or health nurse. I found that putting an adult sized pillow under baby’s mattress helped them breathe that much easier. I also used a few drops of peppermint oil (or any other breathe-easy natural oil like Karvol etc) on a wet face towel (flannel) and placed it on the radiator in the bedroom. In my opinion this helped to thin the air a bit because I found that it opened up my sinuses too.  I sometimes put a few drops of peppermint oil on the floor under the cot. I don’t know if this did any good, but it certainly made me feel like I was making an effort to help my infant breathe easier.