The truth about having the sniffles

Ever since Ben had his first cold, I have tried researching and researching on how to avoid them and what to do when it happens. Here are some tidbits that hope might help :)

1. Having the colds is not the end of the world
Babies can catch the cold as much as 12 times before their 2nd Birthday. This is because they are still trying to build up their immune system. Though there are a lot of meds out there, the best remedy is saline drops/spray and nose suction. In fact, in the US they don't recommend any cough and colds meds for children younger than 2 ( some even say until 4 years old) Sigh ... This is so hard for me especially whenever I notice Ben's nasal congestion at night. Decongestions may help but might backfire if used more than 5 days so use as directed by the doctor. Anyway, the good thing about someone getting a lot of colds when they are very young is that they are immune for those viruses when they get to big school, which hopefully leads to fewer absences.

2. You can only catch a cold from someone who has one
You catch the virus when you touch someone or something who has it and put your hands near your nose or eyes. In fact, one has a bigger chance catching a cold shaking someone's hand that kissing a person on the cheek. You can't catch a cold from cold weather or leaving your hair wet. Being cold just makes the mucus lining of your nose susceptible to the virus.

3. The Power of washing hands and the face mask
This is our pediatrician’s constant reminder of how to avoid passing the cold virus to Ben. It's simple but very effective, also a challenge when taking car of a toddler who likes touching everything he sees. Having a humidifier or vaporizer especially in an air-conditioned room also helps.

4. What about Water and Vitamin C?
They don't exactly cure but help with the decongestion, making us feel better. A bowl of hot soup also works because warm liquids help decongest better that a cool drink.

5. There are medicines you can take while breastfeeding
Natural remedies are priority for a nursing mom, but there are medicines she can take so she doesn't have to stop when she is sick. This is why having a breastfeeding friendly doctor is important. Worst case scenario, you can pump and dump only for a short duration then go back to nursing again.

* Disclaimer, I'm no doctor, just a makulit mommy, hehe,