Remembering those days and weeks of trying to embrace the heat really makes me so thankful for this first rain.
Here in Surabaya - if you haven't notice - colds, dry coughs, wet slimy coughs and what we usually call it 'masuk angin' are very common illness in babies, toddlers and young kids or even in adults. In both dry season and rainy season.
So here are some tips, simple and effective (tried and proven) tips that can help every weary momma to ease discomforts in her beloved children:
1. Shallots. Every household here mostly has this wonderful inexpensive cooking ingredient. With its smell that can literally make you cry, opened and crushed shallots have effective power to absorb the germs, virus and toxins surround them.
So just crush this shallots, put them on a plate, pour some eucalyptus oil on it, then place it in your baby's room.
This really helped Mika when she caught her first colds. She's so fuzzy because of coughing, sneezing and stuffy nose all afternoon that Saturday, but she could sleep soundly at night, which was a miracle for a baby with colds (and her mom). I just put this mixture near where she slept.
Interestingly after 12 hours, this plate full of healing and calming fragrant will transform into some kind of armpit smell. This is the sign for you to change that soggy shallots with the fresh ones.
This is why I call this 'The Armpit Smell Method', haha.
2. Morning Sunshine. I suggest between 7-8am is the best time for you to bring your baby (and yourself) out from the house and walking around neighborhood. This warm rays activate your skin to produce Vitamin D that is needed for your healthy being. It is also a moodbooster, a natural disinfectant, and an effective germs killer. What a gift God given!
We brought Mika that morning 'jalan-jalan' around our neighborhood for 15 minutes until we could smell the sun touch her hair and skin. It did energize her and boost her lacked appetite during this illness.
3. Lots of Fluids. Warm chicken soup, fruit juice and (this is important) plain water. If you still breastfeed, keep breasfeeding your baby. It's because breastmilk IS the best fluid for them, packed with nutritions, antibodies, and probiotics, this will help your baby winning the combat.
Breastfeeding is also proven to make baby more calm and provides comforts that is needed.
4. Lots of rest. If your baby gets fuzzy because of this illness, hold her in the baby carriers so that she can rest more. Your heartbeat is also a therapeutic sound for your baby, it will lullaby your baby to sleep.
5. Warm baths. Turn on the hot water in your bathtub and close the bathroom door, let the steam vaporize the room before you bath your baby. It will ease the stuffy nose and makes breathing easier.
6. Laughters. An ancient proverbs said A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Scientifically, laughters will make your body produce endorphin, a hormone that makes you happy, comfortable, and creates new energy. So bring giggles and laughters in the room. It only needs some jokes, silly faces and maybe tickles on the hips.
Hope all those tips help.
Please also observe your child. If he's not getting better in 5 days, do bring him to the pediatrics, maybe some antibiotics or other medications are needed. Common colds and coughs mostly are caused by virus, and viral infections usually can heal by them self in 3-5 days. What we can do just help boosting the immune system, and make the environment as comfortable as possible for our poor baby.
If you have experiences, thoughts, questions about how to combat this common childhood illness, please share with us!