Fever, yucky nose, fussiness, pulling on ear, welcome to baby’s first cold.  It isn’t fun, but you and your baby will see the other side of the cold really soon.

When to See the Doctor
With your first baby, you should see the pediatrician when baby’s temperature is above 100.3 degrees  or if wheezing accompanies his coughing.  He will have many colds for you to treat without seeing the doctor, but you will want to have the doctor check for any complications you may not recognize and reassure your first-time parenting concerns.  Also, prolonged illnesses or those that suddenly worsen are cause for a visit to the doctor. Once you understand a few telltale symptoms and know how to differentiate between a regular, harmless cold and something more serious, you can usually skip the antibiotics and let the cold run its course without a doctor’s visit.  Generally speaking, a baby who makes interested eye contact, eats well, and has regularly soiled and wet diapers has a minor illness.

Fluids and Congestion
Some typical cold symptoms include fever and congestion.  Both symptoms are a source of dehydration.  Additionally, babies tend to vomit mucous when they have colds; so, be sure you are replenishing his fluids well.  If you are nursing, you will need to offer additional feedings.  If you are bottle feeding, offer the bottle more often.  However, offer less at each feeding to reduce the risk of vomiting.

Cleaning Sinuses
The nasal aspirator and thermometer will be your constant companions.  Learning to use both can be daunting, but once you have some basic down, you’ll be able to clean baby’s nose and check his temp in a matter of minutes.  The nasal aspirator is particularly helpful before feeding, as it clears nasal passages to help him breathe better during feeding.  Also, clearing the sinuses reduces the amount of mucous swallowed by baby and lowers the risk of vomiting.

A warm bath with real lavender can provide baby (and mommy) a little relief during a cold.  One in the morning and one in the evening will help with congestion and make cleaning the nasal passages a little easier after the bath.

Reducing Fever
If you are battling a fever, undress baby and cool him with a damp, lukewarm washcloth.  Lay the washcloth on his hot spots (sometimes abdomen and under arms, sometimes head and neck).  After a few seconds remove the cloth, cool it by waving it a little, and apply to another area.  Repeat this process for a few minutes and dress baby in lightweight pj’s.  Sometimes this works on its own, but you may need to use a fever reducer, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Rest
When your baby has a cold, you will be needed more during the night.  Consequently it is very important for you and baby to rest as much as possible the rest of the time.  Make life easier on yourself by heating up microwave dinners for yourself and having the washing machine ready for the towels and blankets it may be seeing tonight.