As parents, it is important to have a bag full of tricks-or rather a bag full of home remedies for babies whenever a problem arises. Being able to find resources of helpful information to help babies in a natural and holistic way is so rewarding and useful. This post will help you learn how to help your baby with common ailments and problems.
This post is geared towards helping babies feel better. The truth is though, almost everything in this post can be applied to people of all ages to help you get through common ailments.
Being a parent is extremely rewarding and nerve-racking at the same time. We all want to do what is best for our babies and children. I have 3 children and one due in 3 weeks. As we prepare our home for our new arrival, I am already planning on certain problems that are sure to arise at some point in our near future. After reading this post, rest assured that you will have some tips in your belt to help your little one when they need you the most.
This post is all about home remedies for babies.
Home Remedies for Babies for Cough
Listen to your little one have a cough is never fun, especially when you don’t know what to do to help them. However, our bodies were designed to cough for a reason.
Taking cough medicine to ease coughing (which isn’t really for babies anyway) for any person really makes getting back to healthy take longer. We can do certain things at home to help ease the cough, but it really is important to not take medicine to take the cough entirely away. You should really only try to ease the coughing if it is truly bothering your child or if they are hacking.
But let’s look at some ways we can help ease the struggle of coughing in a natural, safe, and holistic way.
***Before we start, NEVER give a baby under 1 year old any honey. Honey is such a great home remedy to have on hand for children and adults alike, but kids have to be at least 1 in order to have it.
1. The first thing to do is to make sure you are pushing fluids. We can go without eating for a certain amount of time but not drinking anything will lead to other problems. You can offer apple juice, water, or Powerade (for older kids) as some examples.
I know that Pedialyte is often recommended and used. We did in my family too, until we recently got sick and I actually looked at the ingredients.
There is SO much sugar in those drinks and sugar lowers your immune system. That is not something we want when we are trying to fight off being sick. While it’s obviously a personal decision, it is not something I recommend.
2. We want to have moisture in the air. We can achieve this by two different ways. The first way is setting up a humidifier in his/her room. This will help to put moisture back into the air. It is SO helpful with a cough!
If you have a toddler, it also provides entertainment for them as they can run through the mist…my girls used to love doing this!
The other way to help with moisture in the air is to have your baby sit in the bathroom while a hot shower is running. The warm water in the air is very soothing and helps to open sinuses up and help with draining.
3. Keep him/her propped up. When they are not laying totally flat, it helps drainage to keep moving rather than staying stagnant. Obviously this is easier to do with an older kid rather than a baby since babies can’t rely on pillows for this help.
Instead of trying to use pillows, put a lightly folded towel or blanket under where their head goes under their mattress. So their mattress should be slightly elevated on the side their head goes. It doesn’t need to be a steep incline…just a slight elevation.
4. For older kids, warm fluids also help to sooth a cough and sore throat. Peppermint tea is a great warm drink to sip on.
5. Honey is good all around when your little one isn’t feeling good. It helps with sore throats and coughs at the same time. But remember, it’s only good for kids over the age of 1.
6. Cough drops are always a help for kids over the age of 6. It is not recommended for kids younger than 6 because of the risk of choking. Read the labels though. Make sure there is something helpful in the cough drops you are giving. We don’t want to give them more sugar than we need to. These are the two different types of cough drops we use in our home:
Home Remedies for Babies for Constipation
Finding the cause of the constipation is the true treatment for not just babies but anyone. We can treat for constipation to help things in the GI tract get flowing, but we don’t want the constipation to be reoccurring. So, trying to find the cause of the problem is going to be the best way to find a good solution.
1. The first thing to look at is the liquids. Is your baby or child getting enough liquids? We want the bowels to stay nice and soft which is harder to accomplish without adequate liquids.
If your baby is constipated, make sure their liquid intake increases. Fruit juices (such as prune, apple, or pear juice) are great ways to help the bowels move along. It is not recommended for babies under 12 months of age, but in small doses to help relieve the constipation should be just fine.
2. Another liquid to look at is their formula if applicable. Not all formulas are created equal for everyone. We had to try a few different formulas for one of my babies before we found one that agreed with her little belly. Not necessarily a fun journey, but it’s worth taking a look into.
3. Around 6 months of age is when most parents start introducing pureed foods. This change in diet can also lead to constipation.
The baby’s stomach is learning how to handle new foods and move from just breastmilk/formula, to something that is different.
As you are introducing new foods, make sure your baby is getting lots of fruit and fiber.
A good source of fiber are chia seeds and hemp seeds (also known as hemp hearts). They are super foods and completely safe for your baby to consume.
If you are feeding your baby rice cereal, it can also be binding. There are other cereals you can try such as oatmeal cereal.
4. Just like in adults, exercise can help move everything along as well. Lay your baby on their back and get their legs moving. Make it fun and playful.
5. While your baby is on their back getting their exercise, you can also give them a little belly massage or foot massage. Those are super helpful as well.
6. Lastly, you can give them a warm bath. Consider adding epsom salts to the bath for extra help. The warm bath will help to relax their little muscles to help them to have a bowel movement.
Home Remedies for Babies for Cold
Colds are hard on people of all ages, especially when you have to watch your little one suffer through all of the symptoms. Most of the symptoms that are faced with colds are already discussed in this post, so please continue to read to see how to help the individual symptoms.
1. One way to help boost your baby’s immune system is by giving them some elderberry syrup daily.
If giving this to your baby younger than 1, be sure there is no honey added to the syrup, which is a common ingredient. If your baby is older than 1 or the syrup doesn’t include honey, give 1 tablespoon per day, up to 4 tablespoons when they aren’t feeling good.
Elderberry syrup tastes delicious and shouldn’t be a battle for your kids to take.
If you aren’t sure where to get some, I offer the same elderberry syrup I make for my family in my online store. You can find it here if you are interested. It is made with all organic ingredients and canned which makes it shelf-stable until you’re ready to use. My elderberry syrup does contain honey, so please don’t offer it to babies under 1.
2. Helping to clear up congestion is so helpful! Use some (organic if possible) eucalyptus essential oil, pour a couple drops in a hot and steamy bowl of water. Have your child VERY carefully lean over the bowl with a towel draped over their head and the bowl, and breath the steam in. The oils and steam mixed together create a powerful decongestion. Repeat as needed throughout the day. While this doesn’t necessarily help with babies, it helps with people of most ages. Just be cautious with the hot water.
3. Allow for lots of naps and rest! Giving our bodies time to rest and sleep is one of the best things we can do to promote a healthy body again.
Home Remedies for Babies for Fever
Fevers are our bodies natural reaction to fighting off a sickness. Completely eliminating a low fever is not recommended. Allowing the body to do it’s thing to help fight off sickness is the best path to take. However, there are some things we can do to help lower the fever a bit. It is also helpful to know when a fever is too high and when you should take your baby to the doctor. We will discuss all of that below.
1. Try to lower the temperature of your baby/child by assessing their clothing/blankets they might be using. Change their clothes and remove any blankets. Allow their body temperature to readjust to the changes and see if that helps to reduce the fever.
2. Take a warm/semi-cool shower. This will help to lower your baby’s body temperature.
3. Use an ice pack or cold, wet wash cloth to put on their forehead, back of their neck, or on the inside parts of their wrists. All these places will help to cool their body temperature down as well.
4. If all of these things don’t work, I assess to see if my baby/child is truly very uncomfortable with the fever. If they are just sick in general but able to deal with the fever (and it’s not at an unsafe temperature), I try to let them ride it out. But if effects their sleep or they are just not coping well, I will offer them some Tylenol.
5. Let’s discuss when fevers are something to be concerned about…the first thing is if you do give them Tylenol and their temperature does not change at all after 45 minutes. That is a good reason to call your doctor. It’s good if the Tylenol brings the fever down, even if it does not eliminate it completely.
6. If your baby is under 3 months and has a fever higher than 100.4, call the doctor.
7. If your baby is 3-6 months old and has a fever higher than 102, call the doctor.
8. If your baby is older than 6 months and has a fever higher than 104, call the doctor.
Please keep in mind I am not a doctor. I am a mom of 4 kids and have done a lot of research and have a lot of experience. These recommendations are based on those two things: research and experience. I don’t have a medical degree and have not taken any medical classes.
Home Remedies for Babies for Blocked Nose
A blocked nose is most likely caused by dried mucus. It is difficult to get out of those tiny nostrils, so here are some ways to try and help remove the blocked nose.
1. Use a humidifier to help bring moisture into the air. Dry air makes things dry out quicker, so adding moisture into the air helps.
2. Similar to a humidifier, steam from a hot shower will allow your little one to breath in a warm moisture which will also help to keep things from drying out too much.
3. Most likely though, the first two suggestions will help a little, but not truly help to remove the dried mucus very much. So, after doing those two things, you will need to work on actually removing the dry crusties.
One way to do this is through a saline solution. Use 1 drop up to 4 times a day for babies under 1. It is helpful if you can do this right before feedings as it will make the feedings easier, especially if they are nursing or drinking from a bottle.
For kids older than 1, use 3 drops in each nostril. After the drops are applied, hold the nostril closed that the drops weren’t applied to and blow out. Repeat with other side.
For the babies, this blowing out part is a bit tricky. There is a tool you may have heard of. To be completely honest, I haven’t tried it because it grosses me out. However, I have only heard great things about this product, so I am recommending it based on what I have heard, not necessarily my experience.
I usually just use the blue suction thing they give you at the hospital and try my best to get the crusties out. The saline solution definitely helps to loosen it all up though.
Home Remedies for Babies that are Teething
Teething! Such a painful but necessary process. Here are some ways to help relieve that pain the babies go through.
1. Refrigerated, not frozen, teething rings.
2. Peeled and frozen carrot or apple. Just let them gnaw on them to help relieve the pain.
3. Chilled washcloth-just let them bite on it.
4. Amber necklaces or bracelets. Just remember to keep an eye on your baby when wearing these items and inspect them for any breaks so there’s not a choking hazard present. Also, don’t let your baby wear them in the car since you can’t really see or help immediately if needed. It is recommended to make sure the necklace/bracelet has a breakaway or pop clasp to eliminate any problems.
Home Remedies for Babies with Thrush
1. Mix together 1 teaspoon of baking soda with one cup of warm water. Dip a q-tip into the mixture, and swab effected areas in your baby’s mouth. Do this up to 4 times a day.
2. Use a q-tip to dip into coconut oil. Swab your baby’s mouth. If using the baking soda mixture and the coconut oil mixture, use the baking soda mixture first, then follow-up with the coconut mixture.
3. If your baby is old enough for foods, yogurts with live cultures will help their gut develop more to help fight off thrush. Try to find minimized sugars found in yogurt.
4. Make sure everything your baby puts into his/her mouth is sterilized…pacifiers, bottle nipples, toys, etc.
5. Lemon juice diluted in water can also help get rid of thrush.
Home Remedies for Babies with Diarrhea
1. Just like so many other GI symptoms, it is important to keep your baby hydrated. Offer more breast milk/formula if that is the only liquids they are on. If they are 6 months or older, offer juices or water. Coconut water is an awesome solution to having a healthy liquid filled with electrolytes. It doesn’t contain all the sugar that are found in other drinks.
2. Make sure you are staying on top of changing those dirty diapers. Diaper rash is a common occurrence with diarrhea. If you don’t want to use a harsh chemical filled diaper rash cream, I create an organic diaper rash spray (yeah for a spray so you don’t have to touch an already inflamed area!) that I use on my babies that I am now offering in my online shop…and it works! You can learn more about it and find it here. Putting some breastmilk on his/her diaper rash also helps to heal it!
3. If your child is a bit older, they should be on the BRAT diet. BRAT is an acronym for bananas, raisins, applesauce, and toast. All of these foods are somewhat bland, easy on the stomach, and are a bit binding.
4. Potatoes and rice cereal are other options to help bind up loose stool. If you baby is older than 6 months and has started on mooshy/solid foods, make the potato super soft and feed to them.
Home Remedies for Babies with Gas
1. Exercise your baby! Lay baby on their back and move legs in bike motion.
2. Put a little pressure on their belly by holding them face down in your arms, placing your hand gently on their belly. Make sure their head is turned away from your arm so they can breath normally.
3. Give them a warm bath with epsom salt. The warm bath will help to relax their muscles.
4. Burp your baby often.
5. Burp your baby in the middle of feedings. Give their belly a moment to empty any gas out before you continue to feed.
6. If you are feeding with a bottle, never let your baby just suck air. Make sure they are always getting the milk inside.
Home Remedies for Babies with Pink Eye
1. Breastmilk is said to be liquid gold, and it’s totally true! It does so much for your baby! If your baby has pink eye, expel some breastmilk into a clean container. Using an eye dropper, drop a few drops into your baby’s eyes. Apply every few hours.
2. Warm or cool compresses. Cool compresses are best. Warm compresses are good to use to loosen up any crusty stuff on the outside of the eye. However, if you use the warm compress too much, it can hinder the healing of other symptoms. So, once you have the crustiness gone, go back to the cold compress to help with healing.
3. You need to just call your doctor. There are about 4 different types of pink eye. Some of them clear up on their own after about a week but others require medicine.
The best thing to do other than call your doctor, is to do the compresses, breastmilk, use a clean washcloth with every compress, avoid touching eyes, and just keep the area clean.
Conclusion
After reading this post, you should feel more confident about having a bag full of tricks home remedies for babies when common ailments make their appearance. Becoming a parent is one of the most rewarding things that could ever happen to us! But it also comes with a lot of helpless feelings and not knowing how to make our kids feel better. I hope this post has helped to relieve some of those feelings and will help your family feel better quicker!
This post is all about home remedies for babies.
To learn how to protect for your family even more from colds and the flu, check out our product: organic elderberry syrup. It’s the same product I use for my family.
