The Cold War

A baby's firsts are usually joyous occasions when everyone coos and claps and makes a general fuss. But a first cold doesn't get such a warm reception. This morning, my son woke up with his premiere case of the sniffles and a nice cough to boot. I'm thankful that he was able to hold out until almost 6 months of age, but somewhere deep inside, I was hoping he'd just never get a cold.

Sometime around 6 a.m. when my wishful thinking had stepped aside, I decided I'd better pack us up and take a trip to that local health food store I've mentioned a few times before. Due to a great experience with the homeopathic teething tablets, I just had to go see what they had for colds. So, as soon as the doors were open at 9:00, baby and I were there.

I found the whole line of homeopathic tablets that I reviewed here before (Hyland's), and I was happy to see they had something for colds and flu. The bottle only gives instructions for age 1 year and up, but the health store consultant assured me homeopathic tablets are safe for all ages. (Please don't only take the advice here. Check with a pediatrician or other health authority first.) I had also read up that homeopathic tablets were safe for all ages, so I purchased the tablets.

Another bit of advice I was given is in regards to nursing mothers, and I think it's good to pass it on here: If your nursing baby has a cold, remember to eat the healthy foods you'd eat if you were the one with the cold. For instance, whenever I start getting the feeling I might be coming down with something, the first thing I do is start squeezing lemons into glasses of water. I might have the juice of two lemons for two or three days in a row. In this way, I've only had one cold in the last 9 years. (The one I did have was during vacation, where I didn't have easy access to lemons.) So, since this morning I've been downing the lemon water.

The health food clerk also recommended I take my vitamins if I'm not already. I'm hoping a combination of these two things will help us to fight back.

One last item that I tried just a few hours ago: We have a humidifier in the baby's room that has a little reservoir for inhalants. I put a few drops of eucalyptus in there and let the baby play in the room. It took only a few minutes for him to stop coughing and start smiling. I was surprised at how fast it took effect. (I was advised not to leave him in an enclosed room with the eucalyptus going. It can sometimes be too potent if you're not careful. Good thing to keep in mind here.)

I'll certainly post again very soon to let you all know how the homeopathic tablets work for colds, so check back in for the update.