"It was the longest, hardest journey ever!"
there is so much advice I could give you on ensuring your baby gets through covid but here is my advice comprised in 5 steps.
How it all began..
It is so important to know your baby and trust your intuition. As a new mom I've quickly learnt that there is a thin line between overreacting and intuition yelling at you. Aína is one of the happiest babies I know , that helps to make it so much easier for me to know when something isn't right. After a long, happy day working in the office, I came home to Alína being extremely fussy and not enjoying bath time - her favorite time of the evening. After a long evening of her crying, I finally got her off to sleep and just before turning on the baby monitor, so I could watch her while I'm in the shower, something told me to take her temperature. Within minutes of me preparing her things for tomorrow morning and turning on the shower, Alína was sweating profusely and extremely hot to the touch. Her temperature was 101. A new moms worst fear. I ran her to a local Children's hospital and found out my worst fear. Alína contracted the new COVID-19 variant.
The beginning of the longest week
After the hours of crying and trying to hold it together for my little one, the Drs came back in and decided it was best for us to ride this out at home with specific requirements on what to do if Alína's fever got worse or if her breathing became shallow or any different from what I was use to. Needless to say, I was petrified and had no idea how or where to begin. Chris was away in Africa, I was alone but determined, I refused to not figure out a way to make Alína better! Here is what I did to help my four month old overcome the pest that is COVID-19.
Some cool tips you should know
02.
Rubbing Alcohol .
Now don't scream at me sis, but, with a strong foundation in my Caribbean heritage, rubbing alcohol is the solution to almost every problem. One night Alína's temperature got to 101.4 and I was over it! I got rubbing alcohol and put little on her feet after stripping her down to her diaper and having the air on 73- my house is usually 76 don't judge me and I put a small amount of rubbing alcohol on the soles of her feet. The following morning Alína's temperature significantly regulated. I can't guarantee you this will work every time but girlie, it is worth the try! Note: I only used a small amount of alcohol rub to do this no more than a dime amount on each foot.
04.
Dear Breastfeeding Mommas
Whatever nutrients you add and carry in your body transfers to your baby during their feed. If you are lucky to be a breast feeding momma, fill your body with vitamins c , elderberry and all that other good stuff that can build your immune system and antibodies to fight against COVID-19.
01.
How to spot & control a fever
Alína's first symptom was her fussiness which was shortly followed by a fever. Make sure once your baby's diagnosis has been confirmed, you stay on top of taking their temperature every 3 hours. Although under the arm is an easy way to check and get a roughly accurate reading, a rectum thermometer check is the best way to ensure that their fever is reducing. Fevers are usually accompanied by your baby feeling warmer than usually when you touch them, fussy, them feeling clammy, or sweating. Tylenol is a great way to keep your baby's fever under control but almost minimizing the amount of clothes they wear, keep your house slightly cooler than usual. I personally didn't use a fan to cool down Alína, when a baby is sweating it is easy for them to still get a cold, bare in mind that you don't want to bring their temperature from one extreme to the next. Lowering a fever is a marathon not a sprint.
03.
Eucalyptus
You would be so surprised to see how this incredible plant works. I purchased pure raw eucalyptus and placed it on the head of my shower, around my bath taps, and turnt the hot water on. That was an amazing help in keep Alína's lungs cleared from any excess potential mucus build up. Now don't get me wrong, Alína did have a cough with a little build up, but that was extremely minimized by our beautiful friend, Sir Eucalyptus.Try using Eucalyptus be mindful of how long you allow your little one to stay in the steamy bathroom with your Eucalyptus brew and practice this twice a week at minimum three times at maximum.
05.
Hydration,hydration
If your little one is consistently struggling to the point where they're not eating at all, it is essential that you head to your local Children's hospital. Your baby could be in need of some iv fluids to prevent dehydration. Alína drank half an ounce less that usual and on some days an ounce, my main thing was keeping her drinking. I also added small amounts of cereal during her feeds to help fill her just a little bit more, and give her the extra nutrients she may be lacking.
Your baby is A warrior & so are you!
Having a sick baby is awful for any mom. Know that you are a warrior and by default so is your little one. Sickness helps the immune system break down to rebuild, from experience I can guarantee you, situations like this, builds you as a mom, you can and will make it through this ❤
