Six Common-sense Tips for Caring for a Sick Baby

Baby boy was sick this week. It started with a cough and progressed to a low-grade fever, runny nose, and chesty cough. Nobody in the Garvey household got a full night's sleep for most of the week. It could have come from our trip to the midwife, a play break at the Potomac Mills Outlets play area, or that morning when Cam shared the gym babysitting service with 12 other kids.

By Tuesday, the ache that I never got around to writing about on the first day of day care came on as I gathered my stuff for the office and left baby boy with the nanny. By Thursday, I was officially nonfunctional from lack of sleep, and Cam was miserable.

Dr. Google convinced me that he had whooping cough or something equally horrifying, so we paid a visit to the pediatrician. Despite 4 days of fever spikes and a cough that developed into a gag reflex, it turned out to be a bad cold turned ear infection. 24 hours later, Amoxicillin made it all better.

Cam has had 2 colds before this, but this was the first time that I was really worried about him. For the benefit of other moms who've never had a baby with a cough, here's what I learned:

Keep fever under control. If a baby's fever stays too high for too long, he could have a seizure. Don't be afraid of Tylenol, and ask your pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner for dosage instructions.

Invest in a good thermometer. I'm not sure why, but the ear thermometer I registered for was useless. No matter whose ear I stuck it in, the result was always 97.5. The temple thermometer I bought from CVS turned out to be much more accurate and useful.

Know when to go to the pediatrician. Give it a couple days before rushing to the pediatrician. If your baby's fever is unresponsive to tylenol or if he has trouble breathing, it's time to go. If he doesn't get better after a few days, it's also time to go.

Make your baby comfortable. Turn the shower on high heat to fill the bathroom with steam before his evening bath (but watch that the hot water doesn't melt your bath mat or treads!). Use a humidifier in his room. Consider a nonmedicated Vick's plug in.

Ask for help. I had my nanny come over even on the day I chose to stay home with baby boy. She was a huge help and afforded me the luxury of catching up on sleep so I could continue to give Cam the attention he needed. If you don't have a nanny, cash in on a favor with a friend, a willing family member, or a supportive spouse. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need.

Cut yourself some slack. It's okay to not have enough energy and attention to fulfill your baby's intense needs when he's sick. Sometimes he just plain feels bad and all you can do is hold him. Do the best you can do, and don't feel guilty about not being able to completely stop his tears.

I'm happy to report that Cam's fever is finally gone, and he's returning to his normal nightly sleep pattern. It's so good to see his smile and curiosity fill our daily routine again. Health is a beautiful thing.