Mommy Mia Monologues: Top 20 Must-Have Items for Sick Baby or Toddler

Top 20 Must-Have Items for Sick Baby this Flu Season Blog Post Title Photo

Nothing pulls on a mom’s heart strings or stresses a mommy out quite like a sick baby. Make sure that you’re prepared for this flu season by stocking up on these 20 essential items and for your sick baby or toddler:

1. Boogie Wipes

Link: Boogie Wipes

Boogie Wipes

Boogie Wipes are great for wiping the nose area without irritating the skin. They also come in a “Fresh Scent” (instead of the traditional “Grape Flavored Scent.” My little one seems to prefer the fresh scent.

2. Cool Mist Humidifier

Link: Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier

Cool mist humidifiers are the best – think the hippo Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is adorable and Crane is an amazing brand. I have researched and experimented with very any of these pain-in-the-a** items, and I have narrowed it down to the two best humidifiers out there for babies (see my post on the Top 2 Humidifiers for Baby (Easy-to-Use). I’ve known a few people, including myself, who have been very disappointed with humidifiers bought in the stores. (They are either to loud, difficult to clean, or have some other idiosyncrasy).

3. Liquid Medication Dispenser Syringe

Link: Infant Medicine Syringe Dispenser

Infant Medicine Dispenser

Having multiple Infant Medicine Syringe Dispensers on hand is extremely helpful. It’s hard to have too many of these things with a toddler or baby in the house. Dispensers usually come in the box with each medication bottle that you purchase (for Infants medicine). Save them! Otherwise, you’ll be forced to clean the dispenser after each use every single time. If you’re supermom, then fine, clean it each time. If you’re human like me, then you’ll be incredibly tired, and distracted, when you have a sick baby. So clean it [tomorrow] and use a spare dispenser the next time.

4. Nipple Medication Dispenser

Link: Nipple Medication Dispenser

Nipple Medication Dispenser for Baby

If your young infant needs medication, Nipple Medication Dispensers Nipple dispensers are fantastic for this. I prefer to use the Infant Medicine Syringe Dispenser once my baby gets older – but the Nipple Medication Dispenser was the only way my child would take medication when she was a newborn.

5. The FridaBaby (aka, “NoseFrida”) Nasal Aspirator

Link: FridaBaby Nasal Aspirator

NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator for Babies Photo

FridaBaby Nasal Aspirator

I was reluctant to try the FridaBaby Nasal Aspirator (aka, the “NoseFrida) at first, but this boogie-sucking item is a must-have. It is fantastic. My child used to DESPISE the booger sucker (so much so that I even published Help! Baby HATES the Booger Sucker: Mommy Support Needed a separate blog post, seeking advise in my moment of booger-sucking desperation). Thanks to the readers at Mommy Mia Monologues, who suggested the Nosefrida to me, my child no longer fears booger sucking time (see How the Nosefrida Changed My Boogy Little Life).

Video of my daughter saying “ahhh” (in relief)

each time we use the Nosefrida…hilarious.

(and/or the hospital-grade Booger Sucker)

Booger Sucker (I drew a happy face on the thing because
I wanted to daughter to like it so badly).

For traveling and for daycare, keep a booger sucker on hand as well. The booger suckers that they give you at the hospital are the best out there. I have yet to find a great one in the store, though I’ve been told that Amazon.com has a few booger suckers with a lot of potential. My child despises the booger sucker. More on that in the post Help! Baby HATES the Booger Sucker: Mommy Support Needed.

6. Spare Batteries for Baby Thermometer

Link: Thermometer Batteries

Spare Batteries for Baby Thermometer Photo

Spare Baby Thermometer Batteries

There is no worse time to realize that your baby thermometer is out of batteries than when you have a sick, crying baby. Do not let this happen to you. Baby Thermometer Batteries(especially the Ear Thermometers) are usually those weird, round batteries – not your simple AAA or AA batteries – the digital thermometer batteries often require those circular kind of batteries that have weird names numeric descriptions to them, like the “CR-2032.” Trying to figure out the type of battery your baby thermometer takes (not to mention, going to the store to buy the battery), while you have a sick baby or toddler will make you insanely stressed out. Buy your thermometers spare battery before your baby gets sick – keep spare batteries on hand.

7. Forehead and Ear Thermometer for Baby

Link: Innovo Forehead and Ear Thermometer (Dual Mode)

Forehead and Ear Thermometer

A Forehead and Ear Thermometer is the key to getting your babies temperature without waking the baby up. This Thermometer model is fabulous because it acts as both an ear and a forehead thermometer – whereas most models are usually one or the other. Using the forehead and ear thermometers are not supposed to be quite as accurate as the rectal thermeter to get an accurate reading of your baby’s temperature; however, I’ve always had success with these at gaging the range of my child’s termperature – if it’s high then I also use the rectal thermometer to make sure I have an accurage idea of whether to bring her to the hospital.

8. Tissues with Lotion

Tissues with Lotion

If your baby or toddler has a runny noise, chances are that you’ll be wiping it a lot. Using tissues with lotion is a good idea because it helps soften the rubbing on baby’s already raw skin.

9. Aquaphor for Baby Healing Ointment

Link: Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment

Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment

Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment is amazing for chapped skin due to runny noses. Use these ointments to rub around your baby’s chapped little nose and lips. When your little one has a cold, this can make the world of a difference to your baby. I swear my little one looks up and thanks me each time I rub this on her poor, chapped lips and nostrils when she is sick.

10. Wet Ones, Antibacterial Wipes

Link: Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes

Wet Wipes

Load up on Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes. You’re going to be wiping off a lot of snot and boogers. Keep your hands clean so you don’t get sick yourself.

11. Saline Spray for Baby

Link: Saline Nasal Mist (Baby)

Saline Nasal Mist for Baby

Using Saline Nasal Mist, Baby gets the gunk out and works wonders when coupled with either your booger sucker or the Nosefrida Baby Nasal Aspirator (see How the Nosefrida Changed My Boogy Little Life). My child despises Saline Spray, but it is completely necessary when they have a cold. It gets the gunk out of there, and can help to prevent pneumonia from building up in your baby’s chest.

12. Pedialyte

Link: Pedialyte

Pedialyte

You definitely always want Pedialyte a stock of this in your pantry. I mix just a little bit of Pedialyte in her sippy cup with water – she is more than happy to keep the liquids down.

13. Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is great for older babies, and sick mommies.

14. Baby Food in Pouches

Baby Food Pouches

Your toddler may refuse to eat when their sick, and they may even refuse to drink their milk. Keep baby food pouches with yogurt (for their daily dairy) in stock.

15. Dole Mandarin Orange Cups

Link: Dole Mandarin in 100% Fruit Juice

Mandarin Orange Cups in 100% Fruit Juice

Dole Mandarin in 100% Fruit Juice is great for toddlers with colds. These fruit cups doesn’t contain syrup or any artificial sweeteners (just fruit juice 100%).

16. Medication Dosage Information Sheet

Talk to the pediatrician and fill this out ahead of time.

Keep an all-inclusive list of the medications that your baby can take, and make photocopies of it for your child’s daycare provider, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and keep one in the diaper bag as well. Be sure to ask your pediatrician about this prior to your child getting sick – because waiting for your pediatrician to call you back when your child is miserably sick can make minutes feel like hours. Make sure to pair the dosage information with the milligrams (mg.), as some medications of the same type come in different strengths. Make sure you jot down your child’s age and weight, along with the dosage (mg.) information as well.

17. Medications

Little Remedies for Fevers

Check with your pediatricians about medications that your infant/child can take (e.g., Tylenol, IB Profin, Benadryl, etc.).

18. The “B.R.A.T. Diet”

(Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast)

The B.R.A.T. diet is fantastic for upset tummies. Keep some mashed banana baby food on hand if you don’t frequently buy bananas. I keep squeezable banana baby food and squeezable apple sauce in my pantry. Mix in the Gerber Rice cereal with the banana baby food.

19. Photo Copies of the Operating Manuals for Each Baby Thermometer You Own

Not all thermometers are created equal! You have your forehead thermometers, versus ear thermometers, versus anal thermometers versus under-arm thermometers…what classifies a “fever” is different on each device! It’s not as simple as 98.6 degrees! Keep photocopies of your thermometer’s manual in every bag that you use for your baby (diaper bags, tote bags, gym bags, etc.). Ear thermometers and forehead thermometers have different temperature ranges as to what qualifies as a “fever”; for example, a temperature reading of 98.6 degrees on some “forehead thermometers” can actually mean that your baby has a fever of possibly 100+degrees. These devices vary significantly. (Anal temperature readings are the most accurate, but I like to use that method only once I suspect a temperature with my forehead and ear thermometers.

20. Vick’s Baby Rub

Link: Vick’s Baby Rub

Vick’s Baby Rub

I put Vick’s Baby Rub on baby’s feet before bed when she is sick. If I am going to be near her, I rub it on her chest too. I do this after giving my little one a nice, long bath in a steamy bathroom. My little one is a big fan of the Vick’s Baby Rub.

Don’t Forget!….

A steamy bath

Even though this may not qualify as a “product,” a steamy bath can do wonders for a congested baby or toddler. I like to steam up my bathroom before I give my little one a bath when she is congested. It helps every time.

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