Home Remedies for Baby’s Cold

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Luca just finished fighting his first cold last week. Runny nose, fever, cough, loss of appetite – it was so sad. As a mom, you would give anything to take your child’s pain and suffering away. I am a full supporter of modern medicine, and will 100% take pharmaceuticals when needed, however, for things like common colds and coughs, I first like to explore natural home remedies whether it’s myself, my husband or my baby who has the cold.

Today I’m sharing some ways we treated Luca naturally during his first cold and I am happy to report back that we made it through!

Home Remedies for Baby’s Cold

Humidifier

Keep your humidifier running 24/7. The humidity really helps loosen everything up. A cool mist humidifier works best because of safety issues with warm mist humidifiers. Alex did a ton of research and this is the big one we use in our family room, and this is the one in our bedroom.

Baby Chest Rub

This is the best cold hack ever. Are you ready? Don’t just put baby rub on the chest. Grab a thick glob and slather a thick layer on baby’s feet and toes and slip a sock over their feet. Trust me, it works wonders! Putting it on their feet is especially helpful if your baby has a cough. It suppresses their cough and helps them sleep.

Saline Spray and Nasal Aspiration

Have you ever tried to suction your baby’s nose out and have nothing come out? It’s because you need some extra moisture in there! It may seem counter-intuitive, but trust me on this one. Also, the NoseFrida works really, really well – so good it even made my Newborn Essentials post! Those bulb ones you get from the hospital don’t do much and are a breeding ground for bacteria.

Spray in their nostrils a saline solution like this one, let it sit for a few seconds, and go to town with the NoseFrida. You can also irrigate your baby’s sinuses by holding them on their side and spraying the saline until it comes out the other nostril. This really helps clear those boogers out.

Natural Ear Drops

When we went to the pediatrician for Luca’s cold she noticed some fluid in his ears. It wasn’t an ear infection yet so she recommended these Garlic and Mullen Oil eardrops. I was so happy she suggested these instead of going straight to antibiotics AND they actually worked! Luca smelled like straight up garlic bread for a week but it was worth it – ear infection was averted!

Steamy Showers

Another one of the great home remedies for baby’s cold are long showers. You don’t have to actually take a shower, but running a hot shower and creating that steam really helps with the stuffiness and loosening up congestion! You can just sit in there with the door closed to create your own mini steam room. A good 30 minutes usually does the trick to loosen up that phlegm. I would do this right before putting Luca to bed.

Fluids

Always be sure to keep baby hydrated but especially when they are feeling under the weather. Breastfeed on demand, offer the bottle, sippy cup – whatever you have to do. Hydration is so important, and it also loosens congestion up.

Essential Oils

Oils are an amazing and, in my opinion, under-utilized tool we should all keep in our medicine cabinet (an in other parts of our homes, but that’s an entirely different post!). When used correctly they can have powerful preventative and healing effects when it comes to illness. We use Young Living oils.

You can diffuse soothing/healing oils in baby’s room, rub diluted oils on baby’s chest or feet, and/or add a few drops to the humidifier. Some safe oils you can try are eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, lemon, and thieves. I also found a great resource on the Million Dollar Mama blog: A Baby-Safe Essential Oil Blends for Coughs & Colds.

Slow Down

I know as a new mom you’re wanting to get things done and stick to your routine as much as possible but it helped so much when I slowed down and just let everything go. When your baby is sick spend extra time loving and comforting them. Throw schedules out the window, hold them when they need it, feed them when they want it, and let them sleep when they feel like it. Their little body is working in overdrive, rest and comfort are key to your baby recovering quickly.

Prevent Your Baby’s Cold: Strengthen the Immune System Naturally

I am also a huge supporter of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to strengthen your (and baby’s) immune system so there’s a better chance of not catching something in the first place. These are a few ways to build up baby’s immune system in order to prevent colds as much as possible.

Elderberry Syrup

Elderberries contain antioxidants that naturally stimulate the immune system. This syrup is super easy to give to your baby – you can mix it into a bottle or just squirt it straight into their mouth. Or for toddlers, you can try these gummies!

Probiotics

Probiotics promote gut health and your immune system is housed in your gut so it’s important to keep it as healthy as possible. We all take daily probiotics in our house, Luca has taken these since he was two weeks old!

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is so important! If you’re breastfeeding your pediatrician will likely suggest drops to give your baby daily. You can find the ones I give Luca here. Also, getting out in the direct sunlight is really the best way to get Vitamin D (make sure to wear sunscreen), but you can also find it in oranges and milk.  

I hope this post on home remedies for baby’s cold was helpful! Are there any natural remedies you would add to this list? Please share in the comments!